Submitted by Jonathan Nassar

2019 was a very busy year, but I definitely was able to take breaks from my regular schedule to enjoy some excellent meals. I typically try to mention restaurants that are a bit off the beaten path - I think it is a bit pointless to recommend a restaurant that you already know about. This time around, my focus will be a little different. I thought I would highlight some of my favorite meals from the year.

Elliot's Table

is a little place tucked away in an unassuming strip on TC Jester, north of I-10, and south of the big bridge. We opted for the tasting menu, a sampling of whatever the chef wants to make at the moment. The chef started us off with Thai chili ribs and baked oysters. In other restaurants - even highly regarded ones - anything "Thai chili" can come off too overly spicy and baked oysters can be overly heavy on the breading. Elliot's Table nailed both on my visit there, and we were impressed by the balance on each of the following dishes as well.

One Fifth

is in its fourth of five years of individual concepts - each year, it shuts down and is reimagined by specializing in a different culinary cuisine. The current iteration is gulf seafood - and it does a great job of showcasing items you don't see a lot of other places. Stone crab, for example, is more commonly found near Florida, but there is a less common variety found in the Texas part of the gulf. Their baked oysters were topped with chicharron crumbs, which kept their crunch without overpowering the natural flavors of the shellfish. The gumbo, catfish, and blue crab "fingers" all impressed and were interesting riffs on a variety of concepts. One Fifth is on the Westheimer curve, at the old Mark’s location.

Traveler's Table

is a more recently opened restaurant, I think only three or four months old as of this publication. The chef is an ex-journalist who decided to sort of chronicle his travels around the world through food, and so he went to culinary school to swap industries. A meal at Traveler's Table is a trip around the world: among the four at our table, we had dishes that represented six different countries, and cocktails from more. Most of the dishes here are more modern or contemporary versions of the traditional dishes (try the mango lassi panna cotta), though I am told that the Vietnamese cha ca tastes like it could have come from a Vietnamese kitchen. Further, while the dishes may be foreign, the international mixture comes together in a way that feels very Houston to me. Traveler’s Table is also in the Westheimer/Montrose area.