Chef Arturo Boada's place, tucked into a humble strip center, has hidden-gem status but it's packed nightly with nearby residents who are well aware of what it has to offer. Boada long ago shook off any sense of cultural boundaries when it comes to his menu, so outstanding carnitas pizzas sail out of the wood-fired oven and land on tables already covered in plates of sashimi-grade tuna tartar and simply prepared farfalle with garlic, tomatoes, basil and housemade mozzarella. The range and flexibility mean this is a great place for families and can work equally well for couples who don't mind a bustling environment.

It's all about the beef at this high-end steakhouse. You get a nice look at the goods in the meat case in the entrance, but the real view is inside the enormous, temperature- and humidity-controlled cooler that the restaurant uses to dry-age its beef. The aging process takes at least 28 days and sometimes up to 45 or 50, and the resulting beef-forward, almost nutty flavor is nothing short of incredible. Order your favorite cut and preferred temp and let the kitchen work its magic as you await your flawlessly seared, mouthwateringly juicy steak. And for best results, you may want to consult the 2,000-plus bottle wine list too.

READERS' CHOICE: Taste of Texas

Make Tuesdays great again by heading to The Hay Merchant, where the beefy scents begin wafting through the bar starting at 5 p.m. You'll want to get there sooner than later, as these in-demand steaks often sell out. Made with eight ounces of Angus sirloin from 44 Farms, the stunners are aggressively seasoned and sizzled just to your liking, along with in-season veggies and sauce accoutrements. Get it all for an incredibly reasonable $15.50, but bring some extra dough to sip craft suds from beer guru Kevin Floyd's incredible roster of taps.

Don't come to this Rice Village charmer expecting guilty pleasures like deep-fried falafel and greasy shaved lamb. We promise you won't miss those Mediterranean staples once you get a taste of chef William Wright's refreshing take on Greek fare. Start with a greens-and-cheese pie, in which buttery phyllo gets layered with three kinds of funky Greek cheese and finished with micro greens. Entrées include feta-brined and wood-grilled chicken, a stunning charred octopus, and a Black Hills pork build-your-own gyro that you'll likely dream about long after your visit. All these inspired dishes pair flawlessly with wines curated by well-respected sommelier Evan Turner. The list just so happens to be the second-largest all-Hellenic wine list in the country.

READERS' CHOICE: Niko Niko's

It looks like the higher powers have shone down upon us, because last year the already poppin' Montrose location of everyone's favorite Tex-Orleans cafe moved from being open late-night to being open all night. Now you can get Maw-Maw's Gumbo and a bevy of po-boys served on authentic Leidenheimer French bread 24 hours a day. May we also suggest sharing an order of the Tex-Cajun fries, which come absolutely dripping in queso, roast beef and gravy? That'll definitely to put you right to sleep.

READERS' CHOICE: House of Pies

Don't be fooled by the Original Kolache Shoppe's roughshod appearance. This southeast-side mom-and-pop has been keeping Houstonians happy with vintage-style kolache and klobasniky since 1956. The shop recently underwent a bit of an interior makeover, but the simple menu, focus on scratchmade ingredients and cheap-as-hell pricing remain. Get crazy-good Czech classics — like kielbasa and jalapeño or house-baked ham and cheese — wrapped in lightly sweetened dough. Don't forget to nab some plump, sweet pastries stuffed to the brim with poppy seed, lemon, raspberry and cream cheese filling. Whatever you do, make sure to include at least one roast beef croissant, which kind of reminds us of a Hot Pocket, but is way better.

While we all love Italian when it comes to classics like chicken parmigiana and spaghetti and meatballs, a journey through the cuisine should never stop there. Just one meal at Da Marco, the white-tablecloth trattoria from chef Marco Wiles, is all it takes to open your eyes (and mouth) to the country's culinary possibilities. Wiles's attention to sourcing high-quality ingredients (some of which are even flown in straight from Italia) allows dishes like whole-roasted wild branzino and rich pastas with seasonal truffles to sing. With the recent shuttering of stalwarts like the nearby Mark's, we're happy to see this Montrose gem standing strong. It may not be the cheapest Italian meal you can have in town, but it will be the best.

READERS' CHOICE: Carrabba's Italian Grill

Things are looking up for this gourmet frank shop, which announced plans last year for a second location in the old Brick & Spoon spot in Montrose. That means you will soon have double the chance to stuff yourself with crazy-good Texas-made hot dogs and hand-cut fries. Load up a dog simply with house-crafted condiments like sriracha ketchup and short bus mustard, or get stacked with readymade options like the Ol' Zapata, made with bacon, Muenster, caramelized onions and jalapeño relish. An old-fashioned root beer float or refreshing pint of craft beer should help wash it all down.

READERS' CHOICE: Good Dog Houston

When it comes to greasy spoons, most people are looking for a few things: great prices, fast service and deliciously unctuous grub. After 77 years, kitschy Lankford Grocery continues to earn five-star ratings in each of those criteria. Hit the shaded picnic tables to take down colossal breakfast plates and sloppy burgers served with a side of nostalgia. Those sloppy burgers, by the way, may even be bigger than the breakfast plates. Get them stacked with everything from wasabi sauce and pineapple to Frito Pie fixins, then tack on curly fries or a Tex Mix of fried jalapeño and onion strings.

If you've been limiting your fried chicken experiences to that of the Southern variety, it's time to switch up your game plan. Himalaya's fried chicken — affectionately known as "HFC" — starts with a brine that's chock-full of spices like garam masala and ginger. After a nice, long soak, the bird is generously dredged in seasoned flour and fried to an absolutely gorgeous golden-brown crisp before being served family-style. The result is Mutt City dining at its finest. You may want to call ahead for this one, as it's not always available and can very well sell out.