ref=”https://thinktasty1.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Southwest+Region.png”>Moving south from the Central Plains region, Think Tasty now heads to the Southwest region.  Covering Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, we will share our top ten picks from the many that were submitted.  For the next ten days, readers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite place.  Voting will end at 5:00 pm EDT on Friday, September 17th, and the winner will be announced at that time.

1. Andrea’s Italian, Dallas, TX
This a quaint restaurant hidden in a small strip center. The outside is un-preposessing, but inside, the atmosphere is comfortable, elegant, intimate and cozy. The food is authentic Italian cooked to perfection. The Gnocchi are wonderfully tender and fluffy, the shrimp and vegetables were light and fresh, the risotto creamy and rich. The service is very old world charming, the prices are very reasonable and the wine selection is excellent. This is truly a hidden gem. And don’t forget the tiramisu–the lightest tiramisu I have ever eaten. I would rate this restaurant 5 star all the way around.

2. The Blind Tiger, Shreveport, LA
From the submitter, “I moved to Shreveport from Houston, Texas in 2007. Coming from a major city with exquisite restaurants, I thought I would be hard pressed to find a restaurant that would satisfy my discerning taste palette. The Blind Tiger in downtown Shreveport is a fun and casual eatery offering a tasteful array of salads, burgers and Cajun dishes! They also serve the best margarita I have ever had and I am from San Antonio, Texas! It truly is one of the best places to eat in Louisiana and proves that you don’t have to be upscale to serve up good food!”

3. Brennan’s, Houston, TX
Brennan’s of Houston is the newest 43-year old restaurant you’ll ever visit!  Re-opening in 2010 after a two-year renovation following damage sustained during Hurricane Ike, Brennan’s is thrilled to welcome Houstonians into the lavish dining rooms.  Brennan’s Restaurant Week menu offers only the best of New Orleans’ style cuisine including our famed pralines, turtle soup, signature pecan crusted gulf fish, and traditional tableside bananas foster, among other choices. Plus: new décor, signature dishes, and flambé.

4. Capdeville, New Orleans, LA
Capdeville is an American interpretation of a British social house inspired by rock ‘n’ roll and whiskey located in the heart of New Orleans’ warehouse district. Those craving a gourmet spin on classic bar food and cocktails will find refuge among the antiquated jukebox featuring the great rock ‘n’ roll albums of the past and present.  The _menu is a gourmet spin on classic bar food, such as Duck Confit Club.

5. Commander’s Palace, New Orleans, LA
Commander’s Palace in New Orleans gets the vote for “Best Restaurant” in Louisiana. This Garden District favorite features consistently good food, with a Creole bent. The service is always enthusiastic, knowledgeable and attentive. A recent makeover of the decor is cutting-edge and beautiful. The Brennan family, proprietors of this Louisiana treasure, are all legends in the restaurant business. Commander’s sets the standard in every way.

6. The Grill Room, New Orleans, LA
In a city known for culinary prowess, The Grill Room stands out due to its contemporary American approach to local fare. You will find New Orleans and Louisiana-inspired dishes with subtle yet significant twists. Executive Chef Drew Dzejak’s cuisine is foreshadowing the future of fine dining in New Orleans. Dzejak, along with Sous Chef Michael Sichel, Pastry Chef Shun Li and Sommelier Sara Kavanaugh, create a formidable young guard of culinary experts paving the way for the city. Adding to the gastronomic delights is the ambiance of The Grill Room, most likely the most elegant restaurant in town.

7. GW Fins, New Orleans, LA
Since opening their doors in 2001, GW Fins has become known as New Orleans’ premiere fine dining seafood restaurant and has caught the eye of restaurant critics from The New York Times to Bon Appétit and Southern Living. GW Fins features the finest quality seafood from around the world as well as from the Gulf. Chef Tenney Flynn prides himself of hand selecting the world’s finest varieties of seafood. The menu, which changes daily based on the freshest seafood available, features dishes such as Lobster Dumplings served in Lobster Butter and Grilled Scallops and Wild Mushroom Risotto.  This 210 seat, fine dining restaurant has a warm and relaxed atmosphere and boasts an extensive wine list featuring more than 100 varieties. The service staff is expertly trained to deliver the finest service available.

8. The Hungry Frog, Oklahoma City, OK
The Hungry Frog, on the corner of 10th and Penn in OKC, is a small diner with a lot of character. The food is always fast, hot and properly prepared. When you ask for eggs over medium that’s eggs-actly what you get! The atmosphere is such that every time you go there you will hear the theme for the TV show Cheers playing in your head. Although the place is jam packed with every kind of frog figurine/toy/sign imaginable you can still spot the “regulars” as soon as you walk in, you might even have to fight them for a table.

9. Strip House, Houston, TX
Strip House celebrates its five year anniversary this month, since they opened their swanky steakhouse in the city’s most bustling areas downtown, near Discovery Green and Toyota Center with Houston pavilions just steps away. Guests can indulge in a seductive dining experience, unlike anything in Houston that features striking siren-red interior decorated with black.

10. Sushi Raku, Houston, TX
Sushi Raku’s exotic menu, dramatic rooms, and sexy ambiance draws in a devoted crowd of locals and plugged-in visitors, making it a hot spot in the heart of Houston’s midtown entertainment district. Houston’s Sushi Raku has been receiving rave reviews for their innovative style of Japanese cooking and fresh seafood flown in daily from famed Tsuji Market in Japan. Sushi Raku cleverly combines modern Japanese with traditional design décor playing heavily on the elements. Sushi Raku’s seductively lighted banquettes around the dining room’s perimeter are most popular with couples seeking an intimate night out; the more visible tables in the front of the house get a birds-eye view of everyone entering the restaurant. Other stand out features include, twenty-five foot high ceiling and grand windows facing Midtown; sushi and robata bars; and three individual ‘dining spaces’.

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Please note that there are strict regulations on voting. Additionally, our system audits for fraudulent votes.