The November Hit List: Pondicheri, Vinoteca Poscol, Better Luck Tomorrow, and More

Rocking one loveliest new patios in Houston — complete with twinkling string lights and pink flower-filled planters — chef Anita Jaisinghani’s fresh Indian cuisine is still as incredible as ever. With the restaurant open all day, November brings weekly dine-in specials such as gluten-free fried chicken Tuesdays; chef’s tasting menu Thursdays; and Vindaloo Rib Fridays. Prefer takeout? The coconut crab with sesame dosa is spectacular, and house favorites like butter chicken and saag paneer can be purchased by the quart. Cool COVID-friendly themed meal kits — try one for date night or your next picnic — are also available for pickup or delivery. 

Dining status: Open for patio and indoor dining, takeout, and delivery.

Reservations are a must at this Upper Kirby stalwart, still one of the most popular sushi spots in town, and where seating is still at 50 percent capacity. Award-winning nigiri and sashimi aside, some must-try new fall creations include chef Manabu Horiuchi’s knock-your-socks off seven-hour lobster and crab ramen, and a splurge-worthy Kaluga caviar service with cauliflower mousse and salmon-skin chips. November is also Beaujolais Bonanza month, with a spotlight on cru Beaujolais, and benchmarks like the Lapierre family’s Morgon.

Dining status: Offering dine-in and patio seating, plus takeout and delivery.

Something is always happening at UB Preserv, and November is no different, with the launch of UBP After Dark Thursdays. Offered from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., satisfy your late-night hunger pangs with items like Korean fried ribs with soy garlic glaze, smoked McRib bao buns, or al pastor mushroom quesadillas, complemented by drink specials like the bourbon-spiked frozen cafe sua da, or weekly trash punch. The regular menu is available daily of course, with tried and true staple items like crispy rice Salad, duck-egg curry, and café sua da carrot cake, plus brunch on weekends.

Dining status: Reserve a table for dine-in, or place an order for curbside takeout or delivery.

Bars in Harris County are still under order to remain closed, so what did BLT do? Reopen as a restaurant, now serving lunch, brunch, and dinner — and with Justin Yu’s new food menu designed to pair with the bar’s crafted cocktails. Highlights include broiled oysters, charred quail, and the unusually delicious fried calamari sandwich. Tuesdays brings pasta dishes like cacio e pepe, weekend brunch comes with one of the best Bloody Marys around, and the weekday happy hour is a steal: 50% off all booze until 5 p.m. 

Dining status: Open for dine-in, with patio seating, takeout and delivery. More info here, or call 713-802-0845.

Houstonians said a sad goodbye to Dolce Vita Pizzeria this May, but sister restaurant Poscol lives on. Recently re-opened with limited, socially-distanced indoor and patio seating, the new menu is a Poscol-Dolce Vita hybrid, featuring daily chalkboard specials and house-made charcuterie, bolstered by Dolce Vita favorites like the Taleggio pizza or the black-truffle egg toast. The incredible $30 pizza, pasta and dessert deal, introduced during lockdown, is still available as a takeout special, and beginning this month, the restaurant is taking holiday pre-orders for its famous whole roasted suckling pig with all the fixins.

Dining status: Limited dine-in and patio, plus takeout and delivery.

Benjamin Berg’s most personal project to date, this 50-seat stunner—designed to channel Ralph Lauren’s Polo Bar in NYC—exudes old world glam, right down to three 250-pound gilded mirrors hanging on the walls. Debuting in March just six days before lockdown, Turner’s is back and better than ever. Chef Robert del Grande puts a spin on American classics — think lobster thermidor and a killer wedge salad served table side with thick cut bacon and French blue cheese—as you dine in style to nightly live piano music, with a newly added live singing performance after 9:30 p.m. on weekends.

Dining status: Dinner dine-in only Tuesday through Sunday. Call 713-804-1212 for reservations.

After months of being closed for dine-in, Nobie’s is finally open again for dinner service from Wednesday through Sunday. Show up early to snag a coveted seat on the patio, then go to town on chef Martin Stayer’s french onion pierogies with raclette, Nonno’s Pasta, or his large format Winner Winner Chicken Dinner. Wash everything with a daily libation, and don’t miss the daily pie. Banana graham, chocolate silk, or bourbon pecan — it’s all good.

Dining status: Call 346-319-5919 for reservations, or to order takeout. 

Just two months in, the new-restaurant buzz here is still palpable, especially as white truffle season is afoot. Chef Aaron Bludorn received the first of the season’s supply late last month, and has been making it rain on everything from the lobster pot pie to, obviously, the white-truffle risotto — one of several new fall dishes that hits the menu this month. Thursdays bring yet another reason to visit: Each week, wine director Molly Austad walks the dining-room floor, pouring from a six-liter Methuselah.

Dining status: Reserve a table for dine-in or call for takeout. Limited outdoor seating available on a walk-in basis.

Fun fact about Shun Japanese Kitchen: They never closed their doors, even during the depths of COVID. As a result, their fan base has multiplied; regulars now know to come in for Naoki Yoshida’s expertly cut sushi, sashimi, and fun izakaya-style items from the kitchen, such as smoked brisket gyoza and bacon wrapped mochi. This month, there’s even more reason to visit as the restaurant re-introduces its daily happy hour. Book in advance for an exceptional omakase tasting at the socially distanced sushi bar, and don’t miss the Japanese soufflé pancakes, prepared by Yoshida’s wife, during Sunday brunch. More info here.

Dining status: Open for dine-in, with patio seating, takeout and delivery; call 832-409-5888 for reservations.

Doris officially launched its 36-seat umbrella-covered patio last month, along with a brand new fall cocktail featuring seasonal ingredients such as caramelized figs paired with Texas whiskey. It’s now open for dine-in at 75 percent capacity, and the tomato salad is still to die for, while house dry-aged steaks, served on a flaming platter when you order four or more cuts, still brings the wow factor. For those who prefer to dine at home, meal kits for two and four are available for curbside takeout. 

Dining status: Open for dine-in, with patio seating, curbside takeout, and delivery.