When a new year rolls around, I usually contemplate participating in Dry January or try to figure out how to up my count of plant-based meals. These aspirations – on top of the usual new-year-new-you goals of working out or reading more books – fell to the wayside. But in 2026, I have a convenient excuse: my full-time job as the Houston Chronicle’s restaurant critic.
I dined out at a breakneck clip last year with just over 400 meals, but I anticipate surpassing that count in the next 12 months. We recently launched Chowbot, a generative AI tool drawing on the Chronicle’s deep roster of reviews and dining guides to help answer your dining questions. You’ll have to follow along as our food team launches other exciting projects to help you find the best eats in Houston.
This month, these dishes helped kick off possibly the most delicious year yet.
Combination banh mi at Baguettea
Small delis, sit-down restaurants, drive-thrus and even barbecue joints serve banh mi. But this northwest Houston shop’s version stood out. The generous filling was layered like an Italian sub: cold cuts, paté, buttery mayo, and a tangle of pickled carrots and daikon. That first bite into the house-made bread delivered a pleasing ASMR crackle before giving way to a cotton-soft interior. The richness of the meats – including Chinese-style barbecue pork – mingled with the brightness of the pickles. It was a perfectly constructed banh mi that I savored long after the crumbs were swept away. 11078 Veterans Memorial; 281-506-7118…