Houston restaurant ideas
 

I'm heading to Houston next month and will need some nice restaurant ideas for a networking business luncheon and dinner. For lunch I want something either very posh, or new and trendy, good food and a private dining area (or room). Some place that people from Houston would feel special being taken to for lunch. I'll have 6-7 guest, probably all ladies. Any suggestions? For dinner I'll go with 2-3 people. We're putting on a conference at the Doubletree by Galleria and will have a car.

Suggest Cafe Annie, one of Houston's top restaurants (in the Galleria area), and Ruggles Grill in Sak's at the Galleria. Also suggest Scott Chen's. You can check out the Zagat's guide of Houston restaurants for more ideas: http://www.zagat.com/List/Results.as...ar&SBY=19&PG=1

Masraff's - excellent Continental<BR>America's - South American steakhouse. Wonderful interior.<BR>Anthony's - American Continental<BR>Laurier - New, French bistro, said to be fantastic.<BR>Pesce - Seafood<BR>Mark's - American Continental<BR>State Grill - American Continental<BR>Aries - New American - named on of Esquire's best new Restaurants last year.<BR>Charivari - German<BR>Arcodoro - Italian <BR>Divino - Italian (Best for the smaller dinner)<BR><BR>Of the restaurants described above:<BR>Scott Chen's is excellent.<BR>Ruggles 5115 is very popular with the ladies who lunch.<BR><BR>Also check www.houstonpress.com for lists and reviews of newer restaurants<BR><BR>My choice:<BR>Masraff's at lunch<BR>Laurier for dinner<BR><BR>

Thanks for the comprehensive list. I'm printing this out and will start calling on Monday. I'll check back as I narrow the list down. I'll also check out the websites, Thanks. <BR><BR>Does anyone know if the Doubletree by Galleria is ok? I don't have a choice but wanted to be prepared. <BR><BR>

The Doubletree is very nice. It used to be a Warwick or a Wyndham. The restaurant there, the Cchopouse, is supposeed to be a very good steakhouse as well, although I have not eaten there.<BR><BR>Enjoy your visit.

Thanks for the reassurance. I didn't select the site so it's risky. <BR><BR>I'll probably end up staying through Sunday morning. <BR><BR>I'll have Saturday afternoon free to explore on my own. I like to visit art museums when I'm out of town. Any suggestions? <BR><BR>I've heard the MOntrose area is fun. What's that like? Good for walking around on a Saturday afternoon?

Houston is not the best walking around city. Since you have a car you should be able to get to where you want. Just south of Montrose is our Museum Area.<BR><BR>The Museum of Fine Arts is starting to improve its quality. There website is http://www.mfah.org/default.html. We also have a contemporary arts museum, but I don't know much about it. http://www.camh.org/. If you like folk art, the Orange Show is an interesting diversion. http://www.insync.net/~orange/.<BR><BR>Citysearch, the Houston Press, and the Thursday and Friday Houston Chronicle will have a better list of things to do and see.<BR><BR>Enjoy your visit.

I always feel awkward asking the folks at the hotel about safe and not so safe neighborhoods. It's politically incorrect sometimes to imply that certain areas are not desirable. If anyone would like to e-mail me and give me some politically incorrect tips about where to go and not go, I would appreciate it. [email protected]

Please pass along or post ant helpful info. I will be in Houston for two weeks in May.

Please pass along or post ant helpful info. I will be in Houston for two weeks in May.

I agree with the others, the Doubletree is quite nice. Not the best in town but nothing to worry about even slightly. Most of the suggestions you've been given fall into the 'fine dining' category. And I'm happy to say Houston comes off well there. You may also want to eat at less formal places and in some Houston dining institutions as well. I can give lists of inexpensive places for you if you like.<BR><BR>The Galleria area is safe, though with some boy-racer cruising and whooping weekends on Westheimer. The Montrose area is sketchy in places, but mostly safe and has a soul. The Rice Univ. Village area is very safe and is the most restuarant-bar dense and easiest to walk area in my opinion. Not really full of top end dining but lots of very solid places (great Vietnamese, good Thai, good Italian, decent Indian, several good pubs). However pretty soon you won't want to be walking around much (unless you love heat and humidity). Houston, like LA, is not a walking town.

