Gayest and Greatest

From dining to dancing, vestments to vacations, hairdressers to hotties, you picked 'em, GLBT Houston. This year’s Gayest & Greatest marks five years since we first started surveying you about a few of your favorite things–we've noted those winners who have scored at the top of their categories in each year as members of the Gayest and Greatest "Hall of Fame." Also notable are new faces in town who made your fave list (UPSTARTS), those that toppled the perennial favorites in their category (UPSETS), as well as a few feisty TUG OF WARS. So agree or disagree with the winners as you must, but either way, enjoy this look into the businesses, organizations, and people we all know and love in and around our community.
by Lauren Johnson

Dining

Best New Restaurant: Farragos
302 Gray Street, 713/523-6404
Farragos has endeared itself to our community in record time. Perhaps it’s the gold-tinted room, or the heartiness of the welcome you receive from owners and staff alike, or could it be the small but well-executed menu? With a balanced wine and beer selection, reasonable prices, and atmosphere galore, we find ourselves venturing to the edge of downtown (at Bagby and Gray) on a regular basis to hang out with business executives and downtown dwellers alike at this unlikely little gem of a restaurant.

Bravo Breakfast: Baby Barnaby’s 604 Fairview, 713/522-4229 If you’re wanting intimate neighborhood atmosphere, this is just about as gay as it gets. Any given morning, the seven or so booths are filled with folks who either 1) look like they’re developing some high-fashion art movie concept thing, or 2) look like they’ve been sharing morning-after tales over coffee for about 20 years, or 3) look like they’ve been reading the newspaper in the same booth and ordering the same eggs-over-medium for the past 20 years. (Okay, Barnaby’s has only been open since the early ’90s, but some places leapfrog into classic status.) With that wonderful Barnaby’s fresh and simple cooking, this is just one of those places we can’t imagine the Montrose without.

Bitchin’ Brunch: La Strada
322 Westheimer, 713/523-1014
Will Houston never tire of Sunday at La Strada? Apparently not, if its run as the reigning queen (oh, excuse me!) of the brunch bunch is any indication. The bellinis and mimosas no doubt curry favor with our readers, but more than anything else, it’s the high energy, see-and-be-seen atmosphere of this mainstay of the Montrose social set.

Craziest Cajun: Ragin’ Cajun
4302 Richmond, 713/623-6321 & 9600 Westheimer (at Gessner), 832/251-7171
This casual, beer-on-ice, waxed-paper-in-a-basket Cajun joint is way out of Montrose, but that doesn’t stop hordes of you from driving over for jambalaya, etoufee, and (when in season, of course) buckets of seasoned, steaming crawfish. A Houston tradition–take your next Yankee guest and watch the confusion on their faces when they read the menu turn to delight when they take their first bite.

Choice Chinese: Mings Café
2703 Montrose, 713/529-7888
Every since gay-friendly proprietor Fai Jow opened Mings Café five years ago at the crossroads of the Montrose, it’s been the community’s drop-in take-out resource. Now that the nights are dreamy again, you can’t pick a livelier place to hang out than on Mings’ patio drinking Shiner Bocks or Tsingtaos, chatting with passing friends, making points with a jab of their tasty, tasty eggrolls.

Greatest Greek: Niko Niko’s
2520 Montrose, 713/528-1308
Who else? Everything from its prime Montrose location to its spotless kitchen (check out the award from Marvin Zindler proudly displayed on the counter) works together to make Niko Niko’s a neighborhood institution. And did I mention the food? Most customers have their favorites: everything from the chicken and lemon soup, to the Greek salad with its slab of feta on top, to the delicious and reasonably-priced lamb shanks. And then there’s the gyro plate, accompanied by a choice of potatoes, French fries, or rice–it’s enough for two, but you’ll want to keep it all for yourself!

Very Best Vietnamese: Mai’s
3403 Milam, 713/520-7684 
Despite some tough competition from the likes of Mo Mong and Van Luc, Mai’s continues its streak as our favorite Vietnamese spot. Spring rolls and tom ka ga (coconut chicken soup) are just the beginning of an incredibly diverse menu of great cheap food (although not as cheap as it used to be–the price of fame?). Despite iffy service and parking issues if you don’t watch the meters, Mai’s satisfies Houston’s insatiable appetite for great Vietnamese.

Maximum Mexican: Café Adobe
2111 Westheimer, 713/528-1468 
M is for Monday, M is for Men, M is for Margarita . . . put these three things together and you have the reason why this Mexican restaurant continues to be a favorite with the fa-ha-bulous homos out on the Monday night social scene.

UPSET
Coolest Coffee Place: Crossroads/Starbucks
1111 Westheimer, 713/942-0147/multiple
No doubt about it, the recent closing of Toopees cleared the way for Crossroads and Starbucks to tie this one up. The three ran neck-and-neck in past issues, with Toopees always eeking out the title. Crossroads provides the GLBT community a nice centrally located spot for browsing (both books and people), which may explain why the spot at Montrose and Hawthorne also took top honors in the Best People Watching category. Say what you will about corporate culture, but we love Starbucks for everything from their cheerful staff, to their support of local events, to their groundbreaking domestic partnership and health insurance policies.

