The December Hit List: The Lounge at MARCH, La Table, Indianola, Yi Peng, and More

MARCH, Goodnight Hospitality’s much-anticipated Mediterranean fine dining restaurant, has yet to open, but diners eager to get a preview can now book a ticketed reservation for entrée to The Lounge. With just 16 seats, the 700 square-foot, design-forward space features Mediterranean-inspired menu sets by chef Felipio Riccio, expertly crafted cocktails by Alex Negranza, and an 11,000-bottle cellar overseen by a team of server-sommeliers, in consultation with master sommelier June Rodil.

Dining status: Ticketed reservation required.

After a lengthy closure, La Table is finally back, with some changes. There’s a newly expanded, 72-seat French-style patio, for one, complete with picturesque topiary shrubs and a silver Champagne cart.  On the menu side, chef Stephen Conklin delivers a bevy of French classics like pâté de campagne and steak frites, with a solid lean on oysters and caviar. And don’t skip cocktails or dessert: The Provençal margarita and tarte tatin are both magnificent.

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

Looking for your new favorite Thai restaurant? Bright Northern Thai dishes — from a house made sai ua sausage of shrimp, crab and pork, to a deftly prepared crispy softshell crab in a spicy chili sauce — make up the bulk of the menu at this new restaurant in Citycentre Houston from husband and wife team Jett and Jira Hurapan. You could easily pop in for pad Thai takeout, but this is a menu to be enjoyed: Bring friends and order family-style for a true Thai feast.

Dining status: Open for dine-in, takeout and delivery. More info here, or call 832-623-7846.

Chefs Paul Lewis and Joseph Stayshich stayed busy during Indianola’s temporary closure, working on a menu that truly reflects the restaurant’s Gulf Coast theme. Try the charcoal grilled oysters with miso, lime, and Calabrian chili oil; or the coal oven-roasted half chicken with chicken-fat fingerling potatoes. After-dinner drinks at the adjacent Miss Carousel should be a compulsory part of the experience.

Dining status: Open for dine-in Thursday through Sunday; reservations strongly suggested. For takeout, call 832-582-7202.

Never mind the picture-perfect Dutch baby pancake, or the drool-inducing French cheeseburger: Squable’s menu is just plain fun. Mix and match small plates, big plates, pasta, and dessert, however you please. Still can’t decide? Order the Chef’s Choice dinner and they’ll choose for you — one bread, two small plates, a pasta, a large plate, and a dessert — for a set price. Brunch is also stellar.

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

This charming neighborhood restaurant by husband-and-wife team Dustin and Addie Teague is the just the ticket for a socially distanced night out, with two patios serving Italian-inflected American cuisine: Think deviled eggs, fried chicken, cioppino, and house-made pappardelle with crispy pancetta. And wine lovers, take note: The new wine club pricing on bottles is the best we’ve seen anywhere in town. 

Dining status: Dine-in, on the patio, curbside and takeout. More info here, or call (713) 599-1960.

Holiday season is in full swing at Marco Wiles’ temple to Italian fine dining, where white truffles reign supreme and old-school gallant service is a decided pleasure. A strictly enforced dress code (jackets are required, gentlemen, even these days!) contributes to the celebratory atmosphere.

Dining status: Make reservations for dine-in.  

If you missed the Zoom dinner with actor and winemaker Kyle MacLachlan, don’t fret: There should be another one coming up in January. Don’t want to miss it? Sign up for Avondale’s newsletter, or better yet, visit the restaurant. There’s always something new at the wine shop, the by-the-glass choices change frequently, and chef Olivier Ciesielski’s menu shines with wine-friendly plates like the savory Not Oreo Cookies with mascarpone and truffle.

Dining status: Open for dine-in, takeout and delivery.

Closed for the better part of spring and fall, chef Troy Guard’s grand, 15,000 sq. foot downtown steakhouse is now reopened for dinner service and lunch takeout. Newly appointed executive chef Adam Stephens, who hails from the Denver outpost of Guard & Grace, brings fresh energy and several new dishes, including barbecue pork ribs, wild boar meatballs, brisket, and grouper.

Dining status: Open for dine-in during dinner, with takeout at lunch. More info here, or call 346-326-0789 for reservations.

With daily blackboard specials like the Sunday prime rib roast, and American classics like buttermilk fried chicken served with mashed potatoes and green beans, dinner at Frank’s feels like a warm hug. Here’s a place for good ‘ol Southern American fare done well, right down to the dreamy banana pudding. Now with a new patio out front.

Dining status: Dine-in, on the patio, or order online for takeout and delivery. Call 713-572-8600 for more info.