Underbelly

The Montrose heavy-hitter from James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd strives to tell “the story of Houston food” and it does a mighty fine job of doing so. The menu reads like a playbook of Houston’s melting pot culture, with large and small shared plates kissed by Mexican, Vietnamese, Korean and the other ethnic influences that have shaped Houston's food scene in the last generation. Dishes like Korean goat dumplings and vinegar pie are mainstays, but expect the rest of the menu to change regularly, with a focus on farm-to-table eats from the best produce and meats local farmers and ranchers have available. Don’t miss the excellent wine list from Matthew Pridgen or the weekday happy hour at the wood-toned wine bar, where there’s a list of “cover dishes”; Shepherd’s homages to his chef friends around the country.