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.
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.