Tres Leches at Auden (photo Jordan Hughes)
EVERY SUMMER, HOUSTONIANS save up their dining-out appetite for Houston Restaurant Weeks (Aug. 1-Sept. 2), when new restaurants and old favorites offer special pre-fixe menus with gentle prices to benefit The Houston Food Bank. Brunch, lunch and dinner menus are now live on the website, so you can reserve your table lickity-split. From French, Asian and Creole, to steakhouse and Indian-inspired, here are our top picks!
Artisans
If you need an excuse to check out the new Artisans, which relocated a few months ago to posh Galleria-area digs, its HRW menu is a great one: Winning combos include a portabella mushroom starter featuring bruleed-goat-cheese croutons, and duck confit with orange sauce; or maybe corn-and-potato soup with pistachio-crusted sea bass for something a touch lighter.
Auden
This stylish haunt in Autry Park has a following for its eclectic menu. Husband-and-wife chefs Kirthan and Kripa Shenoy will craft punchy Indian-inspired dishes on their brunch and dinner HRW menus: We have our eye on the beef short ribs and sauteed spinach, Masala shrimp with curry velouté, and tres leches.
Bloom & Bee
It’s a scene for a girl’s night out, to be sure, but the pre-fixe dinner menu at this Post Oak Hotel hot spot has something for every appetite: Start with the clever ceviche roll before moving on to a main course of Gulf redfish with white-wine butter and focaccia — or risotto with seasonal veggies and mascarpone.
Brasserie 19
Trout almondine, French onion soup, and vanilla bean crème brulee are dinner classics worth relishing during HRW. The festive bar and popular sidewalk café — yes, Fido is invited! — feels a little like Paris in River Oaks.
Brennan's of Houston
It doesn’t get classier than this iconic Downtown Cajun-Creole favorite. Don’t miss the crab cakes, signature turtle soup, or stuffed quail on the month-long, multi-course lunch and dinner menus.
Graffiti Raw
Linguine alla Vongole at Graffiti Raw (photo by Becca Wright)
Red snapper ceviche, linguini with clams, and beet cake are a few California-inspired dishes to snatch up on the three-course dinner menu. Don’t skip the “surfboard” potato chips and caviar! The Big Vibe Group’s Coppa Osteria and Flora will also offer multi-course HRW dinner menus.
Makiin Thai
Thai one on and eat like a king at this luxe romantic spot in Hanover River Oaks. Plush banquettes are a cozy dining option, or hit the huge center bar to sup and sip on specialties like soft-shell-crab-papaya salad, Flavors of Siam (filet mignon with Thai-style sauces), and “coconut ice cream fantasy.”
MAD
Brunch and dinner menus boast a feast of avant-garde Spanish riches. Last year, special four-course menus offered more than 20 different dishes to choose from! Start with pork empanadilla and paella Valencia and end with Basque cheesecake brownie. Our brunch pick? Watermelon burrata and tortilla Espanola.
Prime 131
At this Korean steakhouse, guests watch their meal being cooked at the table on grills while snacking on sushi and other delicacies. We can’t wait to try the grilled bone-in short rib or grilled head-on shrimp with charred garlic vinaigrette. Like other Berg Hospitality concepts, sister resto The Annie Cafe & Bar will serve lunch and dinner comprised of ample choices, with options to pay a tad more for items like a Wagyu filet or crab tostadas.
Tonight & Tomorrow
Take in the artistic splendor of the historic La Colombe d’Or hotel while dining out on a dime. European-inspired lunch and dinner dishes like Ahi Tuna Nicoise and Butcher’s Steak Frites tempt.
Toro Toro at Four Seasons Houston
This sleek hotel restaurant offers pan-Latin flavors on its three-course lunch, brunch and dinner menus — think Kurobuta pork chop with Argentinian chimichurri barbecue sauce, Peruvian ceviche and housemade churros. The hotel’s casual Bayou & Bottle is also dishing out HRW menus with stacked burgers and creative salads!
