Houston

Travel, Wine Tourism, and Restaurants Forum
1

Hey, can anyone recommend a decent restaurant for dinner near the federal courthouse on Rusk Street in downtown Houston? Probably something not too fancy and not needing real advance reservations (as this is a last minute thing).

Thanks in advance!

2

Downtown Houston is a wasteland. I’ll post information tonight when I’m not on my phone.

How quickly do you need suggestions?

If you’re needing dinner tonight, Batanga is one of the best restaurants in downtown Houston in years, really good relatively authentic tapas.

3

Bistro Lancaster is across the plaza from you dark, comfortable with decent food

Hearsay Gastro Lounge is a next to market square. If you go there go to Okga Charity saloon for a drink great concept with all proceeds going to a local charity really skilled bartenders as well. La Carafe is also on market square Houston’s original wine bar and Warrens

Batanga is fairly new just also off of market square.

Line & Lariat in hotel Icon is OK to good

If up for a short cab ride

The Grove is a beautiful restaurant on Discovery Green

17 used to be very good but I have not been in a couple years

Reef is seafood on the edge of downtown/midtown easy to get to by train.

Of course the standard steak houses Mortons, Vic & Anthony’s

4

Thanks, guys. Yeah, it is for tonight… poor planning on my part. Batanga does look pretty good as do many of these. Mainly trying to fill up but not settle too much on quality, you know. I appreciate the quick advice.

5

Given your criteria I’d do Batanga. Not an exceptional restaurant but pretty good v

6

What have you eaten there? They have some of the best fried calamari I’ve had and I’m always super impressed when I’ve been there. The wine list is crap, but at least it’s half off on Sundays.

7

I’ll have to try Batanga sometime. I haven’t been downtown much recently.

8

Monte, we live in the Heights and we rarely go into downtown. Montrose and our neighborhood is where the action is.

Spencer, if you decide you want more wine, take a cab into Midtown to 13 Celsius, one of the best wine bars I’ve ever been to. If you’re lucky, the owner, Mike, will be there and recommend stuff not on the menu.

Also, give us more heads up next time so we can share something!

9

Nolan,

I agree. I was downtown for a conference Friday and Saturday. I ate at the Barnaby’s knowing I could get a good salad there Friday and on Saturday I bailed from the area and went to Hay Merchant since I knew they would have a game on TV.

Too much good stuff to eat from corporate chains.

10

Thanks, Nolan (and everyone else). Next time, definitely!

11

Where did you end up and how was it?

12

I ended up at Batanga for a pretty quick, no-frills dinner. It was good. I liked the variety and would definitely go back.

13

I thought I’d just update this thread instead of starting a new one… I was down in Houston for a job interview in September and will actually be working there for a year starting NEXT September. I’m looking forward to it and to meeting some great wine folks too!

It’s pretty far in advance and I am paid up with Domaine here in St. Louis through the end of July, but I wanted to get people’s opinions on wine storage in the Houston area. I’m working in downtown and hoping to live close by (though I haven’t really started the housing search yet). Where do you store your wine or who do you think does a good job? Domaine asked around for me and they like and have done business with Nos Caves Vin. I saw that there were a few other options too.

Is there a good community of people that store their wines down there? I don’t really need anything particularly fancy or clubby with lots of bells and whistles, and tend not to prefer that environment, but it’s been nice chatting with some fellow geeks at Domaine from time to time.

14

There are really only a few decent spots, I forgot the name of the one I almost used. I’ll post information when I’m on a real computer.

15

My collection is split between BBR in London and at Nos Caves Vin in Houston (West U/Wroxton). NCV does a great job and it is a good atmosphere, although being busy with work means I don’t use it as much as I would like. It is a bit pricey, but so are all the other locations that don’t offer the benefits you get at NCV. Check it out.

16

I had a client who stored at NCV, there’s a pretty long wait to get in, isn’t there?

The place I almost used is http://www.houstonwinecellar.com/

No frills website, but their prices are good ($50 per month for 15-20 cases I believe).

17

Thanks guys. Didn’t know about the wait list for NCV. Wouldn’t surprise me though. Houston Wine Cellar was another I’d looked at. I’ll check both of them out.

18

I about fell over laughing when I saw in an email how much NCV is asking for a 32 case locker (and their “enrollment fee”). I confirmed with my guy at Domaine that it was pretty high…

Talked with someone from Houston Wine Cellar–prices are much better. I think that while I don’t need (or want) the level of frills that NCV offers, HWC might be a bit too far the other way.

I think among these options, I may just keep my long-term aging wine in boxes at Domaine for the year for a few hundred bucks, and then buy a second three-case home fridge and all new wine in Houston. [wow.gif]

Thanks again for the input.

19

If you’re just going to be here a year I doubt you’ll even need a fridge.

20

Wanted to drag this thread back up- have to go to Houston for biz in a couple weeks and a friend just moved there, so might stay an weekend. Looking for suggestions on where to stay and eat. Looking for something where I don’t have to drive much- if at all.

Thanks!