Inside My Table #73 | Restaurant listings
Far North Houston
Though Houston’s very best restaurants are still inside the Loop and in the Galleria area, the city’s increase in population, affluence and diversity over the past decade has resulted in many more dining options, especially in the bedroom communities north, west and south of the Beltway. The restaurants listed below are among the best in the city’s northern suburbs.
AMEDEO’S, 22704 Loop 494 south of Kingwood Dr., Kingwood, 281-359-4451. This upscale Italian-American restaurant with its piano bar, wine room and solid cooking has been a welcome part of the Kingwood landscape since 1985. The Italian-American has some locally welcome Southwestern, Louisiana and global accents, too, such as Southwestern rigatoni with corn and jalapeno topped with grilled chicken and cilantro tomato-cream sauce. $$-$$$
AMERIGO’S GRILLE, 25250 Grogan’s Park Drive north of Sawdust, The Woodlands, 281-362-0808, and other location. The granddaddy of local fine-dining establishments, this serves up an Italian-American menu with many regional and modern twists. There is shrimp and crab cheesecake and angelhair pasta with crawfish, plus hearty entrées featuring fish, chicken, veal and steak. A piano bar provides an accompaniment on Thursdays and the weekends. $$$
BRIO TUSCAN GRILLE, 1201 Lake Woodlands Drive at I-45, The Woodlands, 281-465-8993. The Woodlands outpost of the Columbus, Ohio-based chain is an attractive place specializing in zesty, grilled meat and seafood items, hearty pastas, and pizzas and flatbreads. Among the Italian-accented offerings, the excellent beef carpaccio is a draw. There are several steaks, including a gorgonzola-encrusted strip and sliced beef tenderloin fragrant with rosemary. $$-$$$
CAFE EMPRESS, 17505 State Highway 249 south of FM 1960 West, 281-469-8691. Scott Chen, whose eponymous fine-dining restaurant on Voss won national acclaim several years ago, has downscaled his efforts here, which is reminiscent of his previous Empress of China, a long-time Champions favorite. The menu might be described as innovative Chinese-American cooking with a sushi bar. A very good wine list is a plus. $$-$$$
CHEZ NOUS, 217 S. Avenue G, Humble, 281-446-6717. Situated in a quaint old church, Chez Nous is prospering again after the return of original owner Gerard Brach. Starters are well-loved, such as the seared foie gras and the onion soup. Rack of lamb, steak au poivre made with a New York strip and tournedos bordelaise are favorites, and, though the cuisine is generally classic French, the portions are properly Texas-sized. Order a souffle if you believe that you might have the room. $$$
GROTTO, 9595 Six Pines Road south of Research Forest, The Woodlands, 281-419-4252 and other location. This Landry outpost of the Vallone neo-Neapolitan creation has the decor to evoke the heyday of the 1990s Westheimer original, even if the kitchen does not have nearly that deftness. Still good, and more interesting and more Italian than most anything else you will find. Thin-crust pizzas properly echo Naples, and the pastas, seafood and veal can be quite satisfying. $$-$$$
HASTA LA PASTA, 7681 FM 1960 West east of Highway 59, Humble, 281-446-6414, and other locations. Overlook the silly Spanish-language name for this reliable and popular group of affordable Italian-American restaurants. In user-friendly fashion, many of the pastas and entrees are available with a choice of proteins or sauces, respectively. The nightly specials are often worth a try. $$
JASPER’S, 9595 Six Pines Road south of Research Forest, The Woodlands, 281-298-6600. This north Dallas import travels down the interstate to find a welcoming home in The Woodlands. Sleek, but comfortable, and featuring a great dining and lounge area overlooking the Town Center commons, Jasper’s serves up what it calls “gourmet backyard cuisine.” The food is robust, zesty and very well executed. Highlights include fried calamari, salsa-topped crab cakes and mac and cheese made with aged gouda. $$$
KIRBY’S STEAKHOUSE, 1111 Timberloch Place just west of I-45, The Woodlands, 281-362-1121. Another Dallas import to hit The Woodlands with success, this sports a classic American steakhouse menu with large aged USDA Prime steaks from the Midwest, seafood, zesty starters and salads, and hearty sides. An attractive and appropriately manly decor in the heart of the new Woodlands Town Center helps. There is also live music at the bar. $$$
MENCIUS GOURMET HUNAN, 1379 Kingwood Drive east of Highway 59, Kingwood, 281-359-8489. Hefty meat-laden dumplings and the well-prepared house specialty Mencius Beef (slices of beef that are lightly breaded and quickly fried in a nicely balanced sauce with orange and red pepper) are two of the reasons why this small Kingwood Chinese restaurant has remained popular over the years. Most familiar Chinese-American specialties are offered, and all are executed to appetizing result. $-$$
PERRY’S STEAKHOUSE & GRILLE, 9730 Cypresswood east of Highway 249 near Cutten, 281-970-5999 and other locations. The Champions and Woodlands branches of this local mini-chain are quite nice, and maybe more approachable than other top steakhouse concepts as evidenced by starters such as stuffed jalapenos, Polish sausage and crab fingers. Why, the steaks even come with a side of potatoes. A special pork chop that is dried, cured and roasted for five days, is another draw. Live jazz every Wednesday through Saturday nights. $$$
VIA EMILIA, 3731 FM 1960 West near Kuykendahl, 281-587-9137. The family’s roots are in Ravenna, which skirts the Adriatic Sea, and the kitchen’s best dishes originate there. This is a region of fresh pasta and flavorful small sea creatures. The clams are actually flown in from the Adriatic and are a wise order both as an appetizer and in the traditional pasta alla vongole. The handmade stuffed pastas such as tortellini, cappelletti and cannelloni are also very well done. Much of the rest of the menu is the more familiar Italian-American dishes, and not nearly as good. $$-$$$
