HOUSTON, Texas -- As the year draws to a close, Esquire magazine offers a slightly different take on the national restaurant scene. Instead of another best of list, the men's lifestyle publication submits its take on "100 Restaurants America Can't Afford to Lose."
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The list's recognizes "these spots around the country-old and new, scruffy and spiffy-that we consider restaurants that America can't afford to lose," Esquire food and drinks editor Jeff Gordinier writes.
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Only three Texas establishments make the cut. Austin's Franklin Barbecue and Taylor's Louie Mueller Barbecue are nationally-recognized purveyors of the state's signature cuisine, but Houston's entry is more of a surprise. No, it isn't a no-doubt classic The Original Ninfa's or an establishment from a Beard Award winner like Hugo Ortega, Chris Shepherd, or Justin Yu - all of which would have been worthy entrants. Instead, the magazine recognizes Huynh, the Vietnamese staple in EaDo.
"There's always a wait for a seat at this family-owned strip-mall jewel, but the tables turn fast, and everyone with any sense in Houston will tell you that for ten bucks, you're not going to find a more satisfying and delicious meal than the gingery, herbaceous duck salad known as Goi Vit," Gordinier writes.
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The video above is from ABC13+ coverage of the EaDo neighborhood.