In May, I ate countless pounds of crawfish before peak mudbug season comes to an end. Then there was plenty of eating to be done for our guides recommending the best in seafood, fried chicken and ice cream, too. This is all on top of weekly restaurant reviews.
Dining out, however, involves more than the literal act of going to a restaurant and shoveling food into my mouth. For reviews, I’m evaluating everything about a restaurant across multiple visits. I try other establishments as reference points and context. I’m studying up on cuisines I’m less familiar with while also interviewing chefs about their cooking. There’s a lot of ground to cover in Houston.
All of that is to say this monthly roundup of favorite bites isn’t merely a list of dishes I enjoyed. Every meal serves a purpose. That’s one of the reasons we recently launched Ask Bao. The recommendations behind this new text-based service, which never stem from free meals, is backed by thorough reporting (and tons of calories). If you don’t want to wait for my column next month, do sign up.
Thai Yum ribs at Charm Taphouse & BBQ
The fusion of Thai flavors and Texas barbecue were the focus of my recent review of this Conroe restaurant. I would turn to Charm Taphouse & BBQ’s Thai Yum ribs as Exhibit A. It hits that spot in the Venn diagram where smoke, sweet, spicy and sour all come together. Sticky, lacquered meat clings to the bone but there’s also jolt from a Thai-style dressing that’s tart, herbaceous and just spicy enough to balance the whole package. It was reminder that when it comes to barbecue in Houston, there’s more than one lane. 525 Woodland Square Blvd., Conroe; charmtaphouseandbbq.com
Fried chicken at Esther’s Cajun Cafe & Soul Food
I stood behind the steam table lined with smothered pork chops, mac and cheese, candied yams and greens — all the kind of Southern staples that can easily distract you into over-ordering. Still, it’s the fried chicken at Esther’s (among the best in Houston) that everyone ends up pointing to. It arrives with a shatteringly crisp, well-seasoned crust giving way to juicy meat underneath. It’s straightforward comfort food that brings in regulars throughout the day. 5007 N. Shepherd; estherscajunsoul.com…