eat & drink in houston
Avalon Diner, Photo By Douglas Friedman, February 2008
- Houston Restaurants
- Avalon Diner
- 2417 Westheimer Road
(713) 527-8900 Spots like this are practically an endangered species. Waitstaff have the year they started embroidered on their uniforms—most have been here since the '70s! The menu is replete with diner greatest hits: pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon, oatmeal, club sandwiches and fountain soda. The crowd is decidedly local and much the same every day.
- Da Marco
- 1520 Westheimer Road
(713) 807-8857 It is always useful to have the number of at least one fancy restaurant in town, and this is it in Houston. The food is northern Italian—don't miss the fall-off-the-bone short ribs or the sinful homemade chocolate truffles. The clientele is well-dressed and youngish, and the atmosphere is somewhat "night out"—but without that hushed tone or scene you get in stuffy establishments.
- Dolce Vita Pizzeria Enoteca
- 500 Westheimer Road
(713) 520-8222 Da Marco's sister eatery is a more relaxed, affordable alternative. You can sit outside and partake in roasted cauliflower or an octopus salad— delicious, relatively healthy options— before the naughty dishes arrive: pizzas with egg and prosciutto, orecchiette pasta with peas and ham. We went twice in one week, we liked it so much.
- Goode Company
- 5109 Kirby Drive
(713) 522-2530 Head here in the late afternoon. The early-evening light is lovely, and a plate of brisket or ribs with a Lone Star Beer is the ideal repast while sitting at long tarpaulin-shaded tables. Across the street is a 20'-high armadillo sculpture that lets you know you're in Texas.
- Picnic
- 1928 Bissonnet Street
(713) 524-0201 Don't leave town without trying the cranberry toasts at this treat-filled bakery/deli. They are chewy, crunchy, salty and sweet all at the same time. The recipe may be secret, but they taste like day-old cranberry and hazelnut bread that's been soaked in honey. And the chocolate chewy is an eye-rollingly good cookie. There is standard lunch fare, but desserts are the main attraction.
- The Chocolate Bar
- 1835 West Alabama Street
(713) 520-8599 To keep your energy up, stop by this old-fashioned wraparound sweets counter. Besides the array of candy and cakes, you'll find chocolate-covered everything: fruit, popcorn, the list goes on. In the afternoons, there's always a group of high-school girls eating ice cream and gossiping. So cute.
- Tiny Boxwood's Espresso Bar & Café
- 3614 West Alabama Street
(713) 622-4224 Local and organic are not words you find on many menus here, so Tiny's is a rarity, with health-minded options like herbed-chicken salad and white-bean soup. Its bright vibe is equally enticing: polished cement floors, a reclaimed-wood counter and a sparkling coffee machine—the source of addictive vanilla lattes.
