3 Houston Restaurants to Try This Weekend: May 30
1901 North Shepherd Drive, Suite 4, Heights
5225 Bellaire Boulevard, Bellaire
2010 Waugh Drive, Montrose
Pizza is always an easy, no-cooking way to end a long week, and while ordering delivery from a chain might seem easiest (Domino's is my go-to lately), sometimes it's good to treat yourself to something special. Fortunately, Houston is brimming with different styles, including Neapolitan; ironclad, a newer-Texas style; and my personal kryptonite, Detroit-style. Anthony Calleo, the pizza mastermind behind Gold Tooth Tony's, has spent a long time working on his craft, starting with his days at the now-closed Pi Pizza to slinging pizzas at Rudyard's and consulting at Betelegeuse Betelgeuse, where the round ironclad-style pizzas have his fingerprints all over them. Now, Calleo has three pizzerias of his own where he dishes out some of the best cheesy Detroit-style pizzas in town, built on a base that offers a pillowy combination of focaccia and sourdough with crispy edges and generous lines of tomato sauce. Diners can build their own pizza with a selection of toppings, but the signature combinations cover all the bases, with classics including pepperoni and cheese pizzas and more adventurous renditions, like the carb-loaded Mac Attack is Back with macaroni and cheese and bacon. Favorites include the Detroit Supreme, which is covered with a mixture of meats and veggies, and Sebastian's Big Idea, a pie that hits all the notes of sweet and salty with spam, togarashi-roasted pineapple, and furikake seasoning. Be sure to look at some of the menu's other items, which include doughy garlic knots, pizza tots, and an assortment of wings served with two styles of homemade ranch (appropriately listed on the menu as the Nectar of the Gods). For a cinematic experience: Haii Keii
3300 Kirby Drive, Suite 9-A, Upper Kirby
If you or someone you know would love to dine on what feels like the set of Kill Bill , this one is for you. This new Japanese restaurant in Upper Kirby will make you feel like you're in a movie, with dark and moody interiors illuminated by neon signs, sultry two-person booths separated by red ropes, a bar with an overhanging upside-down bonsai tree, and an LED display of mysterious, shadowy figures floating through the dining room. Go for a few cocktails or stay awhile to soak in the ambiance and dine in. The food and cocktails are captivating, too, with purple-hued ube espresso martinis, soft-shell crab fried rice, and a menu of sushi. Aside from its standout vegetarian nigiri made with delicate slivers of eggplant and bell pepper, Haii Keii also offers the most decadent Murimake roll, which is stuffed with king crab and topped with A5 wagyu and kaluga caviar. The touch of gold leaf on the roll is nice, but the best part is the accompanying crackling crab butter candle. Made from a boiled-down and molded combination of crab and butter, the lit candle sits at the end of the plate in a hunk of wasabi to keep it steady, dripping butter for your dipping pleasure. For a seafood splurge: Little's Oyster Bar
3001 South Shepherd Drive, Montrose
One of the newest additions to the Pappas Restaurants catalog has recently switched up its menu, reminding me why we named Little's Oyster Bar the Best New Restaurant in 2023. From start to finish, the menu bedazzles, with quality cold bar offerings, refreshing appetizers like the delicate Local Greens salad, which is paired with a honey dressing and the creamiest goat cheese, and a tender grilled octopus (arguably the best in the city) served with a luxurious zhug you'll want to sop up with the marbled potatoes. Aside from its fresh catches, including a standout Gulf Grouper (ask for the heirloom tomato sauce vierge), the lobster gnocchi is the dish that captivates, with an herbaceous sauce composed of blistered cherry tomatoes with bits of crunchy potato chips for added texture. Dining here, however, will cost you a pretty penny. Most dishes will run you over $20, with entrees priced at $43 and up (and that's not including sides). But you could also pop in for oysters and a martini, or a heart-warming bowl of cioppino with buttery sourdough and a side of Pappas's irresistibly crispy fries. Little's is one of those restaurants you should treat yourself to every once in a while.
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