Inside My Table #85 | Restaurant listings
Sunday Supper
The weekend is nearly over. But before you dive back into the work week you want to enjoy a nice meal without setting foot in the kitchen. You’d like some options in addition to Tex-Mex, since everybody knows that all of the Tex-Mex palaces — including Ninfa’s on Navigation — are open and packed on Sundays. Here are some of our best suggestions from around the area for a Sunday evening supper.
AMICI, 16089 City Walk on Town Square, Sugar Land, 281-242-2800, Sunday 11 am to 11 pm. The youngest Vallone eatery (from son Jeff Vallone with chef Bruce McMillian) is an upscale, yet informal restaurant that echoes back to the 1990s heyday of the original Grotto with its lively atmosphere and more-than-capable kitchen. Enjoy expressive Neapolitan-inspired fare that strives to be faithful to its roots while indulging in some modern Gulf Coast expectations. There are numerous tempting appetizers, soups, salads, pizzas, pastas, meat and seafood dishes, not to mention desserts. $$
BISTRO LE CEP, 11112 Westheimer at Wilcrest, 713-783-3985, Sunday 5 to 9 pm. For hearty and approachable French country classics, this is the place on Sunday night. Choose from among such satisfying dishes as pâté de canard, poisson meunière, coq au vin, pot-roasted rabbit, steak au poivre, plus tarte tatin and strawberries Romanoff, all executed in fine fashion. The wine list sports a bistro-like list with the majority of bottles priced less than $50, plus a remarkable 50-plus selections by the glass. $$
CARRABBA’S, 3115 Kirby near Richmond, 713-522-3131, Sunday noon to10 pm, and 1399 South Voss at Woodway, 713-468-0868, Sunday 11 am to 10 pm. For an enjoyable, if hardly quiet Sunday-night supper, these two locations, which are still owned and operated by co-founder Johnny Carrabba, are bustling after 20-plus years. They continue to serve big, flavorful dishes in a casually upscale and festive environment, a formula that helped define the exuberant Sicilian-rooted Gulf Coast cooking that is one of the well-loved staples of the local dining scene. $$
CHURRASCOS, 2055 Westheimer at Shepherd, 713-527-8300, Sunday 11 am to9 pm, and 9705 Westheimer at Gessner, 713-952-1988, Sunday 10:30 am to 9 pm. This pan-Latin American duo is still popular after all these years, with settings that can be boisterous but refined, and dishes robust and well-executed featuring vibrant flavors that are right on target for most local palates. Even if the tender and rich churrasco is too much for a Sunday night, Churrascos’ tres leches (the local standard) is the perfect finale for the weekend. $$-$$$
DOLCE VITA, 500 Westheimer near Taft, 713-520-8222, Sunday noon to 10 pm. The peerless thin-crust pizzas at Dolce Vita are just one attraction at this popular outpost that doesn’t stray from the Italian peninsula with its ethos, cooking and spot-on wine list. Salads, appetizers, pastas and the daily specials, a meat and fish, are also usually superb. The relaxed setting coupled with excellent, casual fare can make this the right choice for Sunday night, especially if kids are in tow. $$
GOODE CO. SEAFOOD, 2621 Westpark near Kirby, 713-523-7154, Sunday 11am to 10 pm, and 10211 Katy Freeway west of Gessner, 713-464-7933, Sunday 11 am to 9 pm. The best of the Gulf of Mexico is served at these handsome and always-crowded restaurants that truly “appeal to the masses,” as their website claims. Excellent mesquite-grilled flounder, redfish and red snapper filets are worthy options along with the South Louisiana- and Mexican-influenced dishes. Goode Co.’s famous campechana with a cold draft beer might be the best way to wind down a weekend. $$
