Houston Tables: The art of food

1 4

Bernie’s Burger Bus

This brick-and-mortar manifestation of what started as a food truck serves burgers made with black Angus beef ground in-house.

Web site: berniesburgerbus.com
Number of seats: 64
Average per-person check: $16
Popular dishes: The Principal burger with homemade ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise, pickles, lettuce, thin-sliced onions and slow-roasted garlic tomatoes; The Substitute burger with crispy bacon, “tipsy” onions, Burgundy mushrooms and blue cheese; the Homeroom burger with chipotle aïoli, crispy bacon, “tipsy” onions, fried egg and cheddar cheese
What people come for: Milkshakes
Address: 5407 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire, Tex.
Phone Number: 713-349-9400

Georges Bistro

Georges and Monique Guy, the very French owners of Georges Bistro, ran a restaurant in the same Craftsman-style house long ago before decamping for fiver years and returning to their roots with a welcoming home for hearty, heritage-minded French food.

Web site: georgesbistrohouston.com
Number of seats: 48
Average per-person check: $50
Popular dishes: Red snapper quenelles with seafood in lobster sauce; magret de canard aux confit d’orange: roasted all-natural duck breast with orange brown sauce; andouilette au Banyuls: Lyon-style andouillette with Banyuls sauce.
What people come for: Organic produce, all natural meats, wine list with French selections only.
Address: 219 Westheimer Rd.
Phone Number: 832-831-0921

Kuu Restaurant

“Art infuses everything we do” — so goes part of the mission statement for this tasteful, modern Japanese restaurant that specializes in “locally raised, seasonal tapas-style dishes” by a chef who got his start in the kitchen of Nobu Matsuhisa.

Web site: kuurestaurant.com
Number of seats: 90
Average per-person check: $75
Popular dishes: Uni Crusted King Crab served with key lime custard; Kanpaccio: kampachi, Texas orange, yuzu, garlic soy and Thai chile; Truffle Suzuki with yellowtail, scallion crunch, jalapeño, striped bass, yuzu koshō, gold tobiko and truffle yuzu vinaigrette
What people come for: Expansive wine list, specialty sakes
Address: 947 Gessner Rd., #A180
Phone Number: 713-461-1688

Holley’s Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar

Seafood abounds at this slick, smartly designed restaurant by former Pesce chef Mark Holley with an intra-regional menu (Texas, New Orleans, “the South”) and a lively oyster bar.

Web site: holleyshouston.com
Number of seats: 145
Average per-person check: $60
Popular dishes: Seafood Mezcal Martini with shrimp, crabmeat, avocado, hearts of palm, plantain and charred lime-chipotle dressing; Thai-style Fried Snapper for Two with kimchi fried rice and sautéed greens; Down South Coconut Cake with spiced pecans and salted caramel sauce
What people come for: Oyster bar, extensive bourbon list, happy hour
Address: 3201 Louisiana St.
Phone Number: 713-491-2222

Next Up

Chicago Tables: Reflecting on heritage

Start Slideshow ›