If you normally think of upscale American cuisine when you imagine a fine dining restaurant, Palma de Cera will add more varied flavors to your next special occasion. This fine South American eatery is both elegant and laid-back, with a sparse yet cozy dining area and an atmosphere that will make you feel like you’re in on a well-kept secret.

Here gourmet chefs prepare the most popular dishes from Columbia, Cuba, Brazil and Chile using only authentic, high quality ingredients, including empanadas, pargo roji frito and hearty steaks. Order creamy flan for dessert and a glass of fine wine to pair with the meal, and if you bring the little ones, try a smaller portion from the equally fresh, healthy children’s menu. Palma de Cera proves that you don’t have to pay a fortune to enjoy upscale cuisines, and its welcoming atmosphere will keep you coming back again and again.

Palma de Cera
2004 S Mason Road
Katy, TX 77450
(281) 392-3800
www.palmadecerarestaurant.com

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr Luna sin estrellas

With a small, cozy dining room and a friendly, open atmosphere, it’s easy to see why so many residents call The Original Marini’s Empanada House a must-try. Flavorful, scratch-made empanadas are stuffed to plump perfection and come in styles like beef gaucho, chicken Florentine, and chicken poblano, as well as sweet styles like fig and mozzarella and strawberry, banana, and cream cheese.

Regulars recommend ordering a wide variety of different empanadas, and because they’re so easy on the wallet, you can make a filling meal out of as many as you’d like. Marini’s also offers a great beer selection to go along with their traditional cuisine, including Mexican cervezas that you won’t find at most places nearby.

The Original Marini’s Empanada House
3522 S Mason Road
Katy, TX 77450
(281) 391-4273
www.yelp.com/biz/the-original-marinis-empanada-house-katy

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr photosbybonbon671

Though the great state of Texas is known for its barbecue, Houston’s vegetarians enjoy a number of meat-free restaurants that would rival any steakhouse in depth of flavor. Check out these tasty vegetarian eateries that serve much more than just tofu!

Pepper Tree Veggie Cuisine
This casual, healthy restaurant is the ideal place to pop in for a quick lunch. All of the food items are 100% vegan, and absolutely no MSG is used while cooking. The colorful salad bar offers a wide variety of unique items, and the lunch buffet includes almost 20 different foods ranging from hot soups to egg rolls. The dinner menu also offers a number of Asian-cuisine-inspired dishes, including a vegan General Tso’s Chicken that regulars insist you’ll crave for days afterward.

Field of Greens
Field of Greens uses a macrobiotic approach to eating that revolves mainly around whole grains and fresh vegetables. While this may seem restrictive, the upscale restaurant’s meat-free dishes are bright, diverse, and always flavorful. The eatery’s interior is airy and full of plants, and the cozy cafe-style tables are ideal for an intimate dinner. The expansive menu includes vegetarian salads, pastas, and a wide variety of meat-free sandwiches. The vegan daily soup includes split pea and tomato basil, and the dessert menu offers chocolate tofu pie, vegan carrot cake, and even vegan cupcakes in a number of flavors.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/U.S. Department of Agriculture