Houston’s Pesce may look like a hip downtown club, but it feels like eating in a chef’s home. The kitchen is not only open but extends into the main dining area, and we have yet to eat there when the executive chef Mark Holley didn’t personally come to greet us at our table. Holley’s seafood dishes draw their inspiration from French, Italian, Creole and Asian cuisines, as well as his own family recipes. Holley does have a flair for showmanship. His Classic Shrimp Cocktail and Sky High Lemon Meringue Pie are ridiculously large, but they live up to the hype.

Having worked previously as a saucier, he also knows how to make a rich sauce. You can order the Simply Grilled Pesce if you want to take it easy, but what would be the point in that?