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Houston's diverse restaurant scene -- from African cuisine to wine bars
Blue Nile Ethiopian Cuisine: 9400 Richmond, 713-782-6882. $$ Open daily for lunch, dinner. Brunch on weekends. For nearly 20 years, this west-side restaurant has been introducing Ethiopian cuisine to adventurous diners. Judging from the packed dining room, they all came back for more.
Cafe Benedicte: 15455 Memorial, 281-558-6607. Open daily for lunch, dinner (except Sunday). Brunch weekends only. $$ The patio at this cheerful west-side cafe is shaded by moss-covered oaks. Live music on the weekends.
Flavors Cuisine: 6609 W. Sam Houston Parkway, 281-974-3145. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ The signature soups — Egusi, Okro and Ogbono — keep customers happy.
Breakfast Klub: 3711 Travis, 713-528-8561. $-$$ Open for breakfast and lunch daily. There always seems to be a line around this iconic Midtown cafe. Folks are happy to wait for a big plate of wing-topped waffles or the silly good fried catfish and grits.
Crave Cupcakes: 1151 Uptown Park, 713-622-7283; 5600 Kirby Dr., 713-622-7283. $ Open daily. Houston has no shortage of cupcake emporiums, but we find ourselves always returning here for our indulgences. The red velvet is sublime.
Drew's Pastry Place: 10300 Louetta,832-717-3530. $ Open breakfast, lunch and dinner (except Monday) daily. This New York-style bakery specializes in cannoli, zeppole and sfogliatelli. Not familiar with these treats? Then you really need to visit Drew's.
More Information
Guide to $ ratings
$: Entrees priced under $10
$$: Entrees priced $10-$20
$$$: Entrees priced $20-$30
$$$$: Entrees (and tasting menus) priced at more than $30.
Kolache Factory: Find the nearest store at kolachefactory.com. Open daily. $ Founded in Houston, this family-owned bake chain has dozens of outlets in Houston, as well as in five other states. The specialty: Czech-style sweet (apple, pear, apricot) and savory (sausage or barbecue) stuffed pastries.
House Of Pies: 3112 Kirby, 713-528-3816; 6142 Westheimer, 713-782-1290. Open 24 hours. $ This popular diner is still the best place in town to nurse a hangover. There are healing powers in the pie.
Three Brothers: 4036 S. Braeswood, 713-666-2253; 12393 Kingsride Lane, 713-464-2253. Open daily. $ Custom cakes and specialty breads, including pumpernickel and challah rolls. Ask about the 11-inch, 23-pound Pumpecapple Piecake. It's pumpkin, pecan and apple pies baked in a spice cake.
Feast: 219 Westheimer, 713-529-7788. Open for dinner daily. $$-$$$ Run, don't walk to this critically praised and nationally recognized Montrose restaurant. The chef owners are closing the doors in August, but there's still time to try their unapologetically gutsy nose-to-tail menu. Think beef heart tartare, braised pork cheeks and Lamb Neck Tagine.
CorkScrew BBQ: 24930 Budde in The Woodlands, 281-330-2178. Open for lunch Tuesday-Saturday. $$ This mobile kitchen is in the process of building a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Even with the expansion, pitmaster Will Buckman will likely run out of 'cue before 4 p.m.
Gatlin's BBQ: 1221 W. 19th, 281-804-4555. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday. $$ Considered by many to be Houston's best barbecue, this small Heights spot sometimes has a hard time keeping up with demand for its tender brisket. Be patient, it's worth the wait.
Goode Co. Barbecue: Jim Goode's sliced brisket sandwich on house-made jalapeño-cheese bread is a modern barbecue classic. Just about everything else in this Texabilia-crammed neo-joint upholds the state's honor, too: Czech sausage, duck, turkey and the lush pecan pie. (Bought whole, this pie makes one of Houston's best souvenirs.)
Original: 5109 Kirby Dr., 713-522-2530
Memorial: 8911 Katy Freeway, 713 464-1901
Fainmous BBQ: 10400 S. Post Oak Road, 713-728-9663. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday. $$ Knoxville-born Jamie Fain is eager to school Texans in Tennessee-style barbecue. His pulled pork with house-made slaw is killer.
Pizzitola's Bar-B-Cue: 1703 Shepherd, 713-227-2283. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $$ Pizzitola's has been serving up barbecue meats for more than 80 years, so they must be doing something right. The smoky ribs and planks of beef are good, but cross genres and try the fajita-style deboned chicken complete with pinto beans, pico, cheese, sour cream and tortillas.
Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack: 4529 Old Spanish Trail, 713-748-4227. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $$ This family owned spot smokes a great sausage, as well as boudin. They also serve seafood and burgers.
Cafe Brussels: 1718 Houston Ave., 713-222-6996. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday and brunch on Sunday. $$-$$$ Caring owner Catherine Duwez's menu is strong on mussels, crepes and stout Belgian beers. Great choice for an unassuming romantic dinner.
Cleburne Cafeteria: 3606 Bissonnet, 713-667-2386. Closed on Saturdays. $ Crave turkey and dressing? It's Thanksgiving every day here. The Mickelis family has been feeding home cooking-loving Houstonians since 1952.
Harry's Restaurant: 318 Tuam, 713-528-0198. Open daily for breakfast and lunch. $ This cheerful midtown spot has a Greek personality and international fare.
Luby's: Find the nearest location at lubys.com. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ This Houston-based chain has dozens of restaurants here, some are dual concepts where the dining room is shared by Fuddruckers, a sister company. The LuAnn plate — a protein, two sides and a roll — is a classic value meal.
Floyd's Cajun Seafood & Texas Steakhouse: 20760 Gulf Freeway in Webster, 281-332-7474; 1300 Broadway in Pearland, 281-993-8385; 16549 Southwest Freeway in Sugar Land, 281-240-3474. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ You'd be hard pressed to find better fried fare, including cornmeal-crusted oysters, house-made super-thin onion rings and flavorful catfish. Fine gumbo, too.
Little Daddy's Gumbo Bar:1615 W. FM 646 in League City, 281-524-8626. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Terrific restaurant specializes in steaming pots of mussels, clams and shrimp, as well as gumbo. For something different, try the prime rib gumbo served with steamed rice. There's also barbecue oysters, burgers and po'boys. Nice selection of wine and beer, too.
Pappadeaux: Find the nearest location at pappadeaux.com. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$-$$$ This Houston-based family-owned chain has nearly a dozen well-managed dining rooms here. Large menu offers generous portions of fried, grilled and Cajun specialties.
Ragin' Cajun:4302 Richmond, 713-623-6321; 9600 Westheimer, 832-251-7171; 16100 Kensington Dr. in Sugar Land, 281-277-0704. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ The Mandola family's raucus restaurants serve up well-seasoned and generous portions of crawfish, boudin and etouffe. Chase a dozen oysters with a spicy Cajun Bloody Mary. Dat's good, cher.
Schilleci's New Orleans Kitchen: 9595 Six Pines in the Woodlands, 281-419-4242. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ This family run restaurant is turning out terrific Cajun/creole fare and, arguably, the best bread pudding in town. The comfortable dining room and warm service are nearly as sweet as Schilleci's praline sauce.
Zachary's Cajun Cafe:716 Kingwood Dr. in Kingwood, 281-359-2256. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Counter-service, family-courting restaurant offers authentic Louisiana fare for a fair price. Abita on tap.
Jamaica House: 6357 Westheimer, 713-339-1004.Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $-$$ It's really hard to have a bad time when reggae is playing. Add easy-going counter service, some simple plates of good-tasting food, sincere smiles and you've got a winning place.
Reggae Hut: 4814 Almeda, 713-520-7171. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $$ Dig into the spicy Jerk Chicken and sip on a cool Ting at this colorful cafe. While parking can be a hassle, the waitstaff is friendly and helpful.
Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe: 9595 Six Pines in the Woodlands, 281-292-8669. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$-$$$ Casual yet upscale dining room adjacent to the clothing store. Pricey but the patio overlooking Market Street's central park can be especially pleasant.
FuFu Cafe: 9889 Bellaire, 713-981-8818. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $ If you are a connoisseur of sturdy dumplings in the northern style, or spicy dishes atingle with the numbing, distinctive warmth of Szechuan peppercorns, this is your diner.
Fung's Kitchen: 7320 Southwest Freeway, 713-779-2288. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Chef/owner Hoi Fong serves authentic Hong Kong cuisine at this premier restaurant. He's brilliant at wild game as well as seafood. Half-shell oysters steamed in black-bean sauce, cloud-light eggplant fritters and sautéed snow-pea shoots are benchmark dishes. Flocks of prosperous diners make reservations advisable.
Mala Sichuan Bistro: 9348 Bellaire, 713-995-1889. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ This relative newcomer to the Bellaire Chinatown scene is known for its spicy dishes such as the Three Pepper Beaten Duck. Lightweights beware: dishes can run from fiery to tongue-numbing.
Rattan Pan-Asian Bistro: 1396 Eldridge Parkway, 281-556-9888. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $$ This handsome, contemporary addition to the far west Houston scene features a sleek Italian Enomatic wine-dispensing system that delivers wines (by the glass or the taste) in impeccable condition. The Pan-Asian food can be very good, too, although the execution is not always steady.
Yum Yum Cha: 2435 Times Blvd., 713-527-8455. Closed Tuesdays. $$ Start with a flip book with photos of each dish, mark your selections and sit back to enjoy a most unusual dim sum experience. It may be a bit more expensive than cafes on Bellaire Boulevard, but its Rice Village location makes it so convenient for Inner-Loopers.
Central/South American
Amazon Grill: 5114 Kirby, 713-522-5888. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Michael Cordua's casual counter-service restaurant is a magnet for folks who want to try Cordua's food but can't (or won't) pony up for the pricey Americas and Churrascos. Puffy tacos, deftly fried seafood dishes and plantain-crusted chicken sandwiches are among the options.
Americas: 2040 W. Gray, 832-200-1492; 21 Waterway in The Woodlands, 281-367-1492. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$$-$$$$ Michael Cordua's premier restaurants are distinguished for their eye-popping décor, impressive food presentations and gracious, eager-to-please service.
Churrascos: 9705 Westheimer, 713-952-1988; 2055 Westheimer, 713-527-8300; 520 Lake Pointe Parkway in Sugar Land, 832-532-5300. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$$-$$$$ The signature dish is a butterflied grilled tenderloin basted in a garlicky chimichurri sauce. It's a local dining monument. The fine seafood, South American wines and accommodating service are other attractions at the restaurant that launched the Cordua mini-empire.
