I have something to share with you.

Houston, TX.  Ranked Number 7 on the New York Times’ list of the 46 “Places to Go” in 2013.  I travel down to Houston about 4 times a year.  I have a lot of clients there and I am always reading about the awesome restaurant scene.  Here are a few of the spots I hit this trip.

Underbelly

I have read about Underbelly for a while now and decided to stop there for lunch.  The server recommended the Hog & Hominy Poutine, Roasted Chicken & Butter Biscuit(a deconstructed chicken pot pie) and the Seared Gulf White Shrimp, Pimento Cheese Grits,  As much as I wanted to try the first two, I absolutely love pimento cheese(my favorite is Zilk’s from Whole Foods) and I had to go with the shrimp and grits.  I was not disappointed and will need to come back for dinner on another visit.

Caracol
Caracol was voted one of the top 5 restaurants this year by Houstonia Magazine and their happy hour got a great review.  Since I opted for an early “dinner”, it was the perfect spot for me.  I ordered a Mojito, the Taquitos Tronadores de Carnitas (slow-cooked pork, crema fresca and avocado-tomatillo sauce) and the Croquetitas de Yuca y Jaiba (yucca and crab fritters with an avocado tomatillo). The service was great and the food was absolutely delicious.

Fountain View Cafe
I searched and searched for a great breakfast spot in Houston.  Somewhere close to my hotel, somewhere fast and somewhere inexpensive.  I came up with Fountain View Cafe. It was voted No. 1 breakfast spot and it hit my requirements.  You walk in, order at the counter, pour your own coffee and they bring your food to you.  When you are done, you leave and they bus the table.  I ordered an egg, cheese and bacon croissant sandwich and a cup of coffee.  Will I be back?  If I need something fast and filling, this is the spot.

Lillo & Ella
I found Lillo & Ella on Eater Houston.  Options in this part of town seemed a bit limited and the menu looked interesting so I decided to try it.  My boss joined me for lunch and we were the only table in the restaurant.  We shared the chipotle and honey edamame to start, a little sweet a little spicy.  For our meals, he ordered the Blue Crab Fried Rice, I ordered the Thai Muu Noodles.  Both were delicious.  After the meal, we agreed how great the food was so we found it strange that they had NO lunch crowd.  This is definitely one you need to try!

Any other spots you recommend for my next visit?