Summer season used to imply three months of freedom. Now it’s simply three months of scorching days, still-hot nights and all the identical tasks you had earlier than. It’s slightly exhausting to reconcile. Possibly that’s why half of Texas appears to go elsewhere in the course of the summer season, whether or not it’s to Colorado, New Mexico, unique Mexico or wherever else that temperatures are measured in two digits.
However for many who’ve remained, there’s some comfort: The previous couple months have ushered in a spate of extremely anticipated eating places which are right here to assuage our collective woes with steaks, seafood, pasta and sufficient cocktails and wine to remedy our collective malaise. These are 5 of essentially the most thrilling new eating places in Texas.
Elementary is a playful tackle nice eating. Chad Wadsworth
Austin
What to know: Opened by pals Chris Arial, Allan Bautista and chef Colter Peck, who’s labored at high Portland eating places Le Pigeon and Proud Mary, Elementary is a playful tackle nice eating with a seasonal menu that highlights Central Texas farmers. The ethereal eating room pulls from trendy Bauhaus inspiration, with a lot of major colours — assume purple flooring and a vibrant blue accent wall.
What to eat: It will be silly to move on the birria soup dumplings, so begin there after which work in direction of a banh mi eclair, al pastor tortellini, brief rib pappardelle and the half hen with saffron honey, chorizo, potatoes and pickled fennel. Arial’s beverage program features a smoking Paper Aircraft (there’s hearth!), a Kool-Support Cosmo and an espresso martini riff made with vodka, espresso, chocolate bitters, cereal mil and Eggo waffle syrup. You’ll have enjoyable right here — and in addition subsequent door, as a result of the identical trio has additionally opened Hopscotch, a small bar serving pure wines, cocktails, tinned fish and different snacks within the adjoining constructing.
2026 S Lamar Boulevard, Austin (map)
The menu leans into French and Italian cuisines. Douglas Friedman
Dallas
What to know: The Duro Hospitality practice retains on chugging, and the crew behind Sister, El Carlos Elegante and The Charles lately debuted a brand new undertaking, the decidedly upscale Mister Charles. It’s inhabiting the enduring Highland Park Soda Fountain constructing, which has anchored the Knox Road location for greater than 100 years. Duro’s founders describe the restaurant as The Charles’ subtle and well-traveled relative, who has spent a lifetime savoring nice continental cuisines and luxuriating in Europe’s most elegant lodges, eating places and bars.
What to eat: The menu leans into French and Italian cuisines, evident proper off the bat in a canapes part that contains a mini egg salad sandwich with caviar, a cured salmon tart and a foie gras croquette. Bigger plates embody seared diver scallops, entire Dover sole with sauce meunière and lobster thermidor, plus a wagyu New York strip and lamb loin Wellington for 2.
3219 Knox Road, Dallas (map)
Pastore has seafood — and plenty of it. Duc Hoang
Houston
What to know: Underbelly Hospitality has already given Houston a number of nice locations to eat, together with Georgia James steakhouse, Wild Oats and Underbelly Burger. Now it’s right here with Pastore, a coastal Italian idea. The garden-like area has floor-to-ceiling home windows, assertion murals, vintage brass accents and different adornments to set the scene, and the eating room will quickly be joined by a rooftop terrace, so you may partake in pasta and spritzes al fresco.
What to eat: Seafood, and plenty of it. We’re speaking beneficiant seafood towers, oysters, scallop crudo, crispy anchovies with sage and hearth-roasted branzino puttanesca. However don’t miss the flatbreads — one has mission figs, lemon ricotta and lardo — or the handmade pastas, just like the squid ink linguine and swordfish amatriciana.
1180 Dunlavy Road, Houston (map)
Trick Rider pays homage to Texas rodeo tradition. Omni PGA Resort/werner segarra images inc
Frisco
What to know: The Dallas suburbs want one other steakhouse like they want one other strip mall — however you then discover Trick Rider and notice it is perhaps the highway trip-worthy steakhouse you had been lacking all alongside. Located inside the brand new Omni PGA Resort, the good-looking eating room is anchored by a horseshoe bar, above which sits a 16-foot-long crystal chandelier within the form of a horse. You’re most likely noticing a theme, and also you’re proper — this place pays homage to Texas rodeo tradition.
What to eat: The menu consists of chilled seafood dishes like shrimp cocktail and oysters, plus salads, salmon, a complete branzino and Australian lobster tail. Purple meat choices vary from prime filets and New York strips to a handful of shareable steaks served tableside, like a tomahawk and a wagyu beef tasting. Trick Rider shouldn’t be reinventing any wheels right here, however they’re nailing the classics. And if you need a steak, whipped potatoes and asparagus, it would as properly be actually good steak, whipped potatoes and asparagus.
4341 PGA Parkway, Frisco (map)
You received’t go flawed with oysters on the halfshell. Josephine’s
Houston
What to know: This new Midtown restaurant embraces all issues Gulf Coast and in addition highlights Southern dishes that govt chef and Mississippi native Lucas McKinney grew up consuming. Opened contained in the departed Izakaya area, the restaurant — which is known as each for McKinney’s grandmother and an previous steamship that sank within the Gulf of Mexico — was redesigned to characteristic a uncooked bar for oysters and different chilled seafood.
What to eat: Amberjack crudo, smoked redfish dip and oysters on the halfshell are all nice concepts. From there, transfer into hushpuppies with pickled jalapeño tartar sauce, biscuits and onion gravy, barbecue shrimp, po’boys, blue crab rice bowls and Mississippi scorching catfish nuggets. Drinks embody a pair frozen cocktails and different refreshing choices, just like the Joyful Little Accidents, with strawberry-infused Suze, vermouth and bubbles.
318 Grey Road, Houston (map)