The September Hit List: March, Tin Drum, The Sunrise House, and More

It’s that time again — when the team from March returns from a month-long break with a refreshed, always highly anticipated menu. For this new season, chef Felipe Riccio, master sommelier June Rodil, and their talented crew have set sail from Greece on a course to explore the flavors of Sicily, which means springy housemade pastas (the pasta alla Norma is an absolute stunner, with color-coded ravioli to indicate the flavors hidden within) and seafood galore. The restaurant also recently received three World’s Best Wine Lists accolades for North America given by World of Fine Wine magazine — so you know the pairings will be spot-on as well. Make your Resys now before they head out to the next port of call on their ongoing Mediterranean culinary voyage.

Originating in Georgia, the restaurant chain marked its first foray into Texas last month with its newest location in Washington Heights. If you enjoy a diversity of Asian flavors, look no further than Tin Drum, which offers diners a taste of China, India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand all in one menu. The specialties here are street snacks (like Tokyo-style crinkle fries and crab rangoon), wok-fried chicken wings (sauces range from tikka masala to spicy sesame), ramen (choose from tonkotsu, shoyu, miso, or Thai coconut broths), and stir-fries such as Singapore chow mein, pad thai, and Taiwanese garlic noodles. Boba tea enthusiasts will also appreciate the selection of milk teas and slushies that can be customized with add-ins such as popping boba (which burst delightfully in your mouth), lychee jelly, and fresh fruit, among other toppings.

Call 346-553-3786 or check here for more information.

Fans of brunch will be pleased to know there’s a new addition in town that serves all the morning classics and then some. Craving something sweet? Try the fluffy blueberry pancake stack with lemon-infused syrup or the flaky croissant French toast with housemade butter. Prefer a more savory start to the day? They’ve got barbecue shrimp with creamy grits and lemony Cajun gravy; crispy buttermilk catfish nuggets with a choice of two sides; and chilaquiles topped with black beans, avocado, cotija cheese, and roasted chile sauce. Looking for off-the-beaten-path options? The menu also boasts non-traditional breakfast fare such as “sunrise sushi,” made with bacon, avocado, cucumber, cream cheese, and tobiko, with a sweet soy glaze drizzle. And if boozy brunch is your jam, there are loads of fun cocktails like the Bunny Mary, which swaps in carrot juice for tomato juice, and combines it with vodka, pickle brine, honey, hot sauce, and Old Bay seasoning.

While we’re on the subject of brunch, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point hungry Houstonians toward the South American-style brunch buffet at Sal y Pimienta Kitchen on every third Sunday of the month (Sept. 17 this month). For $41.99 (adult price), diners can indulge in more than 60 flavorful, all-you-can-devour dishes such as meat-filled or vegetarian empanadas, arepas, Argentinean sausage, lamb and pork “lollichops,” grass-fed Uruguayan tenderloin, whole suckling pig, chimichurri-marinated grilled chicken, and much, much more. If à la carte is more your speed, however, the regular lunch and dinner menus are still worth a visit — popular items from their famous wood-burning grill include the picanha served with basmati rice and feijoa; and the parrilla “Sal y Pimienta” (for two), a heaping platter of meats that include steak, lamb chops, short ribs, chicken breast, sausage, and sweetbread served with salad and fries.

This international Korean buffet chain opened its first-ever U.S. location in Houston’s Asiatown recently, serving up one of Korea’s most popular street foods: tteokbokki  — rice cakes — simmered in a bright-red, spicy-sweet sauce. Diners start at the buffet, where they can fill up their bowls with a large selection of ingredients, as well as choose the sauces (ranging from mild to super spicy) that those ingredients will be cooked in. Back at the table, the waiter fills a communal pot with broth, wherein guests pour their sauce mix before submerging the toppings to boil together. The sauce thickens and creates a wonderful sticky glaze that both flavors the rice cakes and can be used later on to create a second meal of fried rice. (Dookki means “two meals” in Korean.)

If that wasn’t enough, the restaurant also offers a selection of fried foods and a ramen-cooking station — the latter of which is a staple of Korean convenience stores. An added plus: Kids under the age of four eat free.

Call 832-831-8265 for more info.

This East Downtown gem is beloved for its innovative savory dishes — the toasty Nancy cakes served with cultured butter, smoked trout roe, and chives; the olive oil-poached octopus with slightly nutty fermented fingerling potatoes; and the lamb tartare on sesame-crusted flatbread are just a few favorites — but the desserts deserve an extra enthusiastic shoutout, too. One particular standout on the menu right now is the cocoa nib ice cream topped with chocolate fudge and presented alongside crispy fries in a paper cup. If it all sounds familiar, well, it’s meant to. The sweet and salty treat is inspired by the nostalgic fast-food tradition of dipping fresh-from-the-fryer fries into a frosty chocolate milkshake. So, yes, come for the mains, but definitely stay for dessert.

This casual chain hails from our friendly neighbor to the north, Canada, and brings to Sugar Land the beautiful spices and bold aromas of Pakistani cuisine. As the name suggests, that includes traditional karahis, which are comforting stews (the ones here are made with either beef, chicken, goat, spinach, paneer, or split pea) cooked in a wide-mouth, wok-like pan known as a — you guessed it — karahi. Other highlights include juicy and flavorful kebabs, fragrant biryanis, and buttery tandoor-baked naan.

Call 281-800-5880 for more info.

It may be called Big Casino, but don’t expect to do any gambling here. What you can expect is a memorable night out at this new downtown hot spot from brothers Brian and Hank Fasthoff, whose pan-Latin tapas restaurant Batanga operated in the same space at 908 Congress until closing last year. The name Big Casino pays homage to the building’s history, which in the late 1880s housed a bar and gambling hall called Big Casino Saloon. The new restaurant and lounge has been revamped with a modern feel and includes a 3,600-square-foot patio that boasts a large video wall where sports fans can catch the latest game. Chef Ben McPherson of BOH Pasta is consulting on the “Texas-focused” food menu (think pollo asado skewers, crawfish beignets, and chicharrones served with chipotle aioli), while Megan Hill (1751 Sea and Bar) leads the bar program, which features many a casino-themed cocktail.

Baseball and football season are both in full swing, but you don’t have to limit your snack selection to the typical chips and salsa (as satisfying as they may be). How about a tender, perfectly cast-iron seared 44 Farms ribeye to savor along with the Astros game? Or a seafood tower of Gulf Coast oysters, tuna tartare, shrimp cocktail, and marinated crab fingers to devour as you watch your favorite NFL team take the field? You can indulge in these dishes and others at Georgia James, where the TVs in the indoor rooftop lounge will be showing all the big games — and the full regular menu will be at your fingertips alongside rooftop-only items like the juicy French onion sliders and crispy pork rinds with creamy pimento dip.

The Detroit-born, internet-famous Gripper sandwich has officially landed in Space City, opening its first Houston location in Pearland. The Gripper’s story began in August 2019, during the notorious chicken sandwich wars. Detroit chef Tony Durden decided to enter the fray with his own signature chicken sandwich: a southern fried chicken breast topped with chipotle honey, pepper jack cheese, spicy coleslaw, big bang sauce, and pickles served on a buttered, toasted brioche bun. He posted his creation on social media, and the next day, his restaurant had a line of people out the door clamoring to try what became known as the Yung Gripper, so named for its massive size. Since then, the menu has expanded to include other oversized sandwiches stuffed with fried catfish, fried lobster, grilled chicken, and grilled salmon (a tribute to Durden’s grandfather, who loved the delicate fish).

Call 832-230-8687 for more info.