The 25 Best Restaurants In Houston - Houston - The Infatuation

"Baso is a rarity in Houston. The Heights restaurant is stripped bare and serves Basque-Nordic-Japanese catnip for the Noma crowd. And while minimalist spots with a fondness for cuisine hyphens and dimpled glass bowls can be pretentious, Baso pulls it off with soul. Deceptively simple-looking dishes stand your tastebuds at attention, prompting you to ask, “What the f*ck did I just eat?” This is no temple to tiny plates. It’s a food laboratory disguised as a cool restaurant for slinky little date nights or natural-wine-fueled gossip dinners. But where some people in a space like that might infuse ego, Baso infuses flavor. And each bite hums. How to get in: Plenty of reservations are open at 5pm or 9pm, but for prime-time seating, you have to plan at least a week, if not two, in advance. It's easier to find a walk-in spot at the kitchen counter." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene