Pax Americana and Killen's Barbecue Land on GQ's Outstanding New Restaurants of 2015

Two Houston area restaurants have made their way onto GQ's annual list of 25 Most Outstanding Restaurants for 2015. Nabbing a spot in Alan Richman’s top five, Shepard Ross' Pax Americana. Richman writes: "Pax Americana is a throwback to a vanishing time when young chefs were discovered in their kitchens, not on television."  Singing the praises of chef Adam Dorris, Richman goes on to say that the young chef "cooks with exuberance, intelligence and complexity."

Rounding out the top ten, Killen's Barbecue in Pearland. Ronnie Killen's smokehouse comes in at number ten where Richman is a fan of the free beer and of course the slow-cooked meats. More specifically, Richman adores the ribs, writing: "The plate rib is the Mona Lisa of meat, resembling an abnormally thick slab of prime rib attached to a bone the size and shape of a broadsword."

Also on the list  -- which isn't available online yet but out on newsstands in the March issue -- Austin's Dai Due's and St. Philip.

It's been a well-deserved week of recognition for Houston's restaurant and bar industry. In addition to GQ, four chefs, a restaurant's wine program and cocktail bar received nod as this year's semifinalists for the 2015 James Beards Awards.