Since opening in 2003, The Tasting Room has morphed from a wine bar to a full-service restaurant with multiple locations—all while retaining its wine-bar charm and racking up numerous awards and accolades. Diners can select libations from a list that boasts more than 100 wines, pairing them with contemporary European-style tapas dishes whipped up by executive chef Erick Madden. Designed to be shared in the same fashion as bottles of wine, TTR offerings run the gamut from small plates of baked cheese and lamb skewers to charcuterie and pizza, which diners can savor at windowside tables or on the plant-ensconced patio and garden area.

The eatery doesn't just sate hunger for eclectic classics and thirst for fermented grapes. It also hosts live music, meetings, and events like 2014’s Houston Cellar Classic. The owners have their hands in other culinary enterprises including Boiler House Texas Grill & Wine Garden, Flow Juice Bar, Anejo, and MAX's Wine Dive, a destination for gourmet comfort food best defined by its slogan—"Fried chicken and champagne? ... Why the hell not?"