DOWNTOWN DESTINATIONS
Restaurants in the heart of the city are hanging in there; support downtown by checking out one of these.
Downtown Aquarium: One of downtown’s top attractions is open with an HRW dinner menu that includes entrée options such as top sirloin with mashed potatoes, Monterey chicken with poblano peppers and rice, herbcrusted salmon, Louisiana Cajun pasta and Beyond meatballs with zucchini noodles and vegan cheese. 410 Bagby, 713-223-3474.
El Big Bad: Downtown’s spot for a huge assortment of infused tequilas and Mexican fare participates in HRW this year with dinner options that include chicken or steak fajitas, mushroom fajitas or veggie enchiladas. Housemade guacamole to start and tres leches cake to end. 419 Travis, 713-229-8181.
Hearsay Market Square: Snug in the historical heart of the city, Hearsay’s dinner menu offers a starter choice of roasted poblano soup, chopped salad or kung pao shrimp and calamari, followed by entrée options of jumbo scallops, cheese ravioli in sage butter, bistro steak with garlic mashers, grilled pork chop or pan-seared chicken breast. 218 Travis, 713-225-8079.
Potente: The luxe modern Italian restaurant next to Minute Maid Park is offering a dinner menu that includes fire-roasted sea bass, agnolotti pasta with Texas jumbo shrimp, balsamic honey lacquered duck, Wagyu beef filet, crispy Texas softshell crab and signature cacio e pepe with summer truffles. 1515 Texas, 713-237-1515.
The Rustic: The downtown outpost of this outsize bar/restaurant/live-music venue is chiming in for HRW with a dinner menu that includes double queso (chipotle queso and pimento cheese), chorizo empanadas or deviled eggs followed by a the Rustic Burger, beer-can chicken or wood-grilled salmon Caesar. Banana pudding, icebox s’mores or pecan turtle pie for dessert. 1836 Pol, 832-321-7799.