This more casual Rice Village version of Coppa Ristorante Italiano comes from the same Clark Cooper Concepts group also behind Punk’s, Ibiza, and Brasserie 19.

Website: coppaosteriahouston.com
Number of seats: 154
Average per-person check: $30
Popular dishes: Spaghetti carbonara with black pepper, parsley, salumi toscano, egg yolk and parmesan cream; “fritto misto” with shrimp, calamari, fennel, herbs and warm lemon olive oil; carnissima pizza with Italian sausage, pepperoni, salumi toscano, coppa, prosciutto and Parmesan.
What people come for: Separate window for pizza by the slice, 40-person private room for rentals.
Address: 5210 Morningside Dr.
Phone Number: 713-522-3535
Photo: Debora Small

A fusion of flavors and presentations from Korea and Japan makes up the program at this restaurant by Donald Chang, who made his name in town at Uptown Sushi.

Web site: narahouston.com
Number of seats: 120
Average per-person check: $55
Popular dishes: Bulgogi bao buns with prime ribeye, daikon kimchi and microgreens; Hot Stone Bowl Bibimbap with Berkshire pork belly chicharrón, sunny-side quail egg and seasonal vegetables; green tea tiramisu with mascarpone, Japanese green tea powder and coffee bean cake.
What people come for: Cocktail list with soju offerings.
Address: 2800 Kirby Rd.
Phone Number: 281-249-5944
Photo: Julie Soefer

In Rice Village, this homey eatery does not stint on southernness, with lots of nods to down-home purity and classic southern food “derived from deep family roots.”

Website: punkssimplesouthernfood.com
Number of seats: 110
Average per-person check: $30
Popular dishes: Grandma Pat's Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken with horseradish mash, Red-Eye Gravy, buttermilk biscuits and Punk's sauce; chicken-fried steak with cream gravy and stewed green beans; shrimp and grits with creole tomato sauce, white hominy grits.
What people come for: 100-seat outdoor patio, kid-friendly atmosphere.
Address: 5212 Morningside Dr.
Phone Number: 713-524-7865
Photo: Hilary Rosenstein