Latin Bites: 5709 Woodway, 713-229-8369. Open for lunch Monday-Friday, dinner Monday-Saturday and brunch Sunday. $$$ This restaurant helmed by Roberto Castro offers a sophisticated take on Peruvian fare, including gorgeous plates of tiradito (raw fish plates) and ceviche. The thoughtful cocktail program makes this spot ripe for romance.
Tango & Malbec: 2800 Sage, 713-629-8646. $$$-$$$$ Open for lunch and dinner daily. The South American gem serves excellent steaks, but there's much more to discover including flaky empanadas and clever pizzas.
Angus Grill: 6106 Westheimer, 713-334-5206. $$$ Open for lunch Saturday-Sunday and dinner daily. With its giant skews of meats, this Galleria-area restaurant is the real deal. Other reasons to like this cordial, low-key spot: the cheese popovers and the simple, fresh vegetables at the salad bar.
Fogo de Chao: 8250 Westheimer, 713-978-6500. $$$$ Open for lunch Monday-Friday, dinner daily. The elder statesman of Houston churrascarias is also one of the better ones. The large and lively dining room buzzes with energy. The skewers of meat — from filet mignon to leg of lamb — are perfectly cooked and the salad bar is a tasty work of art.
Tradicao: 12000 Southwest Freeway, 713-339-1122; 201 W. Bay Area Blvd. in Webster, 281-557-9999. Open for lunch Sunday-Friday and dinner daily. $$$-$$$$ At this homegrown, family-owned, all-you-can-eat steakhouse, long skewers of grilled meats are paraded around the dining room. On any given night, you'll be offered more than a dozen choices of meat and fish.
Coffee house
Antidote: 729 Studewood, 713-861-7400. Open daily. $ Fans of this tiny Heights coffee house are a passionate bunch. For many, it's the only coffee house in town. So what's to love? The eclectic clientele (though some argue it's a haven for hipsters), the locally driven snack menu with plenty of vegan options (can't you hear the hipsters cheering?), a brew snob-worthy beer menu, the shabby chic decor and a sincerely happy happy hour.
Catalina: 2201 Washington, 713-861-8448. Open daily. $ Youthful owner Max Gonzalez is just one of the friendly faces behind the counter at this coffee house that was serving Washington Avenue commuters before the area was cool. It's not going to be the place you want to camp with coworkers while you're finishing a project, but it is the place you want to hit if you're looking for latte perfection. This place caters to folks serious about their coffee, and little more.
Blacksmith: 1018 Westheimer, 713-360-7470. Open daily. $ A project of Houston's best known barista David Buehrer and best known bartender Bobby Heugel, this Montrose hangout buzzes with energy and caffeine. Chef Erin Smith's biscuits and boxed lunches are the stuff of legend.
Cafe Piquet: 5757 Bissonnet, 713-664-1031. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ This family-owned cafe has been serving Cuban favorites — picadillo, ropa vieja and whole red snapper — for nearly 20 years.
El Rey Taqueria: Find the nearest location at elreytaqueria.com. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. $ Houston has plenty of taquerias but what distinguishes these friendly spots are the Cuban specialities including superb Cuban sandwiches. And the price is always right.
Carter & Cooley:375 W. 19th, 713-864-3354. Open for breakfast and lunch daily. $ Custom sandwiches are the specialty at this old-fashioned deli in a strolling district of the Heights. May we suggest a classic Reuben with hot corned beef, swiss cheese and sauerkraut? These puppies are monster-sized; if you split the sandwich with a friend you'll have room for C&C's terrific homemade peach pie.
Jason's Deli: Find the nearest location at jasonsdeli.com. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $ Enormous New York-style sandwiches — served with crinkle chips and pickle spears — are the specialty. Try the muffaletta — hard salami, provolone and an addictive olive salad — for a taste of New Orleans.
Kenny & Ziggy's: 2327 Post Oak Blvd., 713-871-8883. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $-$$ Kosher-style Kenny & Ziggy's comes pretty close to re-creating an authentic New York delicatessen experience. Warm corned beef and pastrami sandwiches are hard to beat; also features homey and healing matzo-ball soup and out-of-this-world Oreo cookie chocolate mousse torte.
Kahn's Deli: 2429 Rice Blvd., 713-529-2891. Open daily. $-$$ The Kahn family has been serving terrific deli-style fare since 1948 when Alfred Kahn opened the well-loved Alfred's Delicatessen on Rice Boulevard. Today, his son, Mike, operates Kahn's Deli, an iconic stop in Rice Village. Pastrami sandwiches are a favorite. Pair it with a Southern Star brew for a big bite of Texas.
Local Foods: 2424 Dunstan, 713-521-7800. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ From the folks behind Benjy's, this market/cafe features produce, meats and prepared foods by regional purveyors.
Fine dining
Brennan's of Houston: 3300 Smith, 713-522-9711. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday and brunch and dinner Sunday. $$$-$$$$ People are often breathless when they speak of Brennan's, and not without reason. A gracious staff and a well-run kitchen nearly guarantee a four-star experience. And dishes such as roasted oysters, duck sausage and barbecue crawfish shortcakes remind that Houston and New Orleans share much more than I-10.
Da Marco: 1520 Westheimer, 713-807-8857. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday. $$$-$$$$ Well-honed pastas, disciplined salads and impeccable seafood and meats are modern Italian with a twist of the Friuli region. Daily specials can thrill, from sheep-cheese ravioli in a purée of minted peas to bold, house-made head cheese set against tart heirloom potato salad.
Mark's: 1658 Westheimer, 713-523-3800. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday and dinner only Saturday-Sunday. $$$-$$$$ Chef/owner Mark Cox's modern Americana is as highly detailed as his menu's pedigree-happy prose. When the kitchen's on — which is mostly — his seasonal fare feels elaborate and luxurious. The service clicks. The neo-Gothic setting, in a revamped church, amuses — except on a crowded night when closely packed tables make the main room loud and claustrophobic.
The Pass: 807 Taft, 713-628-9020. $$$$ Open for dinner Tuesday-Saturday. This fine dining room is part of Terrence Gallivan and Seth Siegel-Gardner's dual concept the Pass & Provision. Two tasting menus (five or eight courses) are served each night in this intimate space. The chef/owners present each plate to the table and encourage discussion of the dishes.
Rainbow Lodge: 2011 Ella Blvd., 713-861-8666. $$$-$$$$ Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Friday and Sunday, dinner only Saturday. This elegantly rustic restaurant specializes in wild game and seafood, wooing diners with ingredients that come from its back garden. When the weather allows, dining on its bayou-side patio is a pure joy.
RDG + Bar Annie: 1800 Post Oak Blvd., 713-840-1111. Open for lunch and dinner Sunday-Friday, dinner only Saturday. $$$-$$$$ Got a client or a colleague you want to impress? Robert Del Grande's dramatic dining room and his upscale comfort fare — roasted pheasant, braised rabbit, rack of lamb — are just the ticket. Or if you're just looking for a place to chill, try the terrace that overlooks tony Post Oak.
Ristorante Cavour: 1080 Uptown Park Blvd., 713-418-1104. $$$-$$$$ Open daily. Located in the posh Hotel Granduca, this Galleria-area Italian restaurant's fare is as luxurious as the service and table settings.
Tony's: 3755 Richmond, 713-622-6778. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday and dinner only Saturday. $$$-$$$$ Dining is theater at this Houston institution warmly overseen by namesake Tony Vallone. If you're not wowed with what's on the plate (and we bet you will be), you're sure to be dazzled by glitterati in the dining room.
Food trucks/carts
Bernie's Burger Bus: This bright yellow bus (actually, there are three) is hard to miss. The from-scratch menu of Angus burgers includes the Homerun with applewood bacon, cheddar, chipotli aioli and a fried egg. It's unbelievably good and worthy of a side order of hand-cut fries with house-made ketchup. $ Find the next stop at berniesburgerbus.com.
Good Dogs: This isn't your backyard dog. These dogs are Texas-sourced and topped with house-made condiments such as sriracha ketchup, jalapeño relish and roasted garlic aioli. Even the buns have a fine pedigree. We can't get enough of the Ol' Zapata Dog, which is topped with bacon, muenster cheese, caramelized onions, tomatoes and jalapeno relish. $ Find the next stop at gooddogfoodtruck.com
Melange Creperie: We are crazy about the cart where Sean Carroll mans the 500-degree grill and serves up the best crepes in town. Offerings change daily but look for savory crepes such as a poblano pepper with queso fresco and sweet crepes filled with banana and Nutella. If there's a line, stick with it. Good food takes time. $ Carts parked Monday-Friday at 403 Westheimer and 1001 Studewood.
Monster PBJ: Fresh fruit, house-made nut butters and locally sourced jams make this big grape-colored truck a favorite with Moms and picky youngsters. These folks will even cut the crust off. $ Find the next stop at monsterpbj.com.
Pi Pizza: Inspired pizzas are topped with high quality ingredients such as sopressata, goat cheese and lamb. Buy a slice or a whole pie. They even deliver. $ Find the next stop at pipizzatruck.com.
Stick It: Everything tastes better on a stick. At least it seems that way. One of the city's new mobile kitchens, Stick It serves an eclectic menu with items such as Texas beer-battered fish, Korean pork belly lettuce wraps and fried chicken. Don't walk away without dessert: fried funnel cake-battered brie accompanied by a berry compote. It's cheesy goodness. $ Find the next stop at stickitfoodtruck.com.
Étoile: 1101 Uptown Park Blvd., 832-668-5808. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$-$$$ San Diego transplant Philippe Verpiand raises the bar for French fare. Friendly service, a well-priced wine list and an attractive dining room also impress.
Kris Bistro: 7070 Allensby, 713-358-5079. $$ Open for lunch and dinner Wednesday-Friday and dinner only Saturday. $$-$$$ Located in Culinary Institute LeNotre, executive Chef Kris Jakob's modern, art-filled bistro features a staff of experienced chefs and senior culinary students. The fare is French with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients. Breads and pastries are all made in-house. The wine menu is dominated with French wines selected simply because they play well with the food.
Le Mistral: 1420 Eldridge Parkway, 832-379-8322. Open for lunch and dinner Sunday-Friday and dinner only Saturday. $$-$$$ Chef and owner David Denis is a perfectionist. His French fare is hearty yet plated to dazzle. For his guests, he commands an army of servers that is so unobtrusive the dining room feels relaxed even on a hectic evening. For a bit of romance, request a table on the softly lighted patio.
Philippe Restaurant: 1800 Post Oak Blvd., 713-439-1000. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday and dinner only Saturday. $$$ Helmed by the self-anointed French Cowboy, Philippe Schmit, this restaurant boasts a striking dining room with a playful menu (duck confit tamales, anyone?). And the bar scene? One word: party.