TUG-OF-WAR
To-Die-For Dessert: Empire Café
1732 Westheimer, 713/528-5282 
Here’s a category we always volunteer to judge. And judges are needed, because apparently you can’t quite make up your mind who has the upper hand in the sweet-tooth wars. Is it Dessert Gallery, House of Pies, Lobo, or this year’s winner, Empire Café? With its voluminous servings and too-cool setting, Empire has been either the winner or a close runner-up in this category since the beginning. So drop by for a decadent dessert and bring a friend; unless you are going for a sugar-induced coma, Empire’s treats are more than enough for two.

UPSET
I-Screamable Ice Cream: Marble Slab
3939 Montrose, 713/523-3035 
While Marble Slab has been in the running in the past, it has never managed to unseat Amy’s until this year. Perhaps it’s those chocolate-dipped waffle cones, or the sweet cream with strawberries, or maybe the muscled arms of the employees as they massage your toppings into the ice cream of your choice?

Incredible Italian: Riva’s
1117 Missouri, 713/529-3450
Riva's Italian Restaurant is a perennial favorite with its relaxed atmosphere and gracious service. A recent visit brought to our table what it's fair to call comfort food, and we need comfort right now! Be sure to allow room for the soup and salad courses included with your entree, but even after chowing those down, I had to keep myself from devouring both my entree of baked Shrimp Mozzarella, and my girlfriend's fish San Pietro. Need more? Know that owners Michael and Joseph Siboyeh support the community in ways other than the culinary; we were moved to learn that in the recent Dine Out for Life fundraiser for the Montrose Clinic, Riva’s opted to donate 40 percent of the night’s profits, more than any other restaurant.

Best Barbeque: Goode Company
5109 Kirby, 713/522-2530 
Goode Company is a Houston institution, and with goode reason: fat links of delicious hot sausage, incredible sides like cole slaw and potato salad, and a casual atmosphere that makes you want to belly up to the wooden picnic table and eat until your western belt buckle bursts. If only they weren’t located on traffic-invested Kirby, they’d be nearly perfect.

UPSTART
Ideal Indian: Bombay Brasserie
5160 Richmond, 713/355-2000
This classy Indian joint sits just outside the Loop, where many of us loathe to go unless we have to. Well, to get this incredible buffet-style Indian food, you have to. I am not a fan of buffets, but on a recent visit, even after the lunch crowd had died down, the food from the buffet was delicious. There is great variety: old favorites such as saag paneer and chicken tikki masala, as well as other, less familiar but equally savory items. I'm not even sure what I ate, but I liked it. The interior is so cool blue and soothing, with fish tanks, graceful wooden chairs, and a full bar, you won't even realize you’re in a strip center! Polite, helpful service rounds out an experience worth driving for.

TUG OF WAR
Super Sushi: Miyako
3910 Kirby, # A, 713/520-9797 
Every year, it seems, the fight between the Sushi champions comes down to one or two votes for the victor. This year Miyako wins out over Café Japon–but not by much. Both places boast excellent sushi, a bustling, high-energy crowd, and good specials if you happen to show up early. Try the spicy tuna hand roll, or if you are really adventurous, the sea urchin. On second thought, you better have a few cups of delicious warm sake first.

Top Thai: Thai Pepper
2049 W. Alabama, 713/520-8225 
This one was so close we thought we best mention the runners-up, all of which tied for second place. Nit Noi, Thai Gourmet, and Thai Spice all please the palates of you Thai food lovers, but Thai Pepper, with its somehow romantic setting (despite cramped quarters) and hopelessly retro look came out at the top of the heap. Perhaps it’s the fine service, choice of spice on any dish, or those cute little rice molds that did the trick.

UPSET
Very Best Vegetarian: Baba Yega
Prettiest Patio: Baba Yega
2607 Grant, 713/522-0042 
A Moveable Feast might have made the Hall of Fame in this category, had the inner loop location not closed 11 months ago. Its successor, Baba Yega, is long familiar to Montrose-dwellers; patrons spill over and into the bars nearby after stuffing themselves with delicious sandwiches and salads, as well as entrees both vegetarian and carnivorous. Baba Yega also takes honors for Prettiest Patio, both the front-side people-watching perch, and the inside sanctuary–a result of a beautifully managed renovation project that creates an atrium-like feeling for diners, protecting them from the noise and heat of the bustling streets of Montrose.

UPSTART
Tastiest 24-hour restaurant: Katz’s Deli
616 Westheimer, 713/521-3838
For those of us who remember Tila’s on Westheimer, it was a shock that any restaurant could move into that old familiar corner location and make us happy it was there. But one did: your new favorite 24-hour restaurant, unseating the reliable House of Pies, is Katz’s Deli. In the mood for a Rueben at 3 a.m.? How about some matzo ball soup at midnight? Trot on over to this good-natured Austin-slash-New York transplant. The people-watching ain’t bad either, especially around 2 a.m., when the bars close, but the night’s not over.

UPSTART
Cheap Eats: La Tapatia Taqueria
5551 Richmond, 713/787-9680
If you can stand the noise, dining at La Tapatia can be a satisfying experience. It reminds this Houston native of what La Mexicana used to be like, before the expansion and requisite upgrading of its bar and dining area. Don’t expect to be coddled by your server; this is a turn ’em and burn ’em establishment. And it would have to be, at prices this good. Try the tacos al carbon, and be sure to eat those spicy little carrots that come in the jalepeño peppers served with your chips and hot sauce–but the jalapeños themselves are not for the faint of heart.