I've been getting menu's and asking about private rooms for my lunch meeting in Houston next month. I've been contacting the suggestions given here. Few more questions if any Houston experts want to share....is cafe annie worth the price? I want a nice atmosphere and good food but don't want to go overboard just to be trendy. there are lots of restaurants in miami that are way over priced just because of the tourist business.<BR><BR>what about ruggles on weistheimer? some of my guests mentioned that getting into saks during the work day is too hectic.<BR><BR>what about ousies's? <BR><BR>my group will be 8-10 professional women who will be leaving their offices for a networking lunch on a Thursday and then quickly returning back to work.<BR><BR>something special, comfortable, good food and easy to get in and out of.<BR><BR>

Ouisie's is a great choice. That is a restaurant where I will pay my own money to dine. Masraff's too, although don't know about a private room. I personally have never been too excited by Cafe Annie and have dined there at least five times over the years. This is an expense account only experience and just never has really wowed me. I ate there recently and the trendy huitlacoche, mexican corn fungus, was a common ingredient. When the waiter was asked what this was by my companion, he was told it was a wild mushroom.

I got a good feeling about ousie's...menu, website, etc..glad you liked it. I'll see what I can arrange there. Now, I'm trying to arrange a brunch meeting on Saturday morning for 2-3 people..any suggestions? I'm not interested in tons of food. Ambiance is more important. <BR><BR>Dinner Friday night will be with a colleague. Two married, tired middle age women not looking for anything but a nice quiet, pleasant, laid back dinner, after a long seminar day. Aries?

I'm still interested in Ousie's but having a bad time getting a response from them. I've left several messages for lunch info. They quickly say they can accomodate my group but then, twice, have faxed a dinner menu and wine list. I think the catering person has someone else faxing it quickly and keep sending me the wrong info. Of course this concerns me that things aren't going well in the prep phase. Anyone else have good or bad experience with this restaurant. Should I drop them from my option list and move on?<BR><BR>I'll check out some of the other suggestions just in case.

I like Ouisie's. The service and food are usually wonderful. I do not know if they have a separate dining room you can reserve. Same is true for Ruggles 5115. Regarding Ruggles, getting in and out is easy. They have valet parking at the Saks.

If you're still looking for dining, have you tried La Strada on San Felipe? They have a private dining area upstairs, the food is good, the atmosphere has energy, and it's a "pretty people" type of place. The parking is easy (valet or self park, but plenty of both) and it's at an easy-to-get to location. I consider this restaurant more of an "old standard", but everyone I've taken there really liked it. It's also a good bruch place. Regarding your hotel and immediate area, it's a nice hotel and only half a block from the Galleria shopping mall (Neimans, Saks, etc.) Across the street from the Doubletree is another outdoor shopping area (Barnes and Noble, FAO Schwartz). If you need a massage, the Nature's Way day spa in that shopping center is good (its an Aveda spa.) For some night life, if you like live jazz, the Sky Bar on Montrose (just south of Westheimer) is great - small, smoky. Cezanne and the Labrador on Montrose are good pubs/live music bars.

Many great restuarants --- all will be in the Galleria area, River Oaks area, Montrose/Museum District or downtown. Regarding your question of safe/not so safe neighborhoods...just stay within the above mentioned areas that are inside the western portion of the 610 loop. It's not that only bad neighborhoods are outside this area (far from it), it's just that there is nothing to see or do outside this area anyway...unless you want to go to NASA or Galveston (the pits...don't). My reccomendation for the best resturuant for the best price is MICHAELANGELO's next door to Ruggles in Montrose. Upscale, moderate, and not banal.

