Houston is one of the world’s greatest destination points for restaurateurs with a vision. The city’s restaurant industry is one of the most comprehensive in the country in terms of total number of dining facilities and the level of diversity of cuisine that can be found in and outside the Loop. According to the New York Times, Houstonians spend more per capita on restaurant dining than residents of any other city. With such a rich culinary environment supported by a population that is more than happy to dine out and experience new savory menus, it’s no wonder that Houston is producing innovative, cutting-edge restaurants that are redefining what it means to be a foodie.

The Houston Chronicle’s best new restaurant of 2008 has made a significant impact on the city’s dining circuit in the year since it has opened. Feast, a culinary ode to traditional European dishes, recently took the title of Best Restaurant from the Houston Press.

The team of Richard Knight and James and Meagan Silk have created a unique dining space that evokes the ambiance of European farming kitchens and celebrates the rustic recipes of the region. Feast’s intriguing menu and comfortable, homelike environment make for a special dining experience that won’t soon be forgotten.

Of special interest is the fact that Feast incorporates the nose-to-tail philosophy of dining into its menu, meaning guests will be treated to non-traditional meat choices in addition to their usual chicken, beef and pork options.

Feast favorites include French fish soup, scallops St. Jacques, albondigas, braised lamb shank and crispy roasted pork belly. At no other restaurant in Houston will guests have the opportunity of stumbling across such interesting selections as guinea fowl liver mousse, cold pig’s brains and roasted bone marrow.

Feast is also known for its quality personal service, making it an ideal restaurant for corporate outings. Private rooms are available for groups of up to 25 guests and the whole restaurant is available for lunchtime functions for parties of up to 50.

One of the city’s most intriguing new concepts is Textiles by Scott Tycer, acclaimed owner of Kraftsman Baking in the Heights. The restaurant represents a successful marriage of community heritage and progressive thinking. Situated in the ninth-oldest building in Houston, Textiles offers a contemporary warehouse atmosphere that also happens to be warm and inviting. The facility’s interior décor takes its cue from the textile work that the building was originally used for. The dining room features beautiful hanging fabrics and each seating area features a unique table cloth for a homemade ambiance that can only be found in the Heights.

The menu is an experimental confluence of New American cuisine and original recipes crafted by Scott Tycer, who is taking a step away from the business aspects of the industry and returning to the kitchen as the executive chef. Tasting menus include five- and seven-course options and a select number of items are available a la carte, all of which are prepared with seasonal, organic ingredients. The wine list has been specifically orchestrated to complement the flavors of the entrees and tasting menus, and showcases vintages from France, Italy and the United States.

The Textiles dining room is a small, intimate space that seats 30 guests at 11 tables at any given time. Corporate and social parties of up to eight are welcome with advance reservations. For private dining events, Textiles can accommodate groups of up to 25 guests. An evening at Textiles makes for a memorable dining experience in one of Houston’s oldest neighborhoods.

Another restaurant in the Heights area that has been noted for its corporate dining potential is Stella Sola by acclaimed restaurateurs Bryan Caswell and Bill Floyd. Stella Sola features a unique fusion cuisine that combines the ingredients of Texas with the flavors of Northern Italy. The appeal of the restaurant’s Texas-Tuscan menu is amplified by the fact that everything is made in-house.

A sampling of their flavorful offers might include goat cheese panna cotta or butternut squash ravioli for firsts, braised short rib or grilled porchetta for seconds, then finished with a caramel turtle affogato or chocolate pecan torte for thirds. Stella Sola’s incomparable cocktail menu and extensive wine list is sure to please the palette of every guest.

Stella Sola features two dining areas that can be utilized for corporate events and gatherings. The downstairs area is an enclosed private dining room that can seat up to 20 guests and can accommodate groups of up 40 for a cocktail or hors d’oeuvres party. A larger private dining room upstairs can seat up to 130 guests and can accommodate up to 250 people for a standing reception.

Both Textiles and Stella Sola represent the unlimited potential the Heights area of Houston has as a gathering place for corporate dining events. They are just two of the many well-reviewed restaurants situated in this piquant neighborhood that’s only ten minutes from downtown Houston. However, if planners are looking for a location that has a reputation for catering to the preferences of trendy business professionals, than Midtown may be a more appropriate location. Just as in every other part of Houston, the restaurant selection is endless.

REEF is a revolutionary seafood restaurant that showcases a menu that reflects influences from the Gulf Coast, the Mediterranean and Asia. This inspired restaurant has all but swept the industry’s awards during the past year. Travel & Leisure Magazine named REEF one of the 50 Best New U.S. Restaurants and Bon Appetite Magazine cited it as the #1 Seafood Restaurant in the U.S. Chef Bryan Caswell has created a true gem of a menu that bares testament to his years of coastal living around the world.

REEF’s menu is a savory collection of some of the best seafood dishes in the city. Appetizers include steamed muscles, seafood gumbo, jumbo crab cakes, steamed shrimp salad and roasted beef and ricotta ravioli. REEF’s irresistible entrees include slow baked salmon, grilled scallops and seared tripletail. Guests can choose from more than 1,500 hand-selected bottles of wine for the perfect complement to an already fabulous meal.

3rd Bar is REEF’s attractive lounge area that features stunning views of Houston’s unmistakable skyline. With tantalizing drinks and a delicious menu that includes oysters on the half shell, spring rolls and beef sliders, 3rd bar provides a sleek, sensual environment for an engaging cocktail party.

REEF’s private dining room can accommodate a seated dinner for groups of up to 45 guests. The main dining room is stylized to evoke a tranquil seaside environment. Interior décor includes an up-lit masonry wave wall, mother-of-pearl tabletops and a penny-tiled bar. REEF is located only minutes from downtown, making it an ideal facility for meeting planners looking for a restaurant near the business district. Whether planners need to organize a simple business lunch for two colleagues or orchestrate a full-scale dining event, REEF offers the culinary prestige and swank ambiance for the perfect engagement.

Houston’s restaurant lovers have celebrated the recent opening of Chef Randy Evans’ Haven, a farm-to-market concept located in the Upper Kirby area. Haven is one of Houston’s first green-certified restaurant, which means the facility seeks to operate on as many environmentally friendly systems as possible. From building materials and kitchen equipment to lighting and interior finishes, every decision of the restaurant’s construction and design elements have been made with a green-conscience sensibility.

The design of the restaurant was created by the team at Collaborative Projects, includes open ceilings, energy-efficient lighting, refurbished restaurant equipment, specially-designed water systems and fast-growing shade trees to reduce the need for air conditioning.

The 5,200 square-foot restaurant has proven to be an exciting opportunity for corporate planners to treat their guests to food made from local, seasonal ingredients. Everything on the menu, including Haven’s signature cocktails, is made from scratch using farm fresh ingredients. The menu reflects what Evans’ calls Modern Texas Cuisine, a reincarnation of the regional dishes he grew up with as a child. The wine selection is principally devoted to rare vintages and international offerings in addition to the standard labels that wine connoisseurs have come to expect from a fine dining experience. No detail has been left unpolished at Haven, promising to make it one of the most sought after restaurants in Houston.

The restaurants featured in this article represent just a fraction of the new dining facilities that have opened their doors in Houston during the past year. No matter what part of town planners choose to hold their meetings, there’s a plethora of first-rate restaurants to choose from, no matter what the desired cuisine or price range. Meetings & Events Houston looks forward to reporting on the new slate of restaurants that are set to open in the spring of 2010 in our next issue.