Charivari: 2521 Bagby, 713-521-7231. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday and dinner only Saturday. $$$ This intimate (some might say stuffy) dining room tucked into tiny Midtown strip center is overseen by Transylvanian chef-owner Johan Schuster and his German-born wife. The seasonal menus are filled with fancy (and very pricey) European fare. Try the wiener schnitzel and Schuster's fragrant garlic soup. The latter is guaranteed to keep Dracula and other suitors away for days.
King's Biergarten: 1329 E. Broadway in Pearland, 832-569-4141. $-$$ Open for lunch and dinner daily. Oh, how we love Texas and its happy combos. Biergarten and car wash, you bet. This family-operated cafe boasts an extensive patio and an even bigger menu of Austrian and German specialties, including bratwurst, schnitzel, red cabbage, bacon dumplings, goulash and homemade apple strudel. Also fine selection of German beers on draft. Prost!
Rudi Lechner's: 2503 S. Gessner, 713-782-1180. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $$ Solid traditional German dishes and a lively buffet and salad bar. Good wiener schnitzel and sauerbraten. Live German music most nights.
Niko Niko's: 2520 Montrose, 713-528-1308. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Niko Niko's is well-known for its incredibly yummy Greek food. It's also well-known for being relatively small for the number of people it serves. Be prepared to wait in line if you go during peak weekend hours. The atmosphere is like a Mediterranean burger joint. The food, however, is worth the wait. Large portion sizes make the prices fair and the outside patio is nice for people watching. The restaurant also operates a kiosk ($) with limited menu daily at downtown's Market Square Park, 301 Milam.
Yia Yia Mary's: 4747 San Felipe, 713-840-8665. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$-$$$ Everything you expect to be on the menu is here — kebabs, souvlaki, hummus and the rest — and it's all worth trying. The drink menu, on the other hand, is forced. A margarita with ouzo? Strong, but weird.
Hamburgers/Hot Dogs
Sammy's Wild Game Grill: 3715 Washington, 713-868-1345. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $ Ever tried a pheasant hot dog or an antelope burger? This tiny spot with full bar specializes in wild game — elk and kangaroo included, sandwiches and salads
Becks Prime: Find the nearest location at becksprime.com. Open daily. $-$$ Freshly grilled burgers, nicely charred hot dogs, hand-cut, skin-on fries and crazy good shakes are all you need to know about this small Houston-born chain. Salads, grilled chicken and grilled vegetables provide options for those watching their waist lines.
The Burger Guys: 706 Main, 713-223-4897; 12225 Westheimer, 281-497-4897. Downtown location open for lunch Monday-Friday. Westheimer open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday. $-$$ Gourmet sandwiches featuring produce and meats supplied by local producers make this burger joint a culinary gem. And what do we mean by gourmet? Take the Saigon: pate, daikon, carrot, jalapeño and sriracha-lime aioli. Or the Sydney: cheddar, a fried egg and grilled pineapple. Gussied-up hot dogs, sophisticated takes on fries and onion rings and whimsical milk shakes (some breakfast cereal-flavored) add to the appeal.
Christian's Tailgate: 2820 White Oak, 713-863-1207; 2000 Bagby, 713-527-0261; 7340 Washington, 713-864-9744. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $-$$ One of the city's best burgers served in dining rooms filled with flat-screens TVs? We're in. The excellent bar food (oh, glorious Frito Pie), fair drink prices and laid-back spirit make the Heights and Midtown locations favorites on game days. Now, if they could just do something about the parking.
Hubcap Grill: 1133 W. 19th, 713-862-0555; 1111 Prairie, 713-223-5885. Downtown open for lunch Monday-Saturday. Heights open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $ The problem with Hubcap: It ruins lunch forever. I mean, how can you go back to eating at Subway after you've had downtown's best bacon burger? The patties are shaped by hand from fresh beef. The buns are just study enough to absorb the ooze. The condiments are neither skimpy nor overloaded. The ambiance is trailerlicious. Try one of the crazy combinations — Frito Pie Burger, the Triple Heart Clogger or the Greek Burger — that ooze goodness. There's often a wait so pack your patience — and cash, if you're headed to the downtown grill. There's an ATM on site for plastic devotees.
Lankford Grocery: 88 Dennis, 713-522-9555. Open for breakfast and lunch Monday-Saturday. $ Hidden in the townhome canyons of east Montrose, this homey little spot serves up some of the city's best burgers and tots. The kitchen also produces some pretty good tacos and chicken fried steak. Texas-sized breakfasts lure early-risers.
Great W'kana Cafe: 11720 W. Airport Blvd., 281-725-8463. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $-$$ Authentic and sophisticated Indian fare in a modest mom-and-pop diner. Staff can be taxed when the house is full and it is much of the time.
Indika: 516 Westheimer, 713-984-1725. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday. $$-$$$ Owner/chef Anita Jaisinghani's contemporary Indian cuisine is as pretty as the dining room it is served in. Polished service. Prices that reflect perfection.
Pondicheri: 2800 Kirby, 713-522-2022. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $-$$ Indian street food and homestyle dishes from Indika's Anita Jaisinghani. Counter service for breakfast and lunch.
Shri Balaji Bhavan: 5655 Hillcroft, 713-783-1126. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $-$$ Excellent house-made breads and fiery vegetarian fare are served in generous portions at this spotless restaurant.
Ice cream
Hank's Ice Cream Parlor: 9291 S. Main, 713-665-5103. Closed Mondays. $ Houstonians know that even the most unattractive strip center can hold a surprise. In the shadow of Reliant Stadium is one such strip. It's treasure: a tiny ice cream parlor, where pink and purple walls are cluttered with memorabilia documenting more than 20 years of expanding Bayou City waistlines. Try a generous scoop of the incredibly indulgent banana-pudding ice cream. Hank's butter pecan has few rivals, but the same can be said too of more bizarre flavors: sweet potato, cotton candy, creamed corn and rose petal.
Sweet Things Ice Cream Shoppe: 1251 Pin Oak Road in Katy, 281-391-5423. Open daily. $ What's not to love about this mom-and-pop spot? There's the earnest young staff, the cheery (and cherry) red walls, the whimsical, hand-written menu (colored chalks on a blackboard). Sweet Things makes its premium ice cream in-house, turning out flavors such as chocolate fig, cotton candy and fresh peach.
Arturo Boada Cuisine: 6510 Del Monte, 713-782-3011. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$-$$$ Forgive the tired strip center setting. Inside Arturo Boada is turning out memorable pizzas, as well as classic tapas. Warning: tiny dining room can be insanely loud on busy nights.
Ciao Bello: 5161 San Felipe, 713-960-0333. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$-$$$ Tony and Jeff Vallone, the father and son team behind ultra-upscale Tony's, have created a casual Italian eatery for the rest of us.
Coppa: 5555 Washington, 713-426-4260. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday and dinner only Saturday and Sunday. $$-$$$ Chef Brandi Key puts her brick oven to good use with a selection of intriguing pizzas such as potato with leeks and salsa verde, as well pastas and expertly grilled meats.
D'Amico's: 5510 Morningside, 713-526-3400; 2802 White Oak, 713-868-3400. Open daily lunch and dinner.. $-$$ This bustling combo of diner and Italian market can overwhelm on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon. But take a deep breath and smell the prosciutto. Homemade pasta is available for home cooks or gorge yourself on the lasagna of the day. Good too are the desserts, including locally made gelato.
Giacomo's Cibo e Vino: 3215 Westheimer, 713-522-1934. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday and dinner only Sunday. $-$$ Choose from a dozen or so antipasti or order a fresh cooked pasta. Counter service can be agonizingly slow in a crush, but once that's done, the cheery dining room and relaxation awaits. Table service after 5 p.m.
Hasta La Pasta: 6915 Cypresswood Drive in Spring, 281-446-6414; 7681 FM 1960 East in Humble, 281-446-6414; 1450 Grand Parkway in Katy, 281-392-0045. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Service is very good at this small locally owned chain. And while the menu is not inventive, the execution is consistent and reliable. Now about that silly name ...
Mancuso's Italian Table: 2231 S. Voss, 713-953-9090. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday and dinner only Saturday-Sunday. $$ Neighborhood Italian spot offers wood-fired pizzas, pastas and steaks in a grown-up setting. Live music on the weekends.
Poscol: 1609 Westheimer, 713-529-2797. Open for dinner Tuesday-Sunday. $$ This charming wine bar is known for its interesting small plates that include house-made salumi, artisan cheeses, terrines and flat breads.
Vincent's: 2701 W. Dallas, 713-528-4313. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday and dinner only Saturday-Sunday. $$-$$$ Rotisserie roasted chicken is the specialty of this neighborhood restaurant. Expect quality Italian fare such as antipasti, pizza and pasta and cordial service.
Kata Robata: 3600 Kirby,713-526-8858. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$-$$$$ Chef Manabu Horiuchi — known as Hori-san to the legion of foodies who pack the sushi bar — has a gift with fish. And what is served here is among the most carefully sourced protein in town.
Uchi: 904 Westheimer, 713-522-4808. Open for dinner daily. $$-$$$$ This Austin transplant from James Beard Award-winning Tyson Cole turns out inspired sushi and sashimi that is as pretty as the dazzling dining room. Happy hour — available throughout the restaurant and with specials on some of the Uchi's signature dishes — is a great time to visit and, while reservations can be tough, the restaurant greets walk-ins with a smile.
Korea Garden: 9501 Long Point Road, 713-468-2800. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ This attractive restaurant has been introducing Houstonians to the flavors of Korea for more than 25 years. Do-it-yourself grilling offers a fun experience for date night.
Seoul Garden: 9446 Long Point Road, 713-935-9696. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Lovely restaurant features fiery soups, delicious seafood pancakes (haemul panjun), stir-fried octopus and marinated Korean barbecue.
Banana Leaf: 9889 Bellaire, 713-237-9600. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Why the long lines? A pretty dining room, attentive service and exuberant Malaysian fare — that's why.
Hugo's: 1602 Westheimer, 713-524-7744. Open for lunch and dinner daily, brunch on Sunday. $$-$$$ This is no enchilada joint. The upscale regional Mexican dishes — and the zippy cocktails — are carefully crafted and generally unseen on other Houston menus. Worth a try: the bright snapper-studded ceviche, grilled octopus and s sopecitos — a trio of little masa pillows stuffed with rabbit, chicharones and duck. And those are just off the starters menu. Sunday brunch is a spectacle.
La Fisheria: 4705 Inker, 713-802-1712. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday and brunch Sunday. $$-$$$ Chef Aquiles Chavez is a reality television star in his native country. In Houston, he's offering his modern take on his country's favorite seafood dishes, including grilled octopus, marinated oysters and shrimp-topped flat breads.
