DOWNTOWN. This chic hotel restaurant is a study of muted tones, sleek lines, and intermittent flashes of glitter and shine. Its menu is a similar amalgam, a successful juxtaposition of creativity and quality ingredients. Wonderful, assertive dishes include a navel orange and beet salad, Texas Hill Country venison chop, wild mushroom risotto, and braised short ribs. A five-course tasting menu is also a worthy alternative. Fruit-inspired desserts offer a refreshing cap to any offering. Great wine list, too.

THE WOODLANDS. Romantic, elegant evenings are a given at this north Houston establishment, and diners regularly make their way to The Woodlands for incredible northern Italian cuisine. Whet your appetite with calamari or beef carpaccio before sampling capellini with crawfish, lobster risotto, or a main course centered on seafood, steak, chicken, or veal. Among the options are seared sea bass with sweet parsnips, veal piccata, a NY strip, and seared rainbow trout with sea scallops and grappa lime citrus jus. The second-floor piano lounge is a weekend mainstay for drinks and dancing.

MONTROSE. Youngsters adore this fun, funky place as much for its eclectic interior and can't-miss rooftop cows as for its superb ice creams. Of course, adults also find much to appreciate, whether it's a serving of addictive Mexican vanilla or a swirl of white and Belgian chocolate. Seasonal offerings include amaretto peach and watermelon ice, and fruit ices accommodate folks watching calories. Seven flavors are typically available at any one time from their slate of dozens, and mix-ins and coffee drinks can be had as well.

GALLERIA/UPTOWN. With its Jetsons-meets-the-Flintstones interior, only more chic and elegant, Américas has an otherworldly ambience that's as much theater as it is dining. The cuisine follows suit, effortlessly melding substance with spectacle. Dishes incorporate ingredients from a multitude of global destinations, and the resultant offerings include pan-roasted Gulf snapper, grilled venison, paella, and buffalo tenderloin. Excellent service is a treat, as is a decadent tres leches cake. Great cocktails too.

GALLERIA. Whether you dine in Arcodoro's casual grill area or in its white-tablecloth dining room, you can be certain of spectacular Sardinian cuisine. An offshoot of Italian fare, it's the rustic, simple cooking of farmers and shepherds, but it's delicious enough for folks of all classes and inclinations. Homemade pastas enlivened with wild boar, roasted vegetables, and black truffles are wonderful, as are veal medallions, broiled lamb chops, roasted chicken, and a host of gourmet, wood-fired pizzas. Italian wines allow the restaurant's culinary heritage a chance to shine.