Best Greek Restaurant: Helen Greek Food and Wine

If you think you’ve had an excellent Greek salad before, you haven’t. That is, unless you’ve tried the dakos salad at this Hellenic wonder. The traditional Cretan meze is plump with twice-baked barley bread, which gets soaked in olive oil and red wine vinegar like an Italian panzanella. But this one’s fully Greek, accompanied by heirloom tomatoes, sliced cucumber, briny capers, wild oregano and hunks of creamy, dreamy feta. And that’s just the beginning of what is sure to be an epic meal. You’ll also want to voyage into grilled octopus in red wine and grape molasses, Sfakia cheese pie with local honey and feta-brined roast chicken, served with crisped confit potatoes. All of it pairs beautifully with an entirely Greek wine list, which you’ll also find at its more casual sister spot, Helen in the Heights.

2429 Rice, Houston
832-831-7133
helengreek.com

Readers' Choice: Niko Niko's

Montrose
2520 Montrose Boulevard, Houston
713-528-4976
nikonikos.com

Market Square
301 Milam, Houston
713-224-4976
nikonikos.com

I-10
1040 West Sam Houston Parkway North, Houston
832-981-4976
nikonikos.com

• Best of Houston