Pico's: 5941 Bellaire, 713-662-8383. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$-$$$ As close as Houston gets to Puerto Vallarta. Sit under the palapas, sip margaritas and nibble the sautéed calamari, cochinita pibil, enchiladas moles or chiles nogada. This is a big, crowded, noisy, wonderful place. Go on off-hours, or wait for a table.
Middle Eastern
Cafe Lili Lebanese Grill: 5757 Westheimer, 713-952-6969. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday and lunch only Sunday. $$ Cafe Lili's location, in a strip mall on Westheimer, belies the fact that this is pretty good, authentic Lebanese food. The staff is incredibly friendly and will gladly teach you how to pronounce whatever you order. And after you're done eating, try the Lebanese coffee.
Empire Turkish Grill: 12448 Memorial, 713-827-7475. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ With its white linens, formal place settings and grandmotherly curtains, the dining room can seem a little fussy. But what comes out of this west Houston kitchen is Mediterranean comfort food. Appetizers here are terrific. Among them: Garlicky cucumber yogurt dip, a smokey babagannus and a rich red caviar dip. There's the usual kabobs and gyros, but consider one of Empire's hearty stews such as the Etli Bamya (lamb with okra) and Turlu (a delicious vegetable concoction).
Turquoise Grill: 3701 Kirby, 713-526-3800; 16019 City Walk in Sugar Land, 281-937-744. Open for lunch and dinner daily (Kirby closed on Sunday). $$ You can get everything from sprightly Middle Eastern dips to kebabs to multi-culti brick-oven pizzas and calzones here, not to mention the best tabbouleh in town. Don't pass up fresh-baked shepherd bread or superb baklava.
New American
Oxheart: 1302 Nance, 832-830-8592. Open for dinner Thursday-Monday. $$$$ Husband and wife team of Justin Yu and Karen Man have a small jewel in downtown's shadow. Working with locally sourced foods, the chefs offer three tasting menus, including a vegetarian option. With just 30 seats and a national reputation, reservations can be difficult.
Roost: 1972 Fairview, 713-523-7667. Open for dinner Monday-Saturday. $$-$$$ Dining at this small, neighborhood restaurant feels like spending an evening in an old friend's home. You just want to linger. The kitchen pays attention to the details and turns out sophisticated dishes such roasted cauliflower with miso dressing and bonita flakes.
Sparrow Bar + Cookshop: 3701 Travis, 713-524-6922. Closed Sunday-Monday. $$ Chef Monica Pope's passion for locally grown ingredients and her market-driven menus make a visit an education if not a treat. Pope's fare — mustard-coated rabbit tenderloin, Thai-style mushroom stroganoff and green chili grits — is memorable but not fussy.
Triniti: 2815 S. Shepherd, 713-527-9090. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday and dinner only Saturday-Sunday. $$$-$$$$ A culinary dream team led by executive chef Ryan Hildebrand treats diners to little culinary works of art in this swanky restaurant that has earned national attention for its decor.
Himalaya Restaurant: 6652 Southwest Freeway, 713-532-2837. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday. $-$$ Your best bet at this small southwest diner is to let chef-owner Kaiser Lashkari order for you. Luckily, it's all good, from braised meats and fragrant curries to the fluffiest biryani and garlic-flecked naan.
Bijan Persian Grill: 5922 Hillcroft, 832-242-5959. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Shareable plates of vegetable and yogurt dips, kebabs and perfectly cooked rice make this a place to bring a crowd. Friendly service.
Kasra Persian Grill: 9741 Westheimer, 713-975-1810. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Brilliantly prepared eggplant appetizers, kebabs and lamb shank are served in a spare yet well-decorated dining room.
Bombay Pizza Co.: 914 Main, 713-654-4444; 636 Highway 6 in Sugar Land, 281- 242 -1131. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $-$$ This Indian/Italian fusion pizzeria offers a dozen specialty pizzas, as well-customized pies. We're fans of the Sonu Rita with its cilantro-mint chutney and combination of saag paneer and mozzarella. It doesn't hurt that the staff is super friendly and there are nice happy hour deals.
Crust Pizza Company: 4775 W. Panther Creek in The Woodlands, 281-298-8844; 8000 Research Forest Drive in The Woodlands, 832-585-0999. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Family-owned pizza joint keeps it simple: fresh ingredients and high quality meats, wallet-friendly prices on beer and wine and a young, welcoming staff. Thanks to a well-priced kids' menu (food and drink for $4), this place is a magnet for multifamily gatherings, little league teams and the like. Try the spicy buffalo chicken or a meatball calzone. Both are made with fresh house-made doughs. And save room for dessert: gelato.
Dolce Vita Pizzeria Enoteca: 500 Westheimer, 713-520-8222. Open for lunch and dinner Thursday-Sunday and dinner only Tuesday-Wednesday. Chef Marco Wiles' pizzas with their perfectly blistered crusts and inspired toppings are edible works of art. Don't miss the shaved Brussels sprouts appetizer. You'll never again be able to say 'I don't like Brussels sprouts.'
Pink's Pizza: Find the nearest location at pinkspizza.com. Open daily. $$ Awesome pizza. Seriously awesome pizza. A Pink's pie costs more than Little DomiHut's, but you can't compare the pies. You can pick your toppings, but Pink's specialty pizzas are constructed with love and an eye for flavor.
Pizaro's Pizza Napoletana: 14028 Memorial, 713-855-0085. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $-$$ Family owned pizza joint is dedicated to turning out Neapolitan-style pizza. Friendly staff encourages BYOB.
Star Pizza: 77 Harvard, 713-869-1241; 2111 Norfolk, 713-523-0800. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Star Pizza is that place where all the cool teens used to hang out. Now those teens are all grown up with teens, toddlers and grandkids of their own. They still flock to Star, broods in tow, for specialty pizzas such as the Salsa Verde (with its tomatillo sauce and poblano peppers) and the Star Burst (beef, sausage, pepperoni, onion, mushrooms and green pepper). Deep dish pizzas are available, too, but those should never be ordered for carry out. They just doesn't travel well ... trust us.
Polonia: 1900 Blalock, 713-464-9900. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday. $$ If Houston can boast only one Polish restaurant, it's a good thing that it's a darn good one. The goulash is grand, the potato pancakes are well-executed and the dining room is inviting. Ignore the awful strip center setting as it's only scary on the outside.
The Bull & Bear: 11980 Westheimer, 281-496-6655. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $-$$ Fans of soccer and rugby often gather here to cheer on their teams. Dark and deliciously Irish in spirit and appearance, it boasts the requisite big-screen televisions, no-nonsense dart boards and Black & Tans poured by a friendly bar staff. What's surprising is the scope of Irish owner Tommy O'Reilly's menu. There is, of course, traditional pub fare such as fish and chips, bangers and mash and steak-and-mushroom pie. But you also will find London broil, lamb chops, shrimp scampi and grilled snapper.
Queen Vic: 2712 Richmond, 281-533-0022. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Friday and dinner only Saturday-Sunday. $$ Craft beers and finely crafted British/Indian fare (the chutney flight alone is worth a stop) make this a pub to seek out. The deep red dining room with its exposed brick and polished woodwork feels flush with promise of a special night.
The Red Lion: 2316 S. Shepherd, 713-782-3030. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Red Lion is a bit of an upscale pub, perfect for its location on the outskirts of River Oaks and Upper Kirby. The drinks aren't cheap but the atmosphere is entirely unique to the Houston scene. Where most pubs are possessed of a casual quality, Red Lion can feel almost aristocratic but always warm. A wide selection of whiskeys and good beer are the draw.
The Cock & Bull: 3659 Nasa Parkway in Seabrook, 832-282-8202. Open for dinner Monday-Saturday and lunch and dinner Sunday. $$ Boasting an unrelentingly red dining room, this British pub offers traditional fish and chips, steak and mushroom pie and Scotch eggs. Live entertainment, a boutique wine list and craft pints keep the regulars happy.
The Public House: 22758 Westheimer Parkway in Katy, 281-395-3473. Pub grub gets gourmet flourishes at this modern public house that yearns to be all things to all folks. Hence the WiFi, the big screens and the dart boards. You also have to be a bit of explorer to find the place. It's tucked into a hidden corner of Villagio Town Center.
Captain Benny's Half Shell Oyster Bar: Find the nearest location at captbennys.com. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $-$$ It's fun to eat on the water, even when it's just aboard one of Captain Benny's land-locked faux oyster boats. The value priced seafood joint let's you have your way — broiled or fried — and they make easy to add on a few fried shrimp or catfish to any meal.
Danton's Gulf Coast Kitchen: 4611 Montrose, 713-807-8883. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$-$$$ We love the black and white dining room with its warm wood hues and smartly nostalgic fishing photos. The food is great and we haven't found another Houston kitchen that knows what a debris po'boy should be. Arguably the best gumbo in town.
Goode Co. Seafood: 10211 Katy Freeway, 713-464-7933; 2621 Westpark, 713-523-7154. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$-$$$ Gulf Coast seafood cooked with care (if not much flourish) is the focus at these typically casual Goode restaurants. Inquire about off-the-menu specials or try the mesquite-grilled catfish smothered in etouffee. Also unique on the menu: shrimp tamales. The dining room at the Katy Freeway restaurant feels more upscale, and there's frequently live music on weekends in the lounge.
Landry's Seafood: Find the nearest location at landrysseafood.com. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$-$$$ Tilman Fertitta built his restaurant empire on the back of this Cajun seafood emporium. Its many fans appreciate the kitchen's skill with the classics: Oysters Rockefeller, seafood gumbo and stuffed flounder topped with crawfish etouffee.
Reef: 2600 Travis, 713-526-8282. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $$$ Bryan Caswell's first — and still best — restaurant rarely disappoints. Seafood is the star of the show, but we're fans of his unfussy apps and sides, including fried mac and cheese, beef sliders and sweet-potato ravioli. The dining room is lovely, but grab a spot at the bar for a truly fun night.
Tommy's Restaurant & Oyster Bar: 2555 Bay Area Blvd., 281-480-2221. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $$$ With its modern dining room and a well-trained (and warm) staff, this restaurant can deliver a memorable meal. The Gulf Coast/Southern Louisiana fare is pricey but you're paying for quality steaks and seafood presented by a kitchen that knows its stuff. Try the crude-colored seafood gumbo, the buttery pecan-crusted Redfish or crab-topped fried green tomatoes.
Tony Mandola's Gulf Coast Kitchen: 1212 Waugh, 713-528-3474. A mature clientele fill the swanky dining room of this River Oaks-area restaurant. Dishes show Cajun, Italian and Mexican influences. Among the specialties: sautéed crab claws, fried calamari, soft-shell crab and bread pudding. Good wines by the glass list.
