Avalon Diner "Justly famous since 1938" isn't just a marketing phrase for this classic River Oaks joint, which has spawned two offspring. The food here is just like Mom's, and it will fill your tummy. Old-style drugstore hot dogs and hamburgers (the drippy kind) crowd the menu, along with thick club sandwiches, salads that are a meal on their own and Texas treats like Frito pies. Avalon also serves farm-fresh breakfasts -- heaping plates of eggs, toast and potatoes, or homemade biscuits smothered in cream gravy made with chunks of sausage. And don't forget the fountain drinks: The limeades and cherry Cokes complete the flashback to another, simpler time.

La Griglia No longer a Vallone enterprise (it's now part of Fertitta Land), La Griglia is still the extended-power-luncheon hot spot. Its funky decor never distracts from the patrons -- this is, after all, Houston's prime see-and-be-seen locale -- but the food ain't half bad, either. The bread basket, with those yummy pizza slices, and a glass of Merlot alone will see you into the first hour of your long lunch. The restaurant has excellent pasta dishes, margarita pizza and veal chops. But a long lunch doesn't have to be a heavy one: La Griglia does a great cobb salad, and the tomato tower, with wedges of fresh, luscious tomatoes layered with cheese and crab, is perfect for that expense-account lunch. On a chilly day, the shrimp bisque with a bit of sherry poured in will keep you from going back to the office at all.

Bombay Sweets & Pure Vegetarian Restaurant The $4.50 all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet here also includes crispy papadum and bubbly hot nan bread. You can use the straight-out-of-the-oven nan to shovel the luxuriously buttery saag paneer straight into your mouth. The lentil stews called dahls on the buffet line are extraordinary; there's one made with green lentils and tomatoes and another with yellow lentils and lots of spices. Try them both over the Punjabi rice, which is spiked with herbs, spices and green peas. And don't miss the velvety miniature stuffed eggplant fried in chick-pea batter and served in a spicy tomato-ginger sauce. Kadhi pakora, crusty graham flour dumplings that look like chunks of meat floating in a yogurt-based yellow curry, is another standout. And the black-eyed pea masala is incredibly spicy. In truth, you can hardly go wrong with any of the featured dishes. Sure, it's a vegetarian restaurant, but the food is so good, you won't even notice there isn't any meat.

Denis' Seafood House There are lots of seafood restaurants in Houston, but most are part of some chain or another. Hence we are served the same salmon, mahimahi and tilapia here on the Gulf Coast that they get in Sheboygan. But Denis' Seafood House is different. Like some of our better fine-dining restaurants, this big New Orleans-style seafood joint gets seasonal varieties of Gulf fish such as ling, amberjack, tilefish and yellowfin tuna. But only Denis' Seafood House serves these fish at very reasonable prices. They also turn out awesome shrimp poor boys, steamed oysters with garlic butter, deep, dark crawfish gumbo and excellent fried platters. And their meaty stuffed crabs are among the best we've ever tasted. Founder Denis Wilson was part of the original Landry's group and is related by marriage to the owners of the Babin's chain of restaurants. But somehow he's managed to stay independent.

Ragin' Cajun It's only right that our best Cajun restaurant has a giant fiberglass crawdad on its roof. The Ragin' Cajun revels in its Southern shtick -- from the newspaper place mats, to the heaping buckets of spicy mudbugs, to the just-crispy hush puppies and corn bread in red plastic baskets, right down to the bibs and cafeteria-style line. And although the line is sometimes pretty darned long, there are always the sprawling walls of kitsch to keep you entertained; they're hung with snapshots of happy folks chowing down, license plates, jokey posters and old beer ads. It's comfy and a little backwoods too, with brisk zydeco in the air and a rickety bar out back. For a real Southern-style experience, chow down on some crawfish pie, barbecued crabs or stick-to-yer-bones red beans and rice, and then wash it all down with a Dixie beer.

Felix An easel and a poster board have been set up in the lobby of Felix Mexican Restaurant at Westheimer and Montrose. Polaroids of loyal customers and their families are tacked up on the board, and each is accompanied by a caption that tells how many years they have been coming to the restaurant, which opened in 1948. Quite a few Felix regulars have been eating there for 55 years. Some are fourth-generation fans. And while the price of the Mexican Dinner has gone up a bit from the 50 cents they charged in 1948, the flavors are the same. The chile con queso still tastes fabulous -- until it cools off and clots up. The awful spaghetti with chili gravy is still on the menu. And the combination plates, the enchiladas, and the chicken taco salad are just as wonderful as ever. So is the incredible 1940s Tex-Mex ambience.

Mai's The bars have closed, and the munchies have your stomach growling -- roaring -- for something more than just a burger from a drive-thru window. Although late-night dining used to be an oxymoron in Houston, now there are a bunch of spots in the downtown area. Judging by its loyal and lively wee-hours crowd, unpretentious Mai's seems to be a favorite for bleary-eyed party animals. On the southern end of downtown, Mai's stays open until 3:30 a.m. on weekends and 3 a.m. on weekdays, serving Asian fare such as soft spring rolls, light choose-your-own-topping vermicelli and savory stir-fry vegetables with noodles. You'll dine among folks in dinner jackets, jeans and tattoos, and just about everything in between.

Reid's Bar-B-Que Eddie Reid opened this place with her husband, James Reid, in 1968. James passed away nine years ago, and now Eddie runs the establishment with her son, James, who learned to cook at his father's side. The brisket and ribs are smoked in the classic East Texas African-American style, so the meats are very moist and extremely tender, with a huge smoky aroma. In keeping with the style, everything is drenched in a sauce that's too sweet for some palates. Ask for yours on the side. The mashed potato salad is homemade and seasoned with a little pickle juice, and the pinto beans are served plain. If you order a brisket sandwich, what you get is a generous pile of falling-apart beef and a couple of slices of white bread. Pickles and onions are 50 cents extra. You assemble your own sandwiches when you get home -- that way they

don't get all soggy.

Kahn's Deli Don't plan to get a table -- there are only a couple, and they're always full. But Kahn's Deli is a tiny sandwich counter with a whole lot of history. Here, Michael Kahn carries on the New York deli tradition that his father, Alfred Kahn, first introduced to Houston. Alfred Kahn's original deli was located in Rice Village just a few blocks away from its current incarnation. And his legacy lives on in such favorite combos as the roast beef, turkey and cheese with Russian dressing. The corned beef, pastrami and chopped liver are also top-quality, as are the half sour pickles. Regulars are addicted to the enormous homemade brownies, which are moist, dense and baked fresh every day. But the No. 1 seller at Kahn's deli is the oversize Reuben, which sells for $7.50 and easily feeds two.

Rainbow Lodge Tucked away on Buffalo Bayou, this once-private home with a pond, meandering gardens and sunroom overlooking a quaint gazebo has a way of making you think you're nowhere near the city. Pick a shady spot on the terrace and lose yourself in the trickling of the bayou below. The hand-carved wood bar, the collection of antique outboard motors mounted on the walls and the deep red cedar and pine details give the place a cozy hunting-lodge feel. If you don't mind stuffed trophies peering at you as you munch on some of the best Gulf Coast cuisine Houston has to offer, you'll enjoy a menu that leans heavily on wild game (the mixed grill appetizer includes venison, quail, elk and wild boar) and fresh seafood (salmon, lobster and blue crab plus daily fresh catches).