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Old 04-16-2014, 03:01 PM
 
Location: Wonderland
67,655 posts, read 60,273,788 times
Reputation: 101006

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Personally, when I want a fine dining experience, I want the WHOLE THING - ambiance AND fabulous food and drink. I don't mind paying for it either. It's fun to dress up and go out for a fantastic dining experience sometimes. And I can find restaurants to fit that bill in Dallas, or Houston...or Tyler for that matter.
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Old 04-16-2014, 04:24 PM
 
10,130 posts, read 19,796,467 times
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When I think of "fine dining" and the kind of restaurant that would get 3 Michelin stars, I think of the service as much as the food. Like with wait staff dressed up, people hovering over to refill your water glass after you take a sip, etc. The "fine restaurant" scenes from movies like the Blues Brothers or Ferris' Buellers Day Off keep popping into my mind... so I guess I think of Chicago? Or just the 80's?

Anyway, there are places that are fancy and have fine cuisine. Both Dallas and Houston have them in similar amounts. But these places don't always equal "best food", at least to my stomach. If I had to choose between a hipster serving me beer cheese and spiced ale fig & prosciutto pizza or escargot and duck a l'orange at a fancy place, I'm going to take the former every time. There is a lot to be said for modern, innovative food even if it isn't served in a "fine dining" setting.
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Old 04-16-2014, 06:28 PM
 
213 posts, read 385,275 times
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In the 80s there was a drastic difference between fine dining and everything else. This is one reason why I love the 1980s because the decade knew what it liked and was proud of it.

Now with innovative dining making the food press, it seems that highly praised establishments such as Triniti, The Pass & Provisions, Brasserie 19, Uchi, and Underbelly in Houston along with others in Dallas are often considered fine dining.

Houston and Dallas still have their namesake legendary fine dining hangouts like Tony's, DaMarco, Mark's, Brennan's and RDG Bar Annie and more, along with Dallas having The French Room, The Mansion Restaurant, Fearing's, Bijoux and others. How can I forget the oodles of steakhouses in both cities?

This shows how much the culinary scene in Texas is evolving.

Like Cali Texas has options, so if you want fine dining in Houston, you have to filter through a long list, and the same can be said for Dallas. Austin and San Antonio are on their way up in this category. Houston has a unique advantage of being close to Louisiana and the Gulf, which influences the local cuisine. Even with Robert Del Grande one of the southwestern cuisine pioneers based in Houston, Dallas has an edge on Houston in the southwestern fare due to its location, and of course Dean Fearing.

Except for Dallas and Houston winning by a large margin for Fine Dining and possibly Ethnic, there isn't a large gap in the rankings for best food scene in Texas.
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Old 04-16-2014, 07:51 PM
 
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As I've pointed out in another thread, the city of Dallas is fast becoming famous because of its Trinity Groves district in West Dallas. This could be a major start for the city in finally getting a foot hold in terms of attracting the finest of chefs from around the world and in the city's development of unique restaurants with a wide variety of international cuisine.
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Old 04-17-2014, 11:05 AM
 
Location: Beautiful Northwest Houston
6,263 posts, read 7,418,889 times
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Default Houston to host world's top restaurant team

For foodies, it doesn't get any bigger than El Celler de Can Roca. The restaurant in Girona, Spain, holds the distinction of world's best, and its proprietors, international culinary superstars the Roca brothers, are bringing their avant-garde cuisine to Houston for a few days.

Houston to host world's top restaurant team - Houston Chronicle

This is the kind of stuff foodies get excited over, not some incubator ...

They may be going to other Texas cities but we do know that they will be in Houston.
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Old 04-17-2014, 11:31 AM
 
Location: The Magnolia City
8,928 posts, read 14,256,178 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PostOak5115 View Post
Except for Dallas and Houston winning by a large margin for Fine Dining and possibly Ethnic, there isn't a large gap in the rankings for best food scene in Texas.
Maybe, but Houston is the city that has caught the country's attention.
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Old 04-17-2014, 11:37 AM
 
Location: Central Texas
13,715 posts, read 31,016,095 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KathrynAragon View Post
Actually what I said was the info is easy to find - by Googling. Like every Google search, one has to sift through the results. I don't know a thing about the brewpub scene in Houston and I really don't care how many brewpubs are there - because the overall dining/eating/drinking experience in Houston is absolutely fantastic. One of the best cities in nation when it comes to diversity and quality.
I DO know about the brewpub and craft brew scene. Until recently Houston had zero brewpubs. Sources like Google by the way are not reliable for this. That's because they provide a broad answer that "might" include a brewpub.

But a brewpub is a very specific thing - they brew beer on premise and serve food.

I respect your interest in food. But since you don't know, nor care about brewpubs, which are one of the indicators of the choices available, you really shouldn't comment about them!

I have not criticized Houston's restaurant scene. I know it is good. But anyone who sees what is happening in the US now with food and drink knows craft brewing is on fire again. One aspect of craft brewing is brewpubs. It is amazing that Houston with a metro of 5M or so, is so lacking in brewpubs.
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Old 04-17-2014, 05:03 PM
 
Location: The Lone Star State
8,030 posts, read 9,010,396 times
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Thought I read an article somewhere that it's difficult to do brewpubs in Texas, particularly Houston because of "outdated" beer laws. Maybe someone knows more about that...
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Old 04-17-2014, 09:57 PM
 
Location: Wonderland
67,655 posts, read 60,273,788 times
Reputation: 101006
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoffdano View Post
I DO know about the brewpub and craft brew scene. Until recently Houston had zero brewpubs. Sources like Google by the way are not reliable for this. That's because they provide a broad answer that "might" include a brewpub.

But a brewpub is a very specific thing - they brew beer on premise and serve food.

I respect your interest in food. But since you don't know, nor care about brewpubs, which are one of the indicators of the choices available, you really shouldn't comment about them!

I have not criticized Houston's restaurant scene. I know it is good. But anyone who sees what is happening in the US now with food and drink knows craft brewing is on fire again. One aspect of craft brewing is brewpubs. It is amazing that Houston with a metro of 5M or so, is so lacking in brewpubs.
I enjoy going to a good brew pub when the opportunity arises (my favorite is in Abita Springs, LA, home of Abita Beers). I didn't say I don't know a thing about brew pubs. I do know what one is and I enjoy them. I said I don't know a thing about brew pubs IN HOUSTON. Because I don't - but the information is easy enough to find by googling and then sifting through the results. That was my point.
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Old 04-18-2014, 01:27 AM
 
7,535 posts, read 11,513,892 times
Reputation: 4068
Quote:
Originally Posted by UTHORNS96 View Post
Houston has far worse tex-mex than Austin. Most Houstonians think Pappasitos is good Tex-Mex. That being said, I do think that Houston has more variety overall.
Houston has way better Tex Mex the 3 best mexican restaurants I have ever had are all in Houston you must be joking with that comment
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