The Best Dishes Eater Houston Ate in May
Where to find watermelon salad, creste alla vodka pasta, and much more
There are more than 12,000 restaurants in Houston. With at least 145 languages spoken across town and communities bringing compelling fare from regions like south Louisiana and the West Coast, and countries such as Mexico, Syria, and the Philippines, there’s no shortage of outstanding food in the Bayou City. Check back monthly to see the best things Eater Houston’s editor ate this month.
Watermelon and Cotija salad at Maximo
I’ve returned to Maximo several times just to indulge in its watermelon and Cotija salad. While the restaurant is especially known for its commitment to nixtamalization and outstanding tacos, the watermelon and Cotija salad truly stands on its own. Each bite includes generous amounts of pickled fresno chiles, arugula, chunks of cucumber, amaranth-peanut crumble, and black pepper champagne vinaigrette. It’s the naturally sweet, refreshing bowl of fruit that you want during the summer. 6119 Edloe St, West University Place, TX 77005
Creste alla vodka pasta at Pizzana
Sure, there are plenty of terrific pizzas to indulge in at Pizzana (the diavola, cacio e pepe, and bianca just to name a few, are worth exploration). But the pasta menu, helmed by pizzaiolo Daniele Uditi, is just as impressive. The vodka pasta was perfectly al dente, and the San Marzano vodka sauce, somewhat thick, and flavored with ingredients from Western Europe, was an excellent texture for the chewy creste de gallo noodles. 2029 W Gray St, Houston, TX 77019
Soft shell prawns at Street to Kitchen
Street to Kitchen’s genius isn’t exactly a secret, but it continues to shine in its newest location in Second Ward. While the regular menu has its standouts, a recent spring visit meant that I was lucky enough to venture into the specials. A plate of soft shell prawns in a bed of a slightly sweet glaze, and heated with slices of red chili pepper, were plump, textural, and seasoned just right for a springtime stop. 3401 Harrisburg Blvd Suite G, Houston, TX 77003
Bluefin at Baso
Baso’s Basque creations are inventive and immersive, taking visitors on journeys through Japan, Basque Country, and chef Jacques Varon’s home state of Texas. The bluefin tuna is a textural masterpiece, with a decadent layer of tuna and a crispy layer of Carolina Gold Rice collapsed together, and infused and dusted with Calabrian chile. It’s a beautiful ode to the European region and ingredients found in the American South, which Varon highlights across the menu. 633 W 19th St # A, Houston, TX 77008
Papaya salad at Ema
The papaya salad at Ema makes a solid case for increasing the number of fruit salads on restaurant menus. Beautiful chunks of papaya are served over a bed of yogurt drizzled with a citrusy agave mixture. Topped with orange segments and granola, Ema makes the smart choice to allow the fruit’s sweetness to take the lead, rather than adding a number of additional sweeteners to the fruit. 5307 N Main St Suite 100, Houston, TX 77009
Medovik (Honey Cake) at Foreign Grill
There aren’t a ton of dining options connected to Central Asia and the Caucasus in Houston, so it’s especially meaningful that Foreign Grill has a station in the Conservatory Midtown. There are some terrific interpretations of regional dishes here, including Uzbek plov (an Uzbeki pilaf dish), and the picturesque Georgian khachapuri. But the honey cake, which consists of immaculate golden layers topped with a light crumble, was a resounding end to a delightful feast. 606 Dennis St Suite 1, Houston, TX 77006
Country ham beignets at Bar Bludorn
Bar Bludorn’s tavern environment lends itself to shared plates. The country ham beignets — filled with plump pockets of dough crisped and stuffed with gooey ricotta, and topped with slices of ham — are not to be missed. A tip? Make sure to bite carefully. The ricotta, which is slightly warmed within the beignet, makes its presence known immediately upon first bite. 9061 Gaylord Dr, Houston, TX 77024