Soul Food
This Is It Soul Food: 2712 Blodgett, 713-521-2920. Open daily for breakfast (except Sundays), lunch and dinner. $$ This humble spot offers traditional African-American soul food — smothered chicken, ham hocks and beef short ribs — at reasonable prices. If you miss the old-fashioned desserts your grandma made, This Is It has some of the best. Try the divine tea cakes or the banana pudding.
1252 Tapas Bar: 110 Vintage Park Blvd., 281-205-4251; 1101 Uptown Park, 713-621-1252; 9595 Six Pines in The Woodlands, 281-419-1260. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ These sleek party spots offer pretty plates of traditional Spanish fare including terrific cheeses and charcuterie. Don't miss the morcilla con puré de manzana (a black sausage that's served with apple sauce and dijon mustard). Inspired cocktails and good wine list.
Rioja: 11920 Westheimer, 713-249-1727. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday. $$-$$$ Thanks to the smart, passionate attentions of young Spanish chef-owner Ignacio Fonseca and his partner, Luis Acosta, Houston finally has a tapas restaurant that is consistent and classic, with wines to match. Not only is Rioja a wonderful addition to its westside neighborhood, it's also a destination restaurant for anyone who cares about food and wine.
Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse: 5061 Westheimer, 713-355-2600. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday and dinner only Saturday-Sunday. $$$$ Located inside the bustling Galleria and part of a small high-end chain, Del Frisco's is all about details. The experience includes attentive service (starting with its crack management team), high-quality ingredients in the hands of a veteran kitchen and a menu of comfort foods that you want to eat.
Killen's Steakhouse: 2804 S. Main in Pearland, 281-485-0844. $$$-$$$$ Open for dinner Monday-Saturday. This lovely oasis of civility built by Chef Ronnie Killen certainly is worth seeking out. It may be the most casual fine dining room on the Gulf Coast. While the steaks are the stars, we remember the featured players most vividly: the appetizer of fried asparagus topped with lump crab; the beef tomato salad with bleu cheese and basil; the dreamy creamy spinach; and, for dessert, a crème brûlée bread pudding that's a mouth orgy.
Laurenzo's Prime Rib: 4412 Washington, 713-880-5111. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$-$$$$ The handsome dining room in this clubby but comfortable restaurant is decorated with framed sports memorabilia. The menu is dominated by manly fare: prime rib (check out the carving station just past the hostess stand), marinated rib eyes, burgers with bacon and chiles and racks of pork ribs.
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse: 5839 Westheimer, 713-780-7352. Open for dinner Monday-Saturday. $$$$ In a room as dark and plush and gleaming as a vintage railway car, big men partake of big dry-aged steaks that are among the city's best, along with big-ticket wines that include interesting premium choices by the glass. The handsome dining counter is a great spot to dawdle over the definitive shrimp rémoulade while watching the scene — and the valiant line cooks.
Perry's Steakhouse & Grille: Find the nearest location at perrysteakhouse.com. Hours vary by location. $$$$ Old-school service with an attention for detail elevates the dining experience at this Texas-born, upscale chain. The menu is old-school, too: seafood towers, wedge salads, creamed spinach and flaming desserts. Tip: two can share the signature dish, an enormous pork chop that is carved tableside.
Taste of Texas: 10505 Interstate 10 West, 713-932-6901. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$$-$$$$ The best feature of this outrageously popular good-value steak house is that you can personally instruct the butcher to cut a rib-eye to your desired thickness. There are good breads, side dishes and grilled shrimp; also a distinguished wine list.
Vic & Anthony's: 1510 Texas, 713-228-1111. Open for lunch on Fridays and dinner daily. $$$$ Manly steaks, sides that could feed a family and the best calamari on the planet. Even though this fancy Landry's restaurant is across from Minute Maid Park, the dress code is always enforced. If you ask nice, though, they sometimes allow even ballpark garb at the bar.
Texas comfort fare
Beaver's: 2310 Decatur, 713-864-2328. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday. $$ This idiosyncratic take on an icehouse offers some seriously good meats — smoked sausage, pork ribs and Akaushi beef meatloaf — and plenty of non-carnivore options such as a grapefruit and jicama salad and a creamy tomato-topped mac and cheese. Behind the bar some of the city's top mixologists concoct cocktails with a chef's eye for flavor. Awesome patio.
Goode Co. Taqueria: 4902 Kirby, 713-520-9153. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $-$$ Trendy restaurants come and go but this Houston icon is still the go-to cafe for comforting Tex-Mex and hefty, mesquite-grilled burgers. The patio often fills with families on sunny weekend afternoons. Grab a long-neck, order some queso and some grilled catfish and kick back. Everyone else is.
Haven: 2502 Algerian Way, 713-581-6101. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday, dinner only Saturday and brunch Sunday. $$-$$$ Chef Randy Evans showcases his farm-to-table philosophy in this dreamy contemporary dining room. Try the assertive wild boar chili, the comely pork chops with sauerkraut or just a perfectly fried egg. This guy is gifted ... you can just taste it.
Underbelly: 1100 Westheimer, 713-528-9800. $$-$$$ Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday and dinner only Saturday. Chef Chris Shepherd stages the "story of Houston food" on each plate at this Montrose hot spot. So what's that mean? Think Korean braised goat and dumplings, Vietnamese-style meatballs and slow-cooked pot roast.
Alicia's Mexican Grille: Find the nearest location at aliciasmexicangrille.com. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ The grilled beef dishes, vivid salsas and stand-up margaritas make this colorful restaurant one of the best Tex-Mex spots around.
El Real: 1201 Westheimer, 713-524-1201. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ This temple of Tex-Mex was built by Bryan Caswell and Bill Floyd — creators of Reef and Little Bigs — in collaboration with cookbook author and restaurant critic Robb Walsh. Housed in the restored Tower Theater, the restaurant serves vintage fare such as puffy tacos and cheese enchiladas topped with chili gravy.
El Tiempo: Find the nearest location eltiempocantina.com. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$-$$$ Here's the thing: The chow at El Tiempo is outstanding — deliciously charred fajitas, pillowy flour tacos, amazing salsa. The margaritas are potent and tasty, which is a rare combination. But it's expensive. Like, 22 bucks for a half-pound of fajitas expensive.
Irma's: 22 N. Chenevert, 713-222-0767. Open for breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, open for dinner Thursday-Saturday. Irma Galvan's legendary downtown lunch spot is known for her comforting Mexican sauces and stews, her gracious hospitality and her homemade lemonade. Sit down in the tiny dining room and you're likely to bump elbows with judges, city council members and other movers-and-shakers. But pay attention to your server. Irma has never handed out menus. Never will. And, if you're on a budget, ask the price before you order. Irma's serves high quality fare and the prices reflect that.
Molina's Cantina: 4720 Washington, 713-862-0013. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ In the vast salsa sea of Tex-Mex joints in Houston, Molina's gets bonus points for authenticity (you gotta try the chili) and atmosphere (the palapa-covered patio is the perfect place to sip margaritas). And speaking of salsa, you'll be presented with two reds. Insiders know to ask for the green. (You're welcome.)
Original Ninfa's on Navigation: 2704 Navigation Blvd., 713-228-1175. Open for lunch and dinner daily. As the name implies, this is where it all started. If you believe the legend, Mama Ninfa was (is) the patron saint of Tex-Mex. In her tiny kitchen, she cranked out the world's first fajitas. Greatly expanded in recent years to include a real parking lot and large patio deck, the restaurant still manages to draw hordes who wait patiently for a table. Some of the waiters have been serving Mama's sizzingly plates of fajitas for more than 20 years. Just ask.
Soto's Cantina: 10609 Grant Road, 281-955-5667. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $$ This family-owned Tex-Mex spot on the northside features a cheerful dining room, well-prepared classics such as chiles rellenos, pork tamales in chili gravy and shrimp in a rich chipotle sauce.
Spanish Village: 4720 Almeda, 713-523-2861. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday. $-$$ It's simple Tex-Mex fare — enchiladas, fajitas and guacamole — served in a colorful and festive setting for more than 50 years. More than a few Houstonians admit their love of Spanish Village is fanned by the house margarita. The slushy magaritas are tart, lively and — yes — intoxicating.
Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen: 12637 Westheimer, 281-679-8300; 6401 Woodway, 713-334-7295. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Sylvia Casares Copeland's gracious hospitality has made her two restaurants very popular. Her refined plates feature only the freshest ingredients and surprisingly complex flavors. Among her dozen enchilada offerings: squash and corn, crab and grilled pork with a fiery red sauce.
Kanomwan: 1011 Telephone, 713-923-4230. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Friday and dinner only Saturday. $$ This is one of the least atmospheric restaurants in the city, and the service is perfunctory at best. But the fiery Thai food pulls no punches and attracts a loyal clientele. Coconut, lemon grass, basil and chiles are employed to magical effect. The soups are especially notable.
Nidda Thai Cuisine: 1226 Westheimer, 713-522-8895. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Don't let the strip center location or tacky lingerie store neighbor put you off. This small restaurant is turning out some of the city's best Thai fare. The wait staff is incredibly friendly and if you come back — make that when you come back — don't be surprised if they remember you.
Thai Gourmet: 6324 Richmond, 713-780-7955. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $$ This chunk of Richmond's once famous strip has seen much better days, but Thai Gourmet may be the most consistent kitchen in town. We've never been disappointed and we're quite sure we've ordered everything on the menu. Don't miss the spicy cheese rolls and the Triple Spicy Fish (if you can stand the heat). Chef owner Toon makes frequent forays from the kitchen to check on guests, and her husband Kru Pong sometimes treats guests to demonstration of martials arts by his students from the neighboring Thai boxing school.
Vieng Thai: 6929 Long Point Road, 713-688-9910. Open for lunch and dinner daily. There's a reason chefs and wine professionals dote on this unpretentious restaurant on a scruffy stretch of Long Point. The flavors are exhilarating, it's BYOB and the price is right. Plus there's a quirky charm to the provincial-Thai living room atmosphere that may lead to sudden outbursts of karaoke.
A Moveable Feast: 9341 Katy Freeway, 713-365-0368. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $-$$ This vegetarian friendly (but not exclusively) cafe has been serving Houstonians for more than 40 years. We're fans of the spinach and mushroom enchiladas and anything the kitchen does with tofu.
Green Seed Vegan Cafe: 4320 Almeda, 713-487-8346. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $ Panini and raw salads are the specialty at this juice bar. Service can be mind-numbingly slow but you just keep thinking about how good you'll feel after a visit.
