I want to end 2024 by reviewing some of my best restaurant meals. In the interest of time, I've included excellent dining experiences regardless of cost or formality. I've not factored in bars, cafes, and bakeries (except for a special one in New York City).
As has been the trend for the last four years, most of my travel was within the United States, with one international trip (Chile). Texas travel, whether by road or air, dominated my year. Beyond the Austin area, I took four trips to Houston and three to San Antonio. I also visited the Texas Gulf Coast (Galveston and South Padre Island) and Lubbock for the first time.
Table of Contents
The United States
Texas
Austin
At home in Austin, I purposefully tried to eat out less often to lose weight, conserve money, and save those experiences for trips. It worked, and I intend to continue the effort in 2025.
That said, I did get to enjoy some new and familiar restaurants in Austin for work-related meals and special occasions:
- Arlo Grey by Kristen Kish—At the invitation of Travel Wisconsin, I feasted at Arlo Grey at The Line Hotel for the first time. I'd wanted to try this flagship restaurant by Top Chef alum and judge Kristen Kish since it opened in 2018.
- Blind Salamander Kitchen & Bar—Hill Country dining within city limits. Every dish delivered at this hosted dinner was photo-worthy. The foie gras mousse, halibut, and beef cheek roast were highlights.
- Intero—Kel and I enjoyed an Austin Restaurant Weeks dinner at this contemporary Italian restaurant where I'd eaten before. They're still going strong.
- Steiner Ranch Steakhouse—I celebrated my birthday with dinner at sunset and one of the best steaks I have eaten all year.
- The Dead Rabbit—After years of success in Lower Manhattan, The Dead Rabbit opened on Sixth Street in downtown Austin. The pub food is solid and generous in portions, and it is best washed down with a cold pint of Guinness or one of their fantastic cocktails (start with the Irish Coffee)!
Brownsville
On my first trip to South Texas, Kel introduced me to The Vermillion Restaurant, which has been serving diners in Brownsville since 1934. Their motto, "Not Fancy, Just Good," signals diners to relax and enjoy what's on the menu. For me, that was their signature cheese enchiladas smothered in chili, which I ordered stuffed with chicken. It may look like a hot mess in the photo, but it tasted amazing.
Galveston
A weekend in Galveston gave me my first taste of the Texas Gulf Coast. This historic port city has many beaches, museums, and fun places to eat. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed our stay.
Gaido's is one of Galveston's best restaurants. The seafood stalwart has maintained that reputation for 110 years, thanks to seemingly simple but well-executed dishes like the red snapper Michael I enjoyed. My only complaint is that diners must look out the front windows to see parked cars instead of the beach and Gulf waters beyond them.
The Fancy at Hotel Lucine is among the newest restaurants to open in Galveston. The pitch is "American Fine-ish dining" that promises fresh seafood in a relaxed atmosphere. Kel and I enjoyed every dish we tried there, and I was particularly impressed with the roasted Gulf snapper with crispy potato scales in soubise sauce.
Houston
Houston is the city in Texas that I visited most often in 2024. I spent a collective two weeks there. I made the most of every trip, checking out restaurants across the massive metro area.
- Amrina—Modern Indian food at The Woodlands. The pan-fried paneer and cardamom chocolate mousse are worth the trip.
- Auden—One of my favorite new restaurants in Houston offers a terrific happy hour menu in addition to brunch and dinner. The scallion hotcakes with chili agrodolce and cultured butter are not to be missed.
- Bludorn—Chef Aaron Bludorn's eponymous restaurant, which we visited during Houston Restaurant Weeks.
- Musaafer—Another excellent contemporary Indian restaurant that earned a Michelin star in the guide's first year covering Texas.
- Josephine's—From fresh TX Gulf oysters on the half shell to Calabrian shrimp and a divine chocolate torte, lunch at this seafood spot was terrific.
- Jūn—A 2024 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best New Restaurant serving modern Asian American cuisine.
- Roegels Barbecue Co.—Brisket grilled cheese.
For more recommendations, check out my picks for the top restaurants in Houston.
Lubbock
Kel and I visited Lubbock for college football (Baylor v. Texas Tech) and found plenty of restaurants and pie shops to keep us busy. High on our agenda was lunch at Evie Mae's BBQ, which was on par with the traditional Texas barbecue I've come to appreciate in Central Texas. I especially appreciated their dedication to desserts; they offer one of the largest selections I've seen anywhere in the Lone Star State.
