Chef Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu’s new Heights restaurant, Jun, draws inspiration from the duo’s diverse upbringing. The small menu packs big flavor. Coined “new Asian American” cuisine, standout dishes include lamb curry with pickled daikon and fried chicken with shrimp paste and Thai chilis.

Formerly a counter within Downtown’s Bravery Chef Hall, the Blind Goat helmed by chef Christine Ha has reemerged in Spring Branch as a brick-and-mortar restaurant. The new outpost boasts a full bar, and Ha takes a modern approach to Vietnamese cuisine with dishes like deconstructed Bánh mì and dry chicken pho.

Upkeeping a family legacy (his grandfather Frank Azzarelli opened the first Italian restaurant in Houston in 1945), chef Frank Triola is once again spinning out Italian favorites at this intimate spot, which opened in January. Try the stellar seafood lasagna, which is loaded with chunks of crabmeat, shrimp, and lobster, the saucy and tender lamb chops, or the spaghetti and meatballs.

Houston loves its meat, especially when it involves a grill, and so it should come as no surprise that this long-anticipated steakhouse makes the list. The Allen Parkway restaurant captivates with its rotation of meats, including Japanese and Australian wagyu, all of which are fired up on its 22-foot live-fire grill. The restaurant also offers delicious compliments, like a wedge salad topped with black truffle, sides like whipped potatoes and white asparagus, and a wagyu sandwich that’s already generated a following.

If you’re looking for a reason to eat tacos outside with made-to-order margaritas, Montrose’s Verde Garden is your new spot. The Tex-Mex beer garden’s patio is a prime spot for enjoying the weather while downing enchiladas, smoked hatch chile queso, and ceviche. Choose between 12 frozens on the menu, or default to the herbaceous Verde, the namesake marg that's made with mint, parsley, lime, and your choice of mezcal or tequila.

Neighboring its sister restaurant Uchi in Montrose, Oheya offers an exclusive 15-course omakase experience at an intimate 12-seat counter. Menus change monthly as a different chef from Hai Hospitality collaborates with Uchi Houston’s in house talent, chef de cuisine Stephen Conklin and head sushi chef Kevin Le.

Its second outpost in the U.S., this River Oaks gem is offering a massive menu with robust flavors from Mexico City. Find refreshing fruit-packed acai bowls, freshly squeezed juices and coffee drinks, tacos with fire-roasted proteins, a mean chilaquiles, and so much more. Don’t forget to explore its on-site mini-market. Stocked with fresh produce and cracked coconuts ready for drinking, it’s perfect for when you’re on the move.

As an Italian restaurant, Dante’s delivers on its homemade pasta and so much more. This River Oaks establishment’s standout tagliatelle fused with truffle and mushrooms, a keeper from its predecessor Concura Italian Bites, is a mainstay, as well as its entrees like the roasted salmon filet, served with arugula, fennel, and a dill dressing. The desserts are also something to behold, with the chef creating flavors like dill and rosemary, chocolate, and pistachio, which will surprise and delight the tastebuds. More than that, though, the intimate setup is something to experience. Each guest is greeted with a flute of bubbly to start the night.

After years of pop-ups in Houston, Lady M finally makes a permanent commitment with its boutique in the Galleria. The specialty cake company offers slices and whole portions of its delicate, designer-like, multi-layered mille crepe cakes, with flavors ranging from guava and green tea to its classic signature flavor. Dine in its pristine space, or take it to go.

Though many miss Little Pappas Seafood House, Pappas’ newest seafood restaurant Little’s Oyster Bar at its former location is a fine replacement. California chef Jason Ryczek brings a fresh take to Gulf Coast cuisine, with dishes like lobster gnocchi, the most tender grilled octopus served with an herbacious schug and marble potatoes, and a flaky, succulent Yellowedge Grouper plated with brown butter sauce. Caviar service here is also top-notch. Using roe Ryczek harvests from his own white sturgeon, Little’s accompanies a delicacy with pillowy fried potato dumplings and a rich creme fraiche topped with pickled radish and chives.

Find dinner and entertainment all in one place at this new Upper Kirby restaurant known for its melding of Asian and Mediterranean eats and late-night live music. Start with labneh and cucumber before noshing on a hand roll or two, and splurge on bottle service as you take in the sights and sounds of the

Benjy Levitt’s latest brainchild joins its sister restaurants, Lees Den and Local Foods, in Rice Village, dishing out French fare with a seafood element with the impressive, yet expected selection of wine. Decide between a flight of East or Gulf Coast oysters or opt for hors d’oeuvres like the fried snapper and the scallop crudo before moving onto enticing mains like seared duck breast or the double cheeseburger — a tantalizing but casual combination of ground short rib and duck. Be sure to check out their cocktail menu. It's full of whimsical choices like the Mean Left Hook, which is made with Rhum Agricole, green chartreuse, coconut, pineapple, and lime, and served in a cute fish-shaped vessel.

Houston’s burger institution has expanded with a location in Bellaire, serving up the same iconic and juicy burgers, crispy onion rings and fries, and milkshakes that it has for decades, but this location features a more modern space and newer technology. Diners can indulge themselves with its self-serve tap system where several beers, wines, and ciders are available for the pouring.

With Street to Kitchen chef Benchawan “G” Jabthong Painter and lauded Eculent chef David Skinner at the helm, this tasting menu restaurant in Kemah is a true meeting of the minds. The rare multi-course experience travels back in time to explore Thai and Native American cuisine at its core and features an edible display of ancient cooking techniques and indigenous ingredients. Diners begin the journey with dishes like fermented foraged plants, Skinner’s blue cornbread served with sunflower butter and leatherwood honey, and chef G’s delightful red snapper Gaeng curry. As colonialism, new techniques, and technology are introduced on the menu’s chronological timeline, the dishes, too, evolve, delivering tender Thai venison with a red curry that packs incredible heat (thanks to the red chiles the Portuguese brought to Thailand in the 1600s), and Skinner’s bison steak with a fermented wild ramp sauce, and duck fat confit potatoes with shards of jerky. The desserts, including Skinner’s “Memories of Fallen Snow” — a butternut squash preserve topped with Tonka bean ice cream, spruce tip syrup, and housemade snow — are equally as thoughtful.