Feast and Reef have once again been honored at a national level, this time as two of the Best New U.S. Restaurants according to Travel + Leisure magazine. But more than two Houston restaurants were recognized: Textile and Voice also made the list of 50 eateries across the nation honored as being among the "country's top dining experiences."
Only five Texas restaurants were named to Travel + Leisure's list, making the honor of having four of those restaurants in Houston even higher. (Most of the restaurants are in New York City, but that's to be expected.) But considering that the magazine's aim was to highlight "spots that offered us warmth and a sense of human connection," it's no surprise that Houston's restaurants fit the bill to the letter.
What did the magazine have to say about our fine establishments?
Feast was first to be featured, the magazine claiming that it's the "most nourishing and idiosyncratic spots to open in town since, well, ever." We don't disagree. The magazine named "the rather more ethereal Textile" to their next spot, highlighting its contrast with Feast as "diaphanous and fabric-draped."
Over in Midtown, the magazine turned its attention to Reef, praising its "distinct piscine personality" and their coastal Southern dishes such as mussels steamed in Shiner Bock beer. Finally, lush downtown oasis Voice was selected for its "happy transformation" from the former Bank and for their "clean and focused New American flavors."
The restaurant renaissance is upon us in Houston. Now it's up to us as a city to encourage and retain the talent we have, but I think we're more than up to the task.