—————————————————— Best Martini 2003 | CharBar's Tuxedo Martini | Best of Houston® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Houston | Houston Press
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Best Martini

CharBar's Tuxedo Martini

The folks at CharBar take martini-making seriously, precisely measuring their cocktails as if they were fitting a new suit. And that makes sense, since this bar shares space and ownership with the Duke of Hollywood tailor shop. In fact, about the only thing missing from the fabulous chocolate Tuxedo Martini is owner Mike Shapiro's favorite prop, the tape measure. The greatest thing about drinking at CharBar is that you can get outfitted with stylish duds -- and even get your shoes polished -- while the bartender whips up another cocktail. It's the ultimate demonstration of living large.

Best Hurricane

Floyd's

Hurricanes come and hurricanes go, but the question is which one did the most damage? Floyd's takes no prisoners with its off-the-cuff version, and it pleases us to no end that the drinks are not served in regulation Pat O'Brien hurricane glasses. Grab yourself a seat at the bar, order up a couple dozen oysters and some spicy Cajun fare, and wash it all down the right way. When the Tabasco has the smoke coming out of your ears, there's simply no better feeling than to bury that straw in your drink and suck down three to four ounces of spiked fruit juice. Floyd's also has a sense of tradition, and when Mardi Gras rolls around, no place does it better than this bayou boozery.

Best Empanada

Marine's Empanadas Delicias Colombianas

The menu at Marine's lists 46 different empanadas. The rest of the menu items play second fiddle to these little pockets, filled with delicious delicacies. On the savory side of the menu, the Chuck Wagon ($2) is the way to go. It consists of chopped sirloin steak with mushrooms in a red wine sauce, all neatly packed in a pastry pocket. The best example, however, is on the sweet side of the menu. The banana with dulce de leche empanada ($2.25) is an incredibly rich concoction combining tiny pieces of banana with a hot, thick caramel sauce. One bite and you'd swear you were eating a liquid version of a caramel banana split.

Best Fried Chicken

Pollo Campero

"Tierno! Jugoso! Crujiente!" reads the slogan on the outside of the chicken box. And "Tender! Juicy! Crunchy!" is a pretty fair description of the chicken at Pollo Campero, the fast food fried chicken chain that recently invaded Houston from Guatemala. The crust, formed by a simple flour dip, is very crisp. And the meat is marinated before it's cooked, so it stays extremely moist. But the most astonishing thing about Pollo Campero's fried chicken is how little grease clings to it. The fried chicken here is served with tortillas and salsas. The day that this location opened, television news teams were on hand to report that Guatemalans, Salvadorans and other Latin Americans were standing in line for up to five hours to get some Pollo Campero.

Best Bourbon Drink

The Twelve Spot's Bourbon Challenger

Drinking bourbon at the Twelve Spot is a celebration of both the new and the old. The bar is one of Houston's newest hip spots, but its sexy decor is made up of wood as old as the casks that distill this sweetest of whiskeys. The Bourbon Challenger is a fancy name for Wild Turkey with a splash of orange juice and Rose's Lime. According to the bartender, the original drink was made with three different shots of bourbon, but that hiked up the price so high they quit making them. Mind you, the kinder, gentler version can still be something of a challenge to activities like walking, talking and taking down phone numbers. So go easy if you're interested in socializing with the Twelve Spot's exotic crowd.

Best Fried Shrimp

Barbecue Inn

Photo by Robb Walsh
Remember the carousel of toppings you used to get with your baked potato at fancy restaurants? Well, you'll still find the old sour cream-go-round at Barbecue Inn. Opened in 1946, this place is a time capsule, and as the long lines at lunch attest, it's also one of Houston's most beloved restaurants. The barbecue is good, but it isn't really the main attraction. The fried chicken is among the best in the city, and the chicken-fried steak slathered in milky cream gravy is awesome. Some people come here just for the french fries. But if you had to pick one dish that Barbecue Inn is best at, it would have to be the big succulent fried shrimp. Ask for a bottle of Tabasco and some extra horseradish if the bland cocktail sauce isn't hot enough for you.

Best Gelato

Nundini Food Store

This place started as a wholesale showroom for an Italian food wholesaler. Nundini makes most of the gelati and sorbetti you see in local Italian restaurants. The front of the warehouse doubles as a retail store and Italian deli. The gelati are very good, and the sorbetti are absolutely outrageous. The unbelievably intense raspberry ties with the snow white peach sorbetto as the best sherbet on the planet. The more unusual gelato flavors include cassata, which is made with spiced fruits and nougat and has a sort of liqueur flavor, and torroncino, which is made from the Italian candy of the same name. From time to time, Nundini makes some uncommon sorbetti flavors like lavender and balsamic vinegar as well. They also do special orders: For a group of visiting Japanese dignitaries, they once turned a whole fish into tuna sorbetto.

Best Green Beans

Kam's Chinese garlic beans

The first time a friend ordered the L-2 lunch special of garlic string beans at Kam's, we thought she was insane. Maybe all the hot yoga she was doing was melting her mind. Who would order just a plate of green beans for lunch? Have one, she said, as we munched on our lemon chicken. We ate one. Then another. Then we tried to pawn off our chicken dinner and take all of her lunch. It's like the owners of Kam's hijacked Jack, stole his magic beans and planted a special super-flavorful beanstalk in their kitchen.

Best Homemade Organic Cookies

Ariell's Gourmet Treats

If you go to the Third Ward community convenience store Reggae Bodega, you'll find Ariell's cookies all laid out on the counter just waiting for you. They come in several scrumptious flavors: oatmeal raisin, cocoa butter, Belgian chocolate chunk, organic rolled oat and, let's not forget the mutha of them all, Ali's Carrot Cake. With their all-natural, made-from-the-finest-ingredients aesthetic, these are definitely the kind of cookies that were made to be eaten with a glass (or bucket) of milk. There's a stool right next to the counter, if you're so overwhelmed by the taste that you need to sit down. Each cookie costs $2, and they're worth every damn crumb. The chef's "cookie hot line" is temporarily disconnected, so you may have to get in touch with the guy (he named the company after his daughter) about his delightful treats at [email protected]. Or just skip over to the bodega with a bottle of Oak Farms and go nuts right there.

Best Hot Dog

Naturally Yours Café

It's surprising, but the best-tasting dog comes from a veg joint. Yes, we realize how insane it sounds to pick a vegetarian Best Hot Dog, but tasting is believing. Whether you choose the soy or the vegan dog (served on a whole wheat bun with chips or excellent fries), this pup will leave you panting for more. We like it topped with vegetarian chili and cheese. Choose from a slice of American or the veggie or vegan alternatives, which taste just as good as dairy. There's also a corn dog version. Want to make it even more health-conscious? Order fruit instead of fries.

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