Pork ribs were all the rage during the past two decades. For a while, it seemed as if baby back ribs were on every other menu. Now, beef ribs are king again. They owe their newfound popularity in the greater Houston area largely to Ronnie Killen of Killen's Barbecue. These are not your grandpa's beef ribs, though. They sport a huge slab of meat on the bone. Just one of them is a full serving of beef. That's because Killen uses plate short ribs that come from the chest area of the cow, not the back. Other barbecue places have followed suit and are also offering plate ribs. So, in a way, Killen has made carnivores all over town happy. His own tender, juicy ribs sell out daily, so get there early if you want to try the best.

With a name like Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette, you'd expect a strong oyster program, and that's what you get at this gorgeous River Oaks establishment. The little brother of the more established Liberty Kitchen in the Heights, this location is always packed with people. One of the reasons? The oysters. Fanatics can feast on a selection of fresh bivalves that come in daily from the upper East Coast and the mid-Atlantic, the East Coast of Canada, the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Florida. Single selections of the day range from $2.75 to $3.50 each (about $33 a dozen). For a Southern spin on the Gulf oysters, you can also get them fried and topped with LKRO's signature bacon jam — always a win.

READERS' CHOICE: Liberty Kitchen & Oyster Bar

Evan Turner has proven that if you shout at the wind long enough, eventually someone will hear you. He fell in love with Greek food and culture at the young age of 11. Seventeen years ago, as an adult, he started a serious exploration into the country's wines and he's been preaching the gospel of Greek wine in Houston ever since, both at competitions and at special events he's planned and coordinated himself. There's still a long way to go before Houstonians embrace Greek wine on a grand scale, but Turner has turned his dreams into a viable platform from which to evangelize. He, along with business partner Sharif Al-Amin (previously at Philippe Restaurant + Lounge and Prohibition Supperclub & Bar), opened Helen Greek Food and Wine this year, and it sports the second-largest Greek wine list in the United States.

Yeah, when it comes to plain glazed, we're a Shipley town and everyone knows it, but there has always been room for more creative takes on Houston's favorite morning pastry. Enter Hugs & Donuts, a storefront operation by Matt Opaleski and Jason Hill. These are the same minds who brought Houston one of its ugliest — and best — food trucks, H-Town StrEATS. Come early for kolaches because Hugs & Donuts sells out early. With fillings like sausage and pepper jack and brisket and cheddar, that's to be expected. As far as the doughnuts go, half the fun is in the surprise of seeing what's new in the glass case. How about a "Fat Elvis" banana cake doughnut topped with peanuts, marshmallow fluff, bacon and banana chips? Or, maybe the s'mores variety are on-deck, topped with a chunk of a Hershey's chocolate bar. On other days, there might be maple bacon (with chunks of actual bacon on top) or the Fruity Pebbles variety in glorious Technicolor. In all fairness, though, even the plain glazed might make converts out of new visitors.

READERS' CHOICE: Shipley Do-Nuts

Fat Bao is one of those places that is easy. It's easy to order (you do so at the counter). Easy to get to (it's at the corner of Kirby and Richmond). Easy to park (translation: free). Plus, it's easy to visit several times a week. The brainchild of owner and chef Pak Tsui, the specialties here, as the name would suggest, are the overstuffed fluffy white bao buns, stuffed with a choice of fillings such as the popular crab daddy (panko-crusted soft-shell crab) or pork belly, Peking duck or the bulgogi (Korean-style beef). Then there are the fat fries, which come Korean-style and topped with kimchi mayo, sriracha and your choice of meat. On specific days you can order a filling bowl of tonkatsu ramen. For dessert, the deep-fried banana Nutella bao and marshmallow-stuffed s'mores bao are hard to beat. With each bao ringing in at about $3 or $4, Fat Bao is also family-friendly, especially during lunchtime, when its lunch combo is less than $10 and comes with two baos, a drink, and fries, chips or a side salad.

