The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to Houston [Paperback]

Editors of My Table magazine (Author), Teresa Byrne-Dodge (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 2008

You may have heard the statistic: According to the Zagat Survey, Houstonians eat out more often than do residents of any other major American city. And it's true! Houston is a city that loves its restaurants. Now, with the August 2008 publication of The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to Houston, brought to you by the editors and writers of My Table magazine, dining around Houston is about to become an even more delicious adventure. Capitalizing on My Table's 14 years of covering everything food in Houston and our reputation as Houston's only editorially independent magazine devoted solely to dining in Houston, this is not a traditional restaurant guidebook so much as -- as the title promises -- a food-lover's guide. Our overriding editorial guideline: Where would we send our best foodie friend? The 5x8 book -- easy to slip into a handbag or briefcase -- is divided into three chapters: Local Flavors has more than 100 bakeries, ethnic markets, farmers' markets, butchers, gelato shops, fishmongers, chocolate shops, coffeehouses, tea rooms, and much more; Spirited Houston lists more than 95 wine bars, wine and spirits retailers, brewpubs, hotel bars and dives; and Restaurants & Cafes covers everything else, from fine-dining establishments to quirky ethnic eateries off the beaten path. Besides the main listings -- nearly 550 in all -- The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to Houston features dozens of color photos, a fold-out map, sidebars and boxes with everything from a list of our favorite boiled-crawfish spots to the town's best sports bars (as chosen by Houston Dynamo star Brian Ching), from a round-up of pick-your-own orchards to the best annual food festivals, from a list of local cooking schools to a chocolatier's secret sources for chocolate-making supplies, from our favorite BYOB restaurants to five spots that serve English-style afternoon tea. The book even has a dozen recipes from Houston's best-known restaurants, including Cafe Annie, Mark's American Cuisine, Brennan's and Ouisie's Table. In other words, this book is richer, deeper and more varied than the traditional restaurant directory-style guidebook. We don't pretend to list everything in town -- only those places that are worthy, beloved, compelling, irresistible or simply cannot be ignored.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Houston is a great city of opportunity, which is why people from all over the world come to live and work here. For food lovers, that translates into a world of opportunity to sample an almost-endless variety of good cooking and dining. The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to Houston is like having your own passport to that world, stamped 'bon appetit.' --Mayor Bill White, City of Houston

Since it began as a little 12-page newsletter in 1994, My Table magazine has grown into the go-to source for all things food and dining in Houston. It's authoritative and fun -- what more could you ask? And now all that knowledge is in one place. --Patricia Sharpe, food editor, Texas Monthly

Since it began as a little 12-page newsletter in 1994, My Table magazine has grown into the go-to source for all things food and dining in Houston. It's authoritative and fun -- what more could you ask? And now all that knowledge is in one place. --Patricia Sharpe, food editor, Texas Monthly

About the Author

Editor Teresa Byrne-Dodge has been writing about Houston restaurants for more than 24 years, first as restaurant critic for the Sunday magazine of The Houston Post, then as restaurant critic for Houston Metropolitan magazine and Houston Life until it folded in 1995. In June 1994, with a $3,000 nest egg, Byrne-Dodge launched a bimonthly 12-page dining-out publication called My Table: A Critical Guide to Dining in Houston. Response to My Table was immediate and enthusiastic. Today it is a 64-page magazine read by some 20,000 food-loving Houstonians.

Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: Lazywood Press; First edition (August 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966571622
• ISBN-13: 978-0966571622
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #997,435 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book, September 19, 2008

By 

Candace Sarinski "Candy" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to Houston (Paperback)

I love this book!! Since I moved to Houston I've been amazed at how great the food scene here is. But it's always been a challenge to know where to go because there are so many places with such a variety of restaurants, especially when I have friends visiting from out of town. Now I have one copy in my car and one at home and use it all the time. I am even reading the book when I'm not looking for a restaurant. There are so many places to go which I haven't even tried yet, and the comments are pretty accurate without being too bitchy. I never knew about the farmers markets until I read about them here. Great information for anyone who is into good food. This is a hefty book and a lot of fun too. I recommend it to anyone into the Houston food scene.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource for Houston Food Lovers, September 22, 2008

By 

M. Riccetti (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to Houston (Paperback)

Much more than a guidebook to area restaurants, "The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to Houston" is just that, a guide to all the interesting and important spots that a food lover should be aware of in one of the country's best food cities. There are descriptions of the best wine bars, farmers' markets, pubs, ethnic grocers, butchers, cooking classes, and much more, in addition to brief profiles of restaurants of every stripe and price range that you ought to know about if you like to dine out. Editor Teresa Byrne-Dodge, along with her team of writers, brings a great understanding and balance concerning all things food-related about the city of Houston that might be missing elsewhere, and which makes for very useful and accurate copy. She reported on restaurants for the "Houston Post", created the successful "My Table" magazine (where I often contribute), and was the long-time editor for the Houston portion of the Zagat Survey; she knows the expansive food and dining landscape better than anyone, which gives this small volume additional heft. Not incidentally, it makes for a fitting complement to my "Houston Dining on the Cheap", and a great resource for anyone who enjoys food in Houston.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Guide for Houston Dining, January 2, 2009

By 

Timothy Ray "foodie" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to Houston (Paperback)

This book has everything! From dives to formal dining to the best ethnic food, this book will open your eyes to everything this city has to offer. If you're new to Houston or you have lived in Houston for decades this guide to Houston's dining scene will show you just how diverse this city is and all the different types of cuisine it has to offer. Also makes for a great gift for friends and family who live in Houston and enjoy eating out, and a for those who have just moved to the Houston area.