Chef slings globe-trekking dishes such as grilled shrimp kebabs, spicy crab empanadas, red curry duck, and shanghai fried rice

Small plates of French cuisine such as toasted, open-faced baguettes and mostly organic, unsulfured wine

Hand-tossed dough creates the base for award-winning pizzas laden with linguiça sausage and chorizo at this 29-year-old eatery

Victorian-style team room with fair-trade teas poured into fine china along with scones, clotted cream, soup, salad & dessert

Four-course meals with seared duck, lamb, or beef medallions in cognac demi-glace at a pink sandstone manor hailed for its romantic vibe

Handmade pork, beef, chicken, and corn-and-spinach tamales star at a Mexican restaurant named the best in Houston by AOL City's Best

Enchiladas, tacos, and chilaquiles made with fresh, local ingredients and served on outdoor patio or in dining room with live music

Innovative sushi creations, such as lobster rolls with yamagobo or Queen rolls with snow crab and asparagus, mingle with hibachi entrees

Family-recipe sauces slather pastas and entrees at the rumored birthplace of toasted ravioli

Smoked beef brisket, pork sausages, and St. Louis–style ribs mingle at a barbecue restaurant with outdoor seating and a drive-thru