Fogo's not that romantic, but if you want cheaper, same quality and a bit more romantic, check out Chama Gaucha.
http://www.chron.com/ipad/article/T...-Top-100-Restaurants-3336425.php?t=d678586cb8 Top 10 from Alison: 1. Oxheart 2. Kata Robata 3. Tony's 4. Hugo's 5. Feast 6. Underbelly 7. Uchi 8. Hubcap Grill 9. Pondicheri 10. Pho Binh Trailer Obviously hubcap isn't gonna be on your list (and i assume not pho either). And by the way, I lost respect for Alison Cook for having hubcap as number 8 and Christian's isn't even on there...
I've been to the top 7. Oxheart is a food lover's delight. It's not romantic though. It's a very old school building and the restaurant is designed for the food to be front and center. Kata Robata - very good japanese fusion. However, it comes in second to Uchi as far as being Japanese fusion. The menu is a bit more diverse and it incorporates euro, as well as other east Asian island (see Taiwan) fare. Tony's-most romantic continental European spot. This is a place your propose. I did. Hugo's-very high end and interesting Mexican. You'll find a ton of blue corn tortillas and **** like grasshoppers. Feast-this is not going to be everyone's favorite. Very British. They use very interesting cuts of meat, like beef tongue and pork cheeks (both dishes are outstanding). Underbelly-New american with a rustic vibe. Huge southern influence, but incorporates a lot of other types of food. Uchi-you must go to experience it. Exquisite Japanese fusion. I can't rave more about this restaurant. Machi cure is awesome. If you don't like raw fish, go for the hama nabe. The pork jowl and bacon tataki are also sure fire winners. This isn't a place to get california rolls.
I've never eaten at cinq but I've stayed at la colombe d'or and it was very romantic. So if money were no object, I'd eat dinner there and head straight up to your room after dinner.
For one person? Yeah, easily. Uchi is seriously like crack. There's something going on in that kitchen.
Agreed the food is fantastic, but they need to work on the environment in there. I still cannot get over my server was wearing Adidas Samba shoes. I paid $800 for four people (lot of alcohol...) and my server was wearing sambas? I mean come on, were his chuck taylors dirty or something? Implement a dress code for the serving staff, please.
I went to the one in Austin for happy hour and it was amazing. We got to sample a bit of everything though the portion size was obviously small.
A lot of great choices posted in this thread but Pass and Provisions is one that hasn't been mentioned.
Stupid? A server needs to present himself well. I don't want to be served by a brah that looks like he just finished his ultimate frisbee match on the intramural fields. It's part of the customer experience. As part of my work history, I've worked with some of the top food and beverage companies in the world, and the idea of wearing samba shoes as a waiter is simply laughable. I can't imagine what my Parisian or NYC chef clients would have said to that. Just gauche.
A. No one believes you have any Parisian or even NYC friends in the industry B. if you had actually worked in or w the industry you'd realize that the laid back, informal ambiance has been a trend in many of the top restaurants around the country. No one cares about what the server is wearing... It's about the food and the service. The fact that up would criticize something like the servers footwear shows says more about you than anything else.
You don't have to believe me as to my work experience, but I'm happy to put you in touch with some of the top chefs at the top places in the world (including NYC and Paris) sorry, but you don't know what you're talking about...and you might want to stick to Torchy's tacos and the food trucks or whatever else passes for good cuisine in San Marcos. If I'm going to spend 8 bills on dinner, then I'd like to see nicer footwear than Sambas.
It's a place to eat, not a notoriously romantic joint. It's an Austin restaurant, that just happens to be in Houston.
I haven't been to Uchi in Houston yet, but I've been to Uchi and Uchiko in Austin many times. Kata Robata is good, but it doesn't hold a candle to Uchi*. That alone makes this list invalid.
