The last new restaurants of 2009

Claire Smith and Russell Murrell, the owners of Heights staple Shade, have opened Canopy on Montrose. With the clean neighborhood feel Shade is known for, Canopy feels like a natural extension, serving casually sophisticated healthy fare by Smith and executive chef David Luna for breakfast, lunch and dinner, even eventually offering to-go service.

Randy Evans' long-awaited Haven is finally open. After building one of the city's first green restaurants, Evans (along with co-owners Rhea Wheeler and Debbie Jaramillo) will be serving local farm-to-market cuisine that will be updated often to reflect the freshest available local ingredients.

Little Bigs has opened it's second gourmet mini-burger shack in Hermann Park as part of the new Lake Plaza on Kinder Lake. Not the most ideal time of year for long strolls in the park, but Miller Outdoor Theater patrons and zoo-goers can appreciate the simple deliciousness of their sliders, fries, and wines until we venture back outdoors in spring.

With CityCentre decked out for the holidays, it's a great time to take a trip to the west side. Yard House is the latest eatery to open, boasting "the world's largest collection of draft beers," a thorough selection of American standards, a kitchen that's open 'til midnight (1 a.m. on weekends), and (surprise!) a special gluten-sensitive menu.

• Canopy, Haven, Hermann Park, Little Bigs, Yard House
• Claire Smith, Debbie Jaramillo, Randy Evans, Rhea Wheeler, Russell Murrell

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Canopy

Haven

Little Bigs

Hermann Park

Houston Zoo

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