I'm doing my business lunch at Ousie's and hope to use some of the other suggestions mentioned for dinner the other evenings.<BR><BR>I see that the fine arts museum is open Thursday evening so I'd like to stop by there. I'm sharing a car with my colleague so I may not have use of the car on Thursday evening. How is public transportation to get to the museum from the Doubletree? Should I take a taxi? Every city is so different for Public trans, I love getting on a bus or metro in cities like Boston but wouldn't dare step foot onto a bus in Miami. <BR><BR>Is the museum in nice area to walk around afterwards or just get in and out?<BR><BR>If I do have the car is the driving and parking near the museum ok?<BR><BR>I'll check street maps to get directions but sometimes what's on a map doesn't reflect some things that locals know.<BR><BR>Thanks

Forget public transport in Houston - it's the last bastion of the "land ark", a big part of why the air quality is so horrendous. Do take a taxi.<BR>A place not yet mentioned is Fogo de Chao, an upscale Argentinian steakhouse ("churrascerria") not far from your hotel.. There is similar place called Rodizio Grill that is not quite as upscale, cheaper and OK quality but pales before Fogo de Chao. Unless your group is anti-meat, it would be hard to find a more enjyoable dining experience not likely to be available in many other cities. Geat for a business dinner.

I'll be heading to HOuston in a few days and will be taking all your suggestions with me. Thanks for everyone's input. Now I'm checking out a hockey shop in the Galleria area to get Stars socks for my son. Bringing it home from Texas is more fun than catalog. He's currently on a Stars youth tournament team. Any ideas on which store has better selection?

Remember to bring along your respirator.<BR><BR>www.ghasp.org

I'm afraid I'm setting myself up here but what's the reference to respirator?<BR><BR>

Today was perfect. Sunny, clear, low humidity. Please ignore the whackos.

As long as your head is not up your arse you will not need a respirator.

I presume I'll be going from air conditioned hotel to ac car to ac restaurant. It can't be hotter and muggier than South Florida. I thought I should have ignored it but just in case I missed something.<BR><BR>Anyway I'm looking forward to see what little I'll be able to see of Houston. I'm going to be working almost the entire time so I won't be getting to the museum. I have to do a telemundo interview Thursday evening so there's another evening out. <BR><BR>

Respirator comment is from a whacko who fails to make comments about cities with higher pollution ratings than Houston.<BR><BR>Houston can be hotter and muggier than Miami since we don't get the breezes, but this weekend, you ar in luck. Weather is supposed to be very nice. Saturday and Sunday highs should be around 80 with low humidity. this morning, it is cool (for us) mid 60s. <BR><BR>Good luck with your interview thursday night. Ask the people at Telemundo about places to eat. The few I have met know some great hole in the wall places to eat.

thanks!

Ousie's Table was great. We had a private wine cellar room which was very private and lovely. You have to go through the kitchen to get there. The food had too much jalepeno for my taste but the service was great and everyone loved their food.<BR><BR>The hotel was filled with problems, many beyond their control but....<BR><BR>We relaxed by having dinner at Capital Grille. Pretty extravagent. Tried dried age beef. ok....glad it was a business dinner. The service was very, very good.,<BR><BR>So far Houston's Galleria River Oaks area looks very nice. I'm overwhelmed with the amount of nice stores in a small area. The malls look nicer than most. <BR><BR>Good night.

I spent my time between Galleria and Montrose and found Houston to be very nice and clean. I liked the architecture/ exterior designs, the restaurants were plenty and delicious, the traffic was very light, and I felt safe. The folks I met in Houston were lovely people and the air was clean. I will definitely op to return. Hockey is not a big sport in Houston and mentioning Dallas anything always resulted in dirty looks but otherwise it's a nice town. Thanks for everyone's suggestions. Professionally my experience with the Doubletree was horrible in case anyone is considering doing any business there, otherwise, this is about vacation spots so I won't bore you with the problems. <BR><BR>

Houston, the most polluted city in the U.S. Any coincidence Bush calls it home?<BR><BR>www.ghasp.org<BR><BR>

guess that closes this post out. If anyone's heading to Houston I thought the air quality was fine, maybe this other person was visiting more industrial areas.

Hello!!
I think you should go to Vizio restaurant. 4304 Westheimer Mid Lane (713) 5724455
Believe me in this place you can have private room for your people. If you prefer going to dinner you should ask for the &quot;risotto a la fruta di mare&quot; its the best!
I hope you have a great time in Houston!
good Luck!