Radical Eats: 3903 Fulton, 713-697-8719. Open for lunch Sunday-Monday and lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday. $ The folks at this little cafe want to rock your Tex-Mex sensibilities. Using locally grown, organic produce and skipping the meat, chef Staci Davis offers vegan and vegetarian takes on Texas comfort foods like tamales, flautas and enchiladas. It's eye-opening and pretty darn tasty.
b10 Vietnamese Cafe: 7515 Westheimer, 713-782-7275; 9308 Bellaire, 713-988-7275. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $ This small family-operated chain takes its name from its most popular menu item, the b10: a classic grilled pork sandwich. The restaurant offers more than a dozen classic and specialty Vietnamese sandwiches, as well as pho and salads.
Crawfish & Noodles: 11360 Bellaire, 281-988-8098. Open daily. $$ One of the city's burgeoning number of Vietnamese/Cajun combos, this popular restaurant serves up steaming bags of crawfish and crabs, as well as noodle dishes and fried seafood.
Huynh: 912 St. Emanuel, 713-224-8964. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $-$$ This is home-style Vietnamese cooking at its best, from stunning chargrilled pork soft rolls, to vivid duck salad, to flash-fried chicken with crushed rice, cabbage pickle and a frizzly fried egg. Major bang for the buck.
Mai's Restaurant: 3403 Milam, 713-520-5300. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $$ Iconic Mai's claims to be Houston's original Vietnamese restaurant. We're not arguing for fear of being forever denied Mai's addictive Cha Gio (Vietnamese egg rolls) and delicious crab bisque. The menu may have seemed exotic when Mai's first opened in 1978, but today it offers the Vietnamese equivalent of comfort food: Bo Luc Lac (garlicky slices of beef served with a lemon sauce), Cua Lot Rang Muoi (fried softshell crab with garlic and onions); and Thit Kho To (thinly sliced pork simmered in oyster sauce in a clay pot). A complete remodel following a fire in 2010 has made the once scruffy dining room cool, sleek and inviting.
Pho Binh: Find the nearest location at phobinh.com. Hours vary by location. $ Considered the best pho restaurants in Houston, this small, family-operated chain is best discovered at the humble Beamer Road store, which is located in a trailer. Go and be charmed.
Que Huong: 8200 Wilcrest, 281-495-2814. Open for lunch and dinner daily. $-$$ Like many Vietnamese restaurants, this west-end diner has a menu featuring more than 300 items. Your best bet is to take along several friends and order as many dishes as your pocketbooks and bellies will allow. Don't miss the five spice chicken.
Wine bars
Crisp Wine, Beer & Eatery: 2220 Bevis, 713-360-0222. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday. $$ The folks behind Pub Fiction and Celtic Gardens have opened this contemporary dining room in the Heights neighborhood known as Shady Acres. It boasts a 5,000-square-foot family-friendly patio and one of those swell enomatic wine systems. A separate take-out space offers not only food to go, but also wine by the bottle and growlers of craft brews.
Plonk: 1214 W. 43rd, 713-290-1070. Open for dinner daily. $$ Plucky little Plonk is a casual gathering spot in slow-paced Garden Oaks. The food is comforting and exciting all at once.
Sonoma: 2720 Richmond, 713-526-9463; 801 Studewood, 713-864-9463. Closed Sundays. $$ Sonoma is half wine bar, half wine dealer; a fusion which is much more functional than it is aesthetically pleasing. Very well-informed staff keeps things light and friendly.

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This poem really needs editing.
Programmers in love are every bit as giddy As actors and athletes - a love-sick li'l kiddy. He'll woo you with flowers, he'll woo you with songs. He'll even accept you - your rights and your wrongs.
You'll even find funny the way that he'll court you No tired cliches here - each statement's all new. He'll speak to you of love in the language he knows - In doubly-linked lists, in interrupts, in throws.
The older he gets, the more that he learns. The more that he learns, the higher he earns. In this tech-driven age, he knows all the tricks. Quite plainly the geeks are the most feasible picks.
But when was love ruled by the head, not the heart? Allow too your unruly emotions a part. Why choose a geek when you can land a jock? 'Cause geeks are quite sweet (once they're over the shock).
Geeks are bad liars; the computer can't tell. Your geek is sincere, meticulous and swell. Geeks are quite shy, so you have to be kind. And most geeks are looking for a girl with a mind.
The care and feeding of the geek that you've chosen Is a difficult matter even if you really know him. Your geek can misparse the simplest instructions, Unless precise, documented, and free of distractions.
The differences show when things settle down, When you're done with the honeymoon and are back in town. The settled down geek's not the same as the suitor. So _never_ get between him and computer.
When he collapses and complains of a bug in his code Be calm and comforting, and help him unload. Nod even though you don't have a clue. It'll take a little while before he knows what to do.
And don't complain if he's up every night. Got a lot of work to do, and got to do it right. See if you can help - some documentation? Testing, perhaps, and user evaluation?
You have to understand that work will come first More often than not - before hunger and thirst. You'll need to keep an eye out for your geek's own good, And let him beat you once in a while at Snood.
When you confide in him all your sorrows and woes, The wise girl remembers and the wise girl knows - A geek is used to solving problems with logic, Not offering sympathy (it's a bit of a trick).
Learn his language and he just might learn yours. If you find that quite hard, sign up for a course. When he doesn't understand, recast it in jargon; You'll see him light up (might even turn on).
If you irreconcilably differ on ideology (Like OS or editor or fav'rite methodology) Have at least two computers and quietly abide. Who knows? You may yet win him over to your side.
Geeks aren't for everyone - only the few Who can understand geeks (or even just try to). And even if they appear to just live by the book - You'll never lack excitement once you know where to look.
And what do you get at the end of all this? You'll be lucky if you get a hug or a kiss. Words are all a programmer's got, So if he says "Love ya", that means quite a lot.
Why choose a geek then, if it's such a rough ride? Why bother staying by a programmer's side? There's no real reason - it just goes to show We can't choose to love and we can't really know.
I'll take this occasion to explain where I am. I'm a simple geekette, and I don't need a man. I'm quite against commitment - but who can really say? Maybe I'll end up with a geek one fine far off day.
I posted this on my Veranda site, which means I wrote it in high school. It's written from a guy's point of view.
The very nanosecond that you walked into my sight, My neurons flashed like anything to see such bright a light. I felt a rush of adrenalin that steadied up my nerves When I got a closer look at your Euclidean curves. My feelings have undergone rapid exponentiation You raised my life's equation to a higher degree. I'd like to perform some experimentation On our mutual chemistry. I propose a companionship platonic, But if you wish, tantric to a T. Our bond could be more than just than ionic If you've got some valence free. You must understand this isn't some psychosis If I want you to participate in the process of meiosis I'd like to contribute some of my deoxy- Ribonucleic acid to your progeny. Do not subject me to ridicule, I have a higher motivation -- The betterment of the gene pool, Faster progress to evolution! The human race must be propagated! The population, to add, must multiply. Gene coding must be disseminated -- That's our duty - you and I!
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Field Guide: Urban Pig Hunting
(page 1 of 2)
Should wild pigs ever determine that your yard is a nice place to root, dig, wallow, knock over potted plants and spread their giardia and brucellosis, you have a few options. You could let them have their way. You could spend a lot of money building a fence. Or you could hunt them. We talked to expert hunters to find out about option three.
Your quarry
The Hawaiian feral pig, Sus scrofa, is a hybrid of the cute, little Polynesian pigs that the ancient Hawaiians brought to the Islands, the bristly European boars introduced by Western seafarers, and multiple generations of escapees from local hog farms. Oahu's feral pigs are generally smaller than their colossal, 200-plus-pound, Neighbor-Island counterparts, but they are savvier about hunters, and thus more wily. You have your work cut out for you.
Bag limit
In Oahu's 13 designated public hunting areas, one pig per hunter per day is the rule. On private property, there's no limit. Go hog wild.
Out of the question. Discharge a gun in a residential area, and you'll be sitting on the curb in handcuffs telling HPD about your poor, decimated sweet potatoes and how you once had a lawn.
Dogs and knives
The preferred method of pig hunting in Hawai'i. It's horrible for the pig, fun for the dogs (until they get gored by a boar) and far more effective than bullets in the thick underbrush where pigs dwell. For you, the home pig hunter, it's risky. The chaos that would ensue as your pack of killers chased a pig through your neighborhood could easily dwarf any problems the pig alone caused.
Bows and arrows
You don camouflage, set up a hunting blind in a tree and wait. The upside is that your kitchen is nearby. With any luck you can run in, grab a beer and scamper back into your tree without missing the shot. The downside is that a pig struck by an arrow hardly ever falls down immediately. It runs off, and if it doesn't run into the brush, you'll be chasing a hemorrhaging ungulate through your neighborhood. This could be awkward.
A bad choice. Just imagine a pig hanging by one leg, shrieking wildly in the middle of the night, and traumatizing the neighborhood children. Also, snares prolong the cruelty of the kill. If anyone in your family belongs to PETA, you'll never hear the end of it.


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Report finds at least 54 countries co-operated with global kidnap, detention and torture operation mounted after 9/11 attacks
- guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 5 February 2013
The full extent of the CIA's extraordinary rendition programme has been laid bare with the publication of a report showing there is evidence that more than a quarter of the world's governments covertly offered support.
A 213-page report compiled by the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), a New York-based human rights organisation, says that at least 54 countries co-operated with the global kidnap, detention and torture operation that was mounted after 9/11, many of them in Europe.
So widespread and extensive was the participation of governments across the world that it is now clear the CIA could not have operated its programme without their support, according to the OSJI.


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On Our Radar: 'Unretired' Jack Welch
Bloomberg Businessweek 's cover story explores the "unretirement" of former General Electric CEO Jack Welch, who has been making headlines lately with his unfiltered, often politically charged comments. This free-agent role is apparently one he relishes: "If I were still a CEO, I wouldn't be saying all these controversial things," he says. --Leslie Kwoh
Harvard Business Review provides tips for overcoming conflict when teams are geographically dispersed. One key step: Make sure to have a virtual, shared workspace where everyone on the team can share progress and communicate. -- Rachel Emma Silverman
More than 40% of the nearly five million Americans who receive unemployment insurance are set to lose those benefits if federal programs expire as scheduled at year-end, The Journal reports. -- Allison Lichter
And finally...
Some 30% of adults work in the career they dreamed of as kids, via Quartz and LinkedIn. -- Rachel Emma Silverman


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On Ugly Americans this week, Mark babysits, Callie wants to adopt the baby, and Twayne wants to eat the baby. Also, Mark almost dies maybe a half-dozen times this episode. That's once every 5 minutes.
