Since debuting in 2020, Aaron Bludorn’s eponymous French-inflected New American cuisine with Gulf Coast leanings has become a dependable favorite of Houstonians — a place you can easily go to for a casual weeknight meal or a celebratory occasion alike. The fact that the restaurant has become a mainstay of the city’s dining scene so quickly isn’t that much of a surprise given Bludorn’s pedigreed background — before arriving in Houston, he served as the executive chef at Manhattan’s acclaimed Café Boulud. A seasonally changing menu and frequent collaborations with local chefs keep things fresh and exciting.