Of course, there's more to dining in Texas than smoked meats. At The Nicolett, we found a fine dining restaurant offering seasonal High Plains cuisine, such as farm cheese ravioli with brown butter, antelope steak, and buttermilk pie with Texas olive oil.
San Antonio
In 2024, I spent a collective week dining out in San Antonio, spread out over three trips, and continued to enjoy time spent in Alamo City.
- Cullum's Attaboy—This upscale brunch spot earned Bib Gourmand recognition from the Michelin Guide.
- Ladino—Divine Mediterranean food at The Pearl is another Bib Gourmand pick.
- Leche de Tigre Cebicheria Peruana—Long-time readers know how much I love Peruvian food, and this spot in San Antonio does it justice.
- Maverick Texas Brasserie—Attractive brunch or date-night spot serving a French-inspired menu. I still think about the pan-seared salmon in saffron beurre-blanc sauce I ate there.
South Padre Island
My second trip to the Texas Gulf Coast took place in mid-November. Kel and I flew south from Austin to Harlingen on Southwest Airlines, rented a car, and spent four nights on South Padre Island. As it was shoulder season, it felt like we had the island and its many restaurants to ourselves.
Louie's Backyard offers an immense outdoor deck facing west, perfect for watching the sunset over Laguna Madre. The TX Gulf Coast shrimp mac 'n cheese and pupusas with Oxacan cheese are the kind of beach food I'd go back for repeatedly.
Check out Cafe On The Beach at The Palms Resort if you want a more intimate vibe. This beach-facing restaurant probably has long waits during spring break and the summer, but it only took us a few minutes to get a table in the off-season. My reward was golden-brown hush puppies and a grilled red snapper sandwich.
New York City
Two spring trips to New York City, one planned and the other to attend a family funeral, led me to some excellent dining experiences.
- Daniel—Chef Daniel Boulud's flagship restaurant is still going strong more than thirty years after it opened.
- Delmonico's—After visiting the Statue of Liberty, Kel and I dined on Delmonico steak and baked Alaska at this historic restaurant in Lower Manhattan.
- Lysee—Run, don't walk, to this elegant new pastry boutique.
- The Plaza—Brunch at The Plaza, the iconic 5-star hotel where my Dad proposed to my Mom in the Oak Room (now used exclusively for private events).
- Hawksmoor—A British steakhouse that prides itself on its sustainability efforts. You can taste the difference.
Minneapolis
Lunch at Owamni by The Sioux Chef in Minneapolis was memorable for its lack of ingredients introduced to North America by European colonialists (i.e., beef, pork, chicken, wheat flour, cane sugar, and dairy). Instead, diners explore modern dishes made with the same ingredients available to Indigenous peoples for thousands of years.
Kansas City
Joining Kel on a business trip to Kansas City allowed me to sample KC barbecue and some of the city's James Beard Award-nominated restaurants. Four days was hardly enough to cover the KC's restaurant scene, and I left town looking forward to a return visit.
- Corvino—Supper Club serving New American food.
- The Town Co—An intimate restaurant, the Hotel Kansas City, where the chile-smoked pork chop for two wowed us.
- Chef J BBQ—The irony of eating Texas-style BBQ in Kansas City was not lost on us, but it was our favorite barbecue joint of the three we tried.
- The Antler Room—Mediterranean-inspired cuisine by a Noma alum and three-time James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef: Midwest.
Chile
Santiago
My first meal of our two-week trip to Chile was a solo lunch at Bistro Ambrosia, where I was delighted by a sophisticated yet budget-friendly three-course lunch. The finale reflected the fall season beautifully: sweet potato cake with chestnuts, palm honey crackers, and maple syrup ice cream.
Dinner at Borago, one of Latin America's best restaurants, was a home run. With ingredients sourced from around the country, Borago's chefs offer a supremely creative and fascinating approach to modern Chilean cuisine.
Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
Highlights of our one-week stay on Easter Island, one of the world's most remote inhabited islands, included a tuna ceviche lunch at Kona o Pule on Anakena Beach and a sunset dinner at Tahatai in Hanga Roa town. I was impressed with the French lamb stew and bitter chocolate mousse for dessert at the latter restaurant.
Closing Thoughts
This list is but a small sampling of the many excellent restaurant meals I tried in 2024. In a year requiring me to tighten my belt (figuratively and physically), I ate out more than my fair share. Looking ahead to 2025, my first Texas trip will take me back to San Antonio, and I'll be returning to New York City and Seattle in the spring. Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year!