This week's episode of Ugly Americans - "Demon Baby" - works the show's immigrant metaphor to the hilt as Mark plays foster dad to a lil' hellraiser who's been abandoned to the system. The real father is arrested for selling the baby on the black market to desperate parents. The parents purchase the baby with their souls, which the court hands back to them in little plastic baggies. I'm really digging the courtroom scenes at the beginning of each episode. They give the show an apropos "monster-of-the-week" vibe and Beastman from Masters of the Universe cameoed in the background.
There's a lot Mark doesn't know about parenthood, let alone demonic parenthood - the baby (a.k.a "Choking Victim") eats rodents and birds, vomits acid, and contains an arcane vortex in his nappies. Contrasting Mark's problems is his boss Twayne, who's gone into heat and grown a barbed "mating bone."
Twayne's having adjustment issues - he wants Callie, who wants Mark's baby (and well, Mark). If Twayne were in hell, he would be able to disembowel Mark, impale Callie, and eat Choking Victim like any good underworld father would.
For all of his Satanic leanings, Twayne is paradoxically the most sympathetic character in this narrative. He's by law unable to embrace his urges and has a cock-shaped harpoon growing out of his torso. In Ugly Americans, Hell is just an allegory for the old country. Twayne may be clueless about his heritage (indeed, Leonard gives him "the talk" on how to use his chitinous penis-spear), but that doesn't mean he can escape his demonic roots or assimilate without issue.
On to the other co-stars. Callie's slightly better off than Twanye - her father may literally be the Devil, but at least she's got a caring mom. Having Callie's origin be "What if Rosemary's Baby grew up?" was a nice twist. Callie plays the individual coming to terms with a mixed ethnic identity (she's insecure that Mark likes human brunettes). Leonard was appropriately creepy and incompetent in this episode (he prefers half-assedly Googling information to spell-casting). The only weak link was Randall, who's become a vehicle for scatalogical, moribund zingers. Give this corpse of a character some backstory, pronto!
In sum, Choking Victim the demon baby elucidated the day-to-day dynamics of the Ugly Americans rather aptly. He also highlighted how fragile Mark's existence is, as our protagonist nearly kicks it like six times (i.e., the baby pukes acid when colicky). Hey, the big city is no place for normal folks.


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My Review:
Alienation has a lot of action packed events with weird aliens hunting down the humans. I could connect with the main character Colt. He was relatable because he experienced traumatic situations in his life. He witnessed his own parent's death and he overcame that event with determination. He faced the giant aliens with tremendous courage and speed. The aliens were trying to kill him and he continued to fight for the world safety. He had to learn to stand up for what he believed was right. I would recommend this novel to any teenagers and also to adults. It is a friendly read and has a few Christian themes throughout it. It is filled with wonderful science fiction action and the aliens are made out of a great imagination from the writer. The way he described the aliens provide me with an image of what they were created to appear like. The novel could very well be easily made into a bestselling movie series. I read the novel in about two days and I couldn't put it down. If you enjoy comic theme movies and books you will immensely like this novel. It will keep you longing to stand up with the good guys and fight challenges! Giving up and surrendering to fear isn't an option! It wasn't to Colt and it shouldn't be with us. Believing and standing up teaches you courage and helps you to know you can do anything!
"I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group for this review".
About the book:
After his parents were killed in a car accident, Colt McAllister was drawn into a world he thought only existed in comic books-one where mind control, jet packs, and flying motorcycles don't even scratch the surface.
Along with his best friends Oz and Danielle, Colt is now training at the secret Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural academy. But strange accidents seem to follow him. . . even with the security of the school grounds. What first seems random soon turns deadly. But who is targeting Colt?
As the alien invasions increase in frequency and force, C.H.A.O.S resources are taxed to the limit and they're forced to utilize the new recruits. In the midst of battle, Colt will discover some startling revelations . . . about himself, his friendship with Oz, and why he has been chosen to defeat this alien attack against earth.
About Jon:
Jon S. Lewis is the coauthor of the Grey Griffins trilogy (over 500,000 books in print) and the upcoming Grey Griffins Clockwork Chronicles. He also writes for the DC COMICS family of publishers. He resides with his family in Arizona.
For more about Jon and the series, visit www.chaosnovels.com.
Link to buy the book: http://ow.ly/8wW4O
Blog tour schedule: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13451655
Win an iPad2 in the Alienation Givaway!
Enter 1/19 - 2/7. RSVP for Party today!
Win an iPad from @JonSLewis and @NelsonFiction in the Alienation iPad2 Giveaway!
The invasion was only the beginning! Jon Lewis is celebrating the next adventure in his fast-paced C.H.A.O.S. series with an explosive giveaway!
One thrill-seeker will receive:
- iPad2 with Wi-Fi
- Copies of the C.H.A.O.S. novels, Invasion and Alienation
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on February 7th. Winner will be announced at the Alienation Facebook Party on 2/7. Jon will be hosting an Author Chat, giving away copies of the books and gift certificates to iTunes and Amazon.com! Don't miss a second of the intrigue!
Grab your copy of Alienation and join Jon on the evening of February 7th for an author chat, spy training (How much do you know about alien invaders?) and lots of giveaways.
Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 31st!
Share on Facebook:
Win an iPad2 in the Alienation Giveaway! Alienation is the continuing story of the C.H.A.O.S. series' Colt McAlister. In this 2nd installment, Colt starts a new life training at the secret academy for Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural. Thomas Nelson is hosting a Facebook Party on 2/7 with Jon – RSVP today and save the date! The winner of the iPad2 will be revealed and Jon will be chatting with guests and giving a sneak peek at the next book in the series. Click for details and don't miss the fun. http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13451655. Young adults and fans of graphic novels will find Alienation and the C.H.A.O.S. series a thrilling read, which includes a graphic novel prologue and a sketchbook of characters.
Share this on Twitter:
Win an iPad2 in @jonslewis' Alienation Giveaway! CHAOS series, A comic book come to life! RSVP #FB Party 2/7 http://ow.ly/8wXZ2 #litfuse


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Sovern, Michael Ira
Sovern, Michael Ira, 1931–, American lawyer and educator, president of Columbia Univ. (1980–93), b. New York City. He graduated from the Columbia Univ. Law School in 1955 and after 1957 he was on its faculty. Dean of the law school from 1970 to 1979 and provost from 1979 to 1980, he was president of Columbia from 1980 until his resignation in 1993. He continued to teach law at Columbia and became president of the Japan Society.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Education: Biographies


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Get Started with FPI
We custom fit the investment solution to the client. We don't force clients into investment vehicles that may not fit their lifestyle or timeline.
Working with advisers, we establish an investor's personal benchmark to set expectations and measure progress towards each investor's goal.
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We provide plan core fiduciary services, model portfolios and active management of participant retirement plan accounts custodied on various platforms.
Flexible Plan has management agreements with most popular investment platforms.
The role of gold in investment portfolios
The essence of the bucket approach is to divide a client's portfolio assets into several pools, or "buckets," each with different planned goals, needs, or time horizons, and then design a separate asset allocation policy for each "bucket."
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Bucket investing with risk-managed portfolios
The essence of the bucket approach is to divide a client's portfolio assets into several pools, or "buckets," each with different planned goals, needs, or time horizons, and then design a separate asset allocation policy for each "bucket."
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As an active money manager offering 100+ strategies for separately managed client accounts, we believe that risk management is the most important ingredient for investment success. While Wall Street talks about diversifying asset classes to manage risk, we add active management and strategic diversification to our defensive toolbox to combat market volatility.
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Buy and Hope vs Active Management
When running the investment gauntlet, there are two choices. Recently I came to the realization that from my clients' point of view, there are at least two choices of buy and hold strategies. The first we call Buy and Hope investing—acquiring a portfolio of stocks, bonds or mutual funds and then passively holding on to them through all the vicissitudes of the market. The other is committing to an actively managed account run by a professional advisor. Both require a long-term commitment to work. Let's see how they differ to help you determine: "Which type of Buy and Hold investor would you rather be?"
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Want to view other white papers and resources on Active Management? Check out our Knowledge Center >>
FPI has been selected to subadvise a family of actively managed mutual funds. These Funds seek to generate high appreciation on an annual basis consistent with a high tolerance for risk. The structure of the funds is more flexible and less expensive, with the ability to access a wider array of trading strategies and financial instruments for our investors.
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Black+Decker 7 amps 1/2 in. Keyed 800 rpm Corded Drill(DR560)
Browse all deals at ACE Hardware
See more in Drills
See more from Black & Decker
* This offer may contain time-sensitive information and offers. Please check with ACE Hardware to confirm actual price & availability.
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ACE Hardware
440 South Wind Plaza
Mt Vernon, IN 47620


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SOCOM GEAR CQB ELITE vs. TOKYO MARUI M.E.U. PISTOL
|Go to Product Page >> Tokyo Marui MEU Pistol (1911)
|Go to Product Page >> Socom Gear Wilson Combat CQB Elite
The strong sides for Tokyo Marui include high performance and accuracy with good overall finish and trusted quality.
The SOCOM GEAR offers heft and durability with its full metal construction, and includes two magazines and real grip panels for an affordable price.
The Tokyo Marui is a bit lightweight, and buying aftermarket metal parts would bump up the price significantly.
The SOCOM GEAR has heavy metal parts, but the fit of parts leaves room for improvement and affects accuracy and performance.
There is no better pistol out of these, just a better pistol for you. It is a subjective decision and everyone should be able to choose the more suitable one for them after reading through this review.
The 1911 is a lot like heavy metal - it just doesn't seem to die! Whether that's a good thing or not of course depends on who you ask. We are living the latter half of 2008, and the venerable .45 caliber pistol from almost a hundred years back is still found in regular use and service worldwide. Whether you like the pistol or not, a certain John Moses must have done something right.
Based on J.M. Browning's short barrel recoil system, the 1911 introduced this Modus Operandi still found in almost every popular service pistol. With the barrel and slide locked together in battery, the cartridge is ignited when the trigger is pulled to let the hammer fall. The recoil force of the accelerating bullet causes the slide and barrel retreat together - still locked together to contain the high pressure within the chamber. The weight difference between the bullet vs. the slide and barrel causes the latter to move more slowly, so the bullet has time to exit the muzzle and let the pressure in the barrel drop. With the impulse-like inertia the barrel and slide continue to move rearward, and after a few millimeters of travel the rear of the barrel is cammed down via a link, allowing the slide to continue traveling rearward and extract the casing from the chamber.
While the 1911 was replaced by the Beretta M92FS as the US armed forces service pistol in the 80's, the old design continued to live in the use of civilian shooters, and improved custom models were developed for more demanding uses such as serious sport shooting and police and military special units. The amount of different "Tactical" variants of the 1911 probably runs in hundreds, and all of them introduce some kinds of improvements or "improvements" over the original design. We will now take a look at replicas of two such pistols: The M.E.U. Pistol and Wilson Combat CQB Elite.