GRAVITAS, 807 Taft south of Allen Parkway, 713-522-0995, Sunday 5:30 to 9:30 pm. This large, but surprisingly intimate restaurant has become a fixture since opening in 2005 with a menu that is familiar, classic, usually American-rooted and well-prepared. Though most of Jason Gould’s offerings will not intimidate timid diners, there are more than a few twists for adventurers, such as the venison chili, crispy veal sweetbreads, buttermilk pierogies filled with cream cheese and braised duck legs. Meals here are complemented by breads from Gravitas’ sister establishment, Kraftsmen Baking. $$$
IBIZA, 2450 Louisiana at McGowen, 713-524-0004, Sunday 5 to 9 pm. This hip and bustling Midtown mainstay is a fun, lively place to enjoy the last meal of the weekend. With Spanish, French and North African influences on the menu, top-notch ingredients and a sure hand (thank you, Charles Clark) overseeing the kitchen, this is a good choice for even the most jaded diners. The excellent and very fairly priced wine list does its part, too. Paella and sangria have become a popular Sunday evening tradition here. $$$
KENNY & ZIGGY’S, 2327 Post Oak Blvd. at Westheimer, 713-871-8883, Sunday 8 am to 9 pm. Serving slick renditions of Jewish-American food, Kenny & Ziggy’s comes with a multi-generational deli legacy that goes the extra mile: Corned beef is cured in-house, pickles are flown in regularly from Manhattan, smoked fish is sliced by hand at the restaurant and, most notably, service is very efficient. The cheeky menu is lengthy, and there should be something for everyone, both deli aficionados and anyone else who knows how to enjoy a few grams of luscious fat. $$
KUBO’S, 2414 University at Morningside in the Village Arcade II, 713-528-7878, Sunday noon to 9 pm. If the craving for raw fish strikes on Sunday evening, this stylish and reliable Rice Village spot might be the best call and certainly one of the most authentic. It features highly trained Japanese executive and sous chefs, plus a Japanese owner who knows how to put it all together. The non-sushi Japanese fare is also worth a trip. $$
MARK’S AMERICAN CUISINE, 1658 Westheimer at Dunlavy, 713-523-3800, Sunday 5 to 10 pm. If you really want to pamper yourself at weekend’s end, there is always Mark’s. This destination spot is one of the top local restaurants (as if you didn’t know). Owner/chef Mark Cox’s reputation has remained intact for more than a decade thanks to his ever-changing menu of impeccably sourced savory treats, plus decadent desserts, an expansive wine list, charming setting and unparalleled service. $$$
OUISIE’S TABLE, 3939 San Felipe west of Willowick, 713-528-2264, Sunday 10 am to 10 pm. This unpretentious fine-dining restaurant near River Oaks has deep roots in Southern cooking and the Gulf Coast with more than a touch of modern sensibilities, which works as a nice coda for the weekend family gathering. The familiar beef, lamb and seafood entrees are far from run-of-the-mill, and the house specialties can be even more enticing: shrimp and cheese grits, jumbo crab cakes, fried oyster dinner, chicken-fried steak and back-strap venison. $$$
SHADE, 250 W. 19th Street near Heights Blvd., 713-863-7500, Sunday 5 to 9 pm. Perfect for the Heights — and Houston — Claire Smith’s comfortable spot has a fresh, contemporary decor and features a seasonal menu that is creative and wallet-friendly (relative to the quality). Though many dishes are rooted in the Southern cooking tradition, there are surprising Asian and sundry global influences that keep things fresh. It’s all put together with a finesse that makes the combinations seem natural on the plate. $$-$$$
TONY MANDOLA’S GULF COAST KITCHEN, 1962 West Gray near McDuffie, 713-528-3474, Sunday 5 to 9 pm. The kitchen manages a seamless blending of Southern-Italian, Creole, Cajun, Mexican and native Gulf Coast influences to create wonderful Italian and seafood dishes that work for a variety of moods. The seafood is always fresh, and the preparations are dependable — often piquant and usually hearty, right on for Houston. We recommend crawfish ravioli, fried calamari with pepperoncini and oysters Damian topped with pico de gallo. $$$
