It's easy for us non-Texans to forget that Houston is a coastal city. But the Gulf of Mexico is just a short drive away, and so is the bounty of the sea. One of the latest restaurants to shine in Houston's restaurant scene is REEF. It's a upscale-casual seafood joint that also throws a few down-South twists and fusion flips into the mix, not too far from the University of Houston campus and the St. Regis Houston.
The decor is decidedly Caribbean — brisk blues and sea greens color the walls, and white waves crest at the back of the room. Circle 'round the 3rd Bar (named for the third sand bar from the beach, past which sharks are known to hunt) for cocktails while your table is readied, then start your meal off with the much-raved-about tempura softshell crab with pickled cabbage or the pink grapefruit snapper carpaccio. For the main course, you could go with the most popular choice — the crispy-skin snapper over sweet-and-sour chard — or try the roasted grouper over collard greens, the mussels steamed in Shiner Bock beer or the slow-baked salmon with lemon risotto.
One thing to note: this isn't the place for a dinner meeting — the biggest complaint is that it's a rather noisy space. (Blame the wide-open floor plan and an enthusiastic public.) The owners have recently deployed some sound reduction, but it still might be a bit much for some people.
[Photo courtesy of Texas Monthly]