Both pistols come packed in rather nice boxes. The Tokyo Marui M.E.U. Pistol box has a desert'ish color scheme as the current trend is, and the styrofoam insert is overlaid with a cloth featuring a digital desert camo pattern. As we expect from Tokyo Marui, the accessories are commendable and the package includes:
The loading aid tool allows you to hold the follower down when you fill the magazine, which is a handy feature if you're wearing gloves. The manual is in Japanese only with a very limited amount of English text, but the illustrations are very clear and show how to operate and maintain the pistol.
The SOCOM GEAR Wilson Combat CQB Elite comes in a tough brown cardboard box with a glossy label with a strong Wilson Combat theme. This is not surprising, since the pistol is officially licenced from Wilson Combat. It is always refreshing to see Airsoft manufacturers affixing logos legally, and of course this couldn't be done without the open minds from the real weapon manufacturer as well. The styrofoam is covered with a black cloth in this case, and the packaging includes:
The list may look short, but it is very much worth emphasizing that this pistol comes with two 15 round magazines. The WE manual is more detailed of the two and is written in English, Spanish, German and Italian, while the simplistic SG manual is in English only.
While these pistols are replicas of different models, they can be compared in terms of build quality and detailing. When you first pick up an Airsoft 1911, you'll quickly notice whether it has weight or not. The TM M.E.U. pistol is certainly not a featherweight handgun at 850 grams with a magazine, but you can tell a clear difference by hand when you compare it with the SG CQB Elite, which tips the scale to 960 grams. The M.E.U. has large metal weights hidden into the grip panels, while the CQB Elite has hollow grips so the balance accounts for this large difference in feel, even though 110 grams isn't that much of a difference as overall weight.
What you most likely grabbed when comparing the weight was the grip. This round goes to SOCOM GEAR without a shadow of a doubt: The Tokyo Marui adaptation of rubber wraparound grips is plasticky and made from multiple pieces, although it does provide an adequate grip and looks good. SOCOM GEAR decided to use actual Wilson Combat grips, and they are possibly the nicest grip panels we've seen for the 1911 to this date. Embedded with Wilson's Eagle medallion, the grip panels are black polymer with a rather interesting pattern that not only looks great, but provides a good grip as well. The grooves between the ridges feature lines, not unlike altitude lines in a map.
Other than the grips and weight, most points in external finesse goes to Tokyo Marui. Having apparently learned something after releasing their 1911 that looks like plastic even from a meter away, they have managed to create a rather nice matte finish for the M.E.U. Pistol, and it resembles the famous WA "Carbon Black" finish - although is not quite as grey. Tokyo Marui have only their own manufacturing markings and of course ASGK on the right side of the frame, but the sights have Novak's markings affixed under official licence. The sights lack any bright dots, which is good for target shooting but would be a nice addition for low light conditions. The front sight is serrated to prevent glare, and the sight picture is very sharp.
The SOCOM GEAR CQB Elite is metal, but the finish is not quite as convincing with uneven-ness and casting marks. The stamped markings are quite nice actually, and only a small WE logo is found on the left side of the trigger guard, and "Made in Taiwan" is hidden below "Wilson Combat Berryville, AR U.S.A." on the right side of the frame. The sights feature three white dots in obvious places, which don't glow in the dark but do help when light is scarcely available. Unfortunately the finish of the sights is glossy with round corners, which makes for a less than optimal sight picture.
As much as we love to look and caress and fondle these small pieces of engineering, there certainly is no point for a skirmisher or practical shooter to overlook performance, no matter how good the "piece" may look. All the detailing in the world is not going to help you if you miss your target and have a cloud of BBs heading your way.
The muzzle velocity was measured in an air-conditioned office using Top Gas and 0.2 gram BBs. The hop-up was set to provide a flat trajectory for both pistols, and the magazines were left for 30 minutes after charging the gas to stabilize the temperature. Surprisingly Tokyo Marui pulled the longer straw in this, peaking at 305 fps with an average velocity of 300 fps. The SOCOM GEAR produced a top velocity of 295 fps and settled down to 290 fps. In gaming use the difference is insignificant, and could be easily manipulated by slight tuning. For example the piston head seems to have a bit of a leak, which is known to affect velocity.
Accuracy test strings were shot from eight meters off-hand, in the same conditions as the velocity test. After a couple of magazines worth of "running in", the barrels were cleaned in preparation for the actual test. Both pistols were used to shoot a string of five shots three times, and the best target was picked for the comparison. Neither pistol has a particularly good trigger pull: While it is light, some creep can be noticed and overtravel is not limited by any means. The M.E.U. Pistol produced an excellent 25 mm grouping from 8 meters, which is five star performance in our books. The average groupings of each pistol reflected the same as the tightest ones: Tokyo Marui wins by a clear margin. We tried to trace the cause for this, and the CQB Elite has a substantial amount of slack between the frame and slide, slide and bushing, bushing and outer barrel as well as outer and inner barrels. With this amount of slop it is no wonder that tighter groupings are not achieved, but even at this level the pistol is easily capable of hitting a man-sized target out to 25 meters (82 feet).
As implied in the summary in the beginning already, it is impossible to say "X is better". Both pistols have their strong points in different areas, and they are traded off for shortcomings in other areas. Both of these pistols will find their fans, and we hope that this review helps you to pick the one that won't disappoint you in areas that you value in an airsoft pistol.
If you value a heavy weight and metallic clinks in a pistol right away, then picking the CQB Elite is quite clear. As a bonus it also comes with a rail for a laser or light, for those who wish to accessorize their pistol. With two magazines included, the CQB Elite offers a really good bang for the buck, and those real grip panels are a really nice detail as well.
Tokyo Marui is a trusted brand and the M.E.U. Pistol didn't really surprise in a negative nor positive sense. It is immensely accurate with a high build quality and a trusted quality, but a bit light to hold and it does come at a price. The generous magazine capacity gives good firepower out of the box, so it is especially attractive to gamers. Metal kits released in the future will allow you to make it the ultimate pistol in terms of performance, durability and realism.
Related products:
28 round magazine for the M.E.U.
SOCOM GEAR Wilson Combat CQB Elite
15 round magazine for CQB Elite (Available soon)


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Why LG Hausys Floors?
The LG brand, one of the world's most powerful and fastest growing brands is now receiving praise from customers as a top global brand. We will work together to achieve your highest satisfaction.
1. Environmental Friendly
2. Design Power
3. Trusted Management
4. Trusted Solution
Decotile Econo+ is the "Healthy Flooring"!
LG Hausys' brand philosophy is to create healthy living spaces and eco-friendly products. Z:IN Flooring is now Korea's very first flooring product that uses environmental plasticizers.
Decotile Econo+ is a "Safe floor"!
The plasticizers are safe to humans and are environmental friendly. It is the same material used to make baby toys, baby bottles, and drinking cups. Thus, introducing it as the safest flooring from hazardous materials.
Decotile Econo+ takes the lead for the first time in Korea.
LG Hausys initiates a technological revolution in the building industry by being the first to create flooring, free from 6 kinds of Phthalates plasticizers that are now government restricted.
*What is Plasticizer?
It is a flooring material put into the manufacturing process.
It becomes a flexible "Resin" that turns into the dough-like material.
High-durable surface treatment
Environmental Certifications such as Eco-Label & Floorscore
Embossed in register
Excellent resistance to water
3.0mm(T) X 450mm(W) X 450mm(L)


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According to Government Decree No. 41/2006, every foreign university, research institute, enterprise, and individual are welcome to conduct research in Indonesia. They are encourage to participate in R & D activities in order to develop S & T cooperation and finally to increase Science and Technology transfers in Indonesia. Foreign researchers who will conduct research in Indonesia have to involve scientist as local counterpart from local university, research institute or Non government Organization (NGO) who has competency in the research topic.
Research Permit Procedure
For every non-Indonesian citizen researcher that plans to conduct research within Indonesia territory, prior to the passage, he or she should apply individually for receiving a research permit from the State Minister for Research and Technology. Without such consent, any research activity by a foreigner is illegal. The completed application by form of a hard copy must be addressed to:
Secretariat of Foreign Research Permit
Bureau of Legal and Public Relations
State Ministry of Research and Technology – Republic of Indonesia
BPPT building II, 8th floor
Jl. M.H Thamrin No.8 Jakarta 10340
Tel : +62 21 316 9293
Fax : +62 21 398 36180
Email : email@example.com
Homepage : http://www.ristek.go.id
Online registration : http://frp.ristek.go.id
Documents Required for Application
The following enlists required documents that must be prepared during the submission for research permit application:
Arrival in Indonesia
Temporary Recess, Resuming and Completion of Research
Foreign Researcher's Obligation
The foreign researcher must submit full report to the State Ministry of Research and Technology after the research application has been approved in order to receive preliminary letters which addressed to the stakeholders and Research Permit Card.
The foreign researcher must make pre-project consultations with his/ her counterpart before starting research.
The foreign researcher must completely comply to his/ her approved working plan with the local counterpart.
The foreign researcher is not allowed to take another side job during conducting research in Indonesia.
The foreign researcher must perform good/ agreeable manner, tolerant, and obey all custom rules in every area in Indonesia.
The foreign researcher has to submit a progress report in every three month and final report once he/ she has completed the research project in Indonesia.
The foreign researcher is prohibited from bringing any specimen/ samples without the stakeholder permission.
The foreign researcher should make an agreement between the State Ministry of Research and Technology and counterpart refer to the existing Indonesia's positive law if there is any patent, intellectual property rights, brand, and registered mark as research result.
The foreign researcher has to submit three copies of research result include thesis/ dissertation, paper, report, or another publication to State Ministry of Research and Technology.
Any publications to be issued in Indonesia must receive permission from the State Ministry of Research and Technology prior to publicising registration itself.
The foreign researcher should gives one copy of photo, slide/ microfilm, video cassette, and cast as research result to State Ministry of Research and Technology
Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)
Foreign Researcher who will bring or take research sample/ specimen out of Indonesian must have written permit from related governmental stakeholder and must sign Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) with related governmental stakeholder.
Research Vessel
Foreign researcher who will conduct research in Indonesian waters and use research vessel must request for permission to the Secretary to the State Minister for Research and Technology. In addition, he/ she must request security clearance as well an escort by security officer to Ministry of Defence.
Permit Processing Fee
Permit processing fee for new research application is US$100, while for a request for an extension of research period will be charged US$50.
Layanan Konsuler
Embassy of The Republic of Indonesia in Kabul, the Islamic Republic State of Afghanistan
Phone: (93-20) 220-1066
E-mail : email@example.com
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