Tony Mandola's Gulf Coast Kitchen, Houston

When they opened their new, permanent location on Waugh Drive, Tony and Phyllis Mandola fulfilled a lifelong dream of owning a freestanding restaurant. The Mandolas had opened the original Tony Mandola's Blue Oyster Bar on the Gulf Freeway in 1982, where they served up their version of Gulf Coast seafood with hints of Creole and Italian flavor. Today, their menu—which is still built around many family recipes—features New Orleans-style fried catfish po' boys, lobster-loaded pizzas, and crawfish-filled ravioli. Southern staples get a similarly crutacean flourish. Take the fried green tomato appetizer, for instance, which accommodates grilled shrimp and jumbo lump crab meat with classic Southern hospitality.