Houston and Dallas Hotspots Earn 10 Best New Restaurants in America Honors For Their Joy and Swagger

MARCH and Meridian Get to Take a Big Texas Bow

BY Shelby Hodge

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MARCH was named one of the the 10 Best New Restaurants in the country by the Robb Report.The private dining room features an original piece by Argentinian artist Alexandra Kehayoglou. (Photo by Julie Soefer)

The charming bar at MARCH added to the appeal for the Robb Report which named it one of the top 10 new restaurants in the country. (Photo by Julie Soefer)

MARCH in Montrose has been named one of the nation's top 10 new restaurants by Robb Report. (Photo by Julie Soefer)

The dining room at chef Junior Borges' buzzy Brazilian concept Meridian.

Chef Junior Borges of Meridian was recognized as a Game Changer Chef by StarChefs. (Courtesy of Meridian)

Sea Scallop Moqueca with charred plantain and coconut broth, dende oil and steamed rice at Meridian.

MARCH was named one of the the 10 Best New Restaurants in the country by the Robb Report.The private dining room features an original piece by Argentinian artist Alexandra Kehayoglou. (Photo by Julie Soefer)

On the heels of the coveted James Beard Awards presentations, luxury lifestyle magazine Robb Report has published its list of The 10 Best New Restaurants in America. The highly respected compendium of all things posh, plush and opulent has anointed two Texas restaurants as among the 10 Best. MARCH in Houston comes in at No. 2 and Meridian in Dallas takes the No. 5 spot.

California is the only state with more restaurants in this coveted Top 10 than Texas with a Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego spot all making it.

The premise behind the selection by Robb Report writers Jeremy Repanich and Justin Fenner was simply that following the dreariness of the pandemic, diners want something more in their dining experiences.

“Offering exceptional cooking was no longer enough,” they write. “If a restaurant’s business recipe didn’t include some joy and swagger amid an atmosphere of conviviality, it found itself noticeably emptier than those that did.”

So the reviewers traveled across the country this past winter and spring visiting restaurants and assessing all aspects of possible contenders. Stopping in Houston, they focused on MARCH, the terribly chic, Mediterranean inspired restaurant in Montrose.

“When the service, food and design all align, the effect of a superior tasting-menu establishment can be transportive, enveloping you in its charm” they enthused.

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Kudos to MARCH master sommelier June Rodil and chef Felipe Riccio of Goodnight Hospitality and partners Bailey and Peter McCarthy. Robb Report is not the first to applaud the chic Montrose restaurant. Bon Appétit regaled the sleek boîte back in February describing dinner at MARCH as “the most elegant, memorable meal in town, one that transports diners to the Mediterranean.”

Junior Borges Dallas Meridian StarChefs — Chef Junior Borges of Meridian was recognized as a Game Changer Chef by StarChefs. (Courtesy of Meridian)

In Dallas Meridian chef Junior Borges thrills diners with his take on modern Brazilian cuisine, inspired by his upbringing in Rio de Janeiro, tweaked by his adventuresome creativity, and infused with a taste of Texas. The menu consistently earns rave reviews, as noted in this article in Condé Nast Traveler. Located in The Village in northeast Dallas, the chic restaurant is applauded by Robb Report for dishes such as quail stuffed with foie gras served with a jus made with the Brazilian guava paste and his playful and flavorful Kolhrabi “Caesar” salads.

“It’s a testament to Borges that a salad could be this memorable,” the article notes.

Meridian-Caesar-1 — Meridian Dallas Kolhrabi “Caesar”

The Robb Report accolades are not the first for Meridian. Last November, New York based StarChefs named Borges one of 17 Rising Stars in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The full list of the 10 Best New Restaurants according to the Robb Report: