New on Resy: Rosie Cannonball, Savoir, Squable

Cozily nestled inside Rosie Cannonball’s chic mid-century dining room, you wouldn’t believe the fiery ballet taking place in the kitchen. Picture a wood-burning hearth straight out of Italy, with cooks dancing around the open flame. The produced plates are charred, roasted, grilled, and run the gamut from puffy smoked trout roe pizza and paper-thin carta di musica (crackly flatbread with whipped butter) to blistered veggies (your pick of leeks, mushrooms, or eggplant) and grilled chicken basquaise.

After nearly a decade spent at Tiny Boxwood’s, Brian Doke turned his attention to a 1930s warehouse in the Houston Heights. Now a chef-driven restaurant with a wine program set to please, Savoir is an elegant expression of the season’s best, with refined comfort plates such as a curly fry trio and pappardelle Bolognese, alongside the playful Chicken on Quack– a five-spice foie gras mousse.

There’s nothing like a neighborhood restaurant executed to the nines, and the Heights’ Squable aims to be just that. Helmed by the trio behind hotspot Better Luck Tomorrow, the plush and colorful eatery whips up joy-inducing comfort food that’s approachable yet refined. Think a Dutch baby pancake topped with fresh cheese, a French cheeseburger oozing with raclette, roast chicken with fried bread dumplings, and marinated mussels on grilled bread.

A deep love for the Deep South permeates the menu at Ritual. Local ranchers and farmers are the bedrock of the kitchen, which dresses up Southern classics to the delight of the Heights crowd. Boudin corn dogs, Buffalo pork belly wedge, NOLA-style oysters, and anything from the whole animal butchery program (Texas Wagyu, 45-day dry-aged, and Black Angus) are among the highlights. Pro-tip: don’t sleep on the rice and beans: it’s one of the most flavor-packed dishes on the menu, and a pure expression of Texan cuisine.

Marco Wiles’ crown jewel is a restaurant that conjures up memories of a different time and place: white linens, dressed-up waiters, and tableside theatrics abound in the poised dining room. And 20 years on, Da Marco is still just as daring as the early days. The menu is a study in Italy’s vast culinary offerings, and nowhere else will you find branzino carpaccio or Sicilian scampi go toe-to-toe with homemade garganelli and slow-cooked rabbit. This Montrose spot is, in a word, delizioso.

It’s safe to say that no one does South African cuisine like Peli Peli. The restaurant goes heavy on the pizzazz—the Galleria locale is dotted with hypnotic lights and the Vintage Park outpost boasts an imposing acacia tree design—ensuring one sensorial experience. And with chef Ryan Stewart at the helm, the food is a reflection of Houston’s multi-cultural fabric, where a combination of bombastic flavors pervade. Highlights include the juicy espetada (Portguese beef skewers), comforting bobotie (curried ground beef in a flaky pastry crust), and spice-laden gumbo.

There’s nothing like an acclaimed restaurant making a comeback. At long last, Reef has returned to the city’s dining landscape, two years after it closed following Hurricane Harvey. This is a celebrated Gulf Coast institution, lauded by the James Beard Awards and Bon Appétit, where chef Bryan Caswell serves over 90 different specimens plucked from the Gulf. Choose wisely, or come often—we’re enamored with the tempura soft-shell blue crab, crispy skin snapper, and the show-stopping (and highly enticing) crab fat and dough.

A longtime champion of Naples’ blistered pizza, chef Marco Wiles is responsible for bringing Neapolitan pies to Houston. Open since 2006, Dolce Vita is an enoteca and pizzeria, where patrons relish the shaved Brussels dusted with Pecorino, gnocchi swimming in ragu, and the famed bubbly pies, topped only with the market’s best, from tangy tomatoes to soft butternut squash.

At chef Marco Wiles’ cozy wine bar, the tables vanish under small plates and glistening glasses of wine. And that’s because Vinoteca Poscol is a love letter to Venice, an eatery that would be right at home tucked away in one of the ancient city’s serpentine alleyways. Build a shareable feast of salumi, formaggi, and verdure on offer: this is one meal that’s meant to be enjoyed with abandon and lots of wine.

Gin enthusiasts, Right this way. 1751 Sea and Bar has your juniper berry tendencies covered. The stylish Heights spot stocks over 100 varieties to shake, stir, and craft a bevy of concoctions, ranging from reimagined gin & tonics to a twist on a French 75 (sparkling sake replaces Champagne). The kitchen focuses on Gulf coast seafood: fish is cured and served like charcuterie, lobster lends a kick to spring rolls, tom yum hot pot brims tiger prawn and scallops, and slick uni pasta tastes of the sea.

Named after Houston’s founders, Chapman & Kirby is a nightlife haunt that drips with steampunk cool. Picture a light-flooded space decked out in gold-and-navy-accents, mod lighting, exposed pipes, and the well-heeled EaDo crowd to go with it all. Two well-stocked bars keep the party going (the craft cocktails are excellent), while the finger foods—candied bacon, house queso, fritto misto, beef tartare—make for fine drinking companions.

A biergarten that pays tribute to its brews and food in equal measure is a biergarten we can get behind. Enter Karbach Brewing Co., which uses classic German techniques to make pints that are 100% Texas-brewed. As for the kitchen bites, expect the best companions to your hops, from spruced-up pub classics (Korean fried chicken, Texas Wagyu beef burger) to crackly pizzas, made from leftover spent beer grain.

A family-owned fixture for nearly 20 years, El Meson is a Rice Village stalwart through and through. The kitchen sings of Spain and Cuba, producing overflowing paellas (using Spain’s finest grade of golden thread saffron), decadent grilled meats (the chuletas de cordero, or lamb chops, and solomillo pork tenderloin are hits), and delectable tapas—we like the gambas albariño, lamb meatballs in brandy de Jeréz, and patatas bravas.

What started as a hideaway of a bar has transformed into a cherished Montrose destination. And Boheme is quick to seduce with its Old World vibe and sprawling al fresco digs, punctuated by DJ nights, drag queen brunches, and all-day happy hours on Sundays and Mondays. So order a pitcher of the famous sangria, and fight over who gets the last Vietnamese fry– drizzled in hoisin sauce, sriracha, and garlic mayo– it’s not for the faint of heart.