Tucked away on the second floor of the Hotel Sorella, where it is accessed via a stairway from the lower-floor bar, Radio Milano is one of those places that you have to go and find. When you do, you'll discover modern Italian cuisine that's a pleasure to savor. Under the helm of Jose Hernandez, the menu reads exceptionally well, filled with delights that will make you want to order altogether too much. Starters are noteworthy: asparagus with prosciutto di Parma, drizzled with summer truffle dressing, and burrata cheese (made in-house) on local heirloom tomato, with pesto. It's seasonal, local and absolutely delicious. The vincisgrassi, a multilayer white lasagna made with alternating layers of veal ragout and parmesan cream, is unparalleled. The scrumptious, beautifully constructed desserts and a wonderful Sunday brunch buffet complete the package.

No one in town does hot dogs better than Good Dog Houston. This "little hot dog place that could" originally operated exclusively from a baby-blue truck. These days, it's in a charming cottage that's been converted into a restaurant with a pleasant front porch. The difference is in the ingredients. Good Dog Houston elevates the humble hot dog from America's favorite junk food to, well, real food! Everything it uses it either makes itself or buys from other small Texas businesses, including the hot dogs and Slow Dough Bread Co. buns. Good Dog even makes its own condiments, such as the "short bus mustard."

Walk into Viet Hoa International Foods, and if the polished concrete floor doesn't impress, then the displays of fresh and affordably priced local and exotic fruit will. Fruit such as mangoes and Asian pears are pre selected and prepacked attractively so that the customer can just grab and go. The meat counter and fish counter are sparkling clean with nary an odor. Want fish just in from the Gulf? Brightly hued red snapper glistens in the case. There's a frozen area where you can find everything from squid and mussels and shrimp to frozen durian and pre packed dumplings and edamame. Finally, in addition to all the dry goods — condiments, noodles, seaweed and international sections that focus on Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean foods — there's a hot-foods counter and a display of fresh bakery items where you can get two- and three-item rice plates to go, and other freshly prepared cooked items that you can buy (try the whole roasted catfish on the weekends) and take home to make your own at-home meal.

In the few short years since Local Foods opened, its name has become synonymous with excellent sandwiches in Houston. Under Dylan Murray's stewardship, the fast-casual concept offers a range of gourmet sandwiches that go a step above the traditional deli version or something Mom might make at home. Specialty breads like ciabatta, focaccia and pretzel bun are overstuffed with fillings and sauces that are as addictive as they are fresh and healthy. Popular favorites include the crunchy chicken salad, the Gulf shrimp and blue crab, and the ever-delicious Black Hill Ranch pork banh mi. But the one that you can't take off the menu — the one that's so perfectly constructed that you can't help inhaling it every time you encounter it — is the truffled egg salad sandwich. Served on a pretzel bread bun, with simple fixings of parmesan aioli, tomato and market greens, the egg salad is soft and fluffy with just the slightest hint of aromatic, aphrodisiacal truffle, making for one great sandwich indeed.

READERS' CHOICE: Kenny & Ziggy's New York Delicatessen Restaurant

Named after the family matriarch, Lupe Garcia, Lupitas in Sugar Land is the quintessential family-run Tex-Mex restaurant that we all wish we had in our neighborhood. The food here is not your mass-produced chain-restaurant food. You can taste the difference immediately in the freshness of the various dishes, which are made with pride and care using family recipes passed down through generations. Spices are ground the traditional way — with a molcajete. Lupe insists on a separate prep service for lunch and dinner to ensure that your food is always fresh and consistent. Simple things — like the freshly fried chips, super-thin and crisp, served with a roasted tomato salsa and the crazy-good charro beans — set this place apart. So do the beef fajitas. Made with 100 percent certified Angus beef marinated overnight in a special recipe, they come with all the usual accompaniments (cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, rice and beans) and are served on a sizzling comal over a bed of caramelized onions, to be eaten with Lupe's signature unforgettable, hand-formed 12-inch flour tortillas. Tacos al carbon, enchiladas, chile relleno and Mexican combo platters round out the affordable menu, while friendly service and ambience (the primary decor is piñatas hung from the ceilings) make this a place the entire family can enjoy.

READERS' CHOICE: El Tiempo