So much can happen in a short time. Blink, and you might miss the additions to this city’s food scene—whether the game-changers that are remaking our gustatory landscape, or the hip neighborhood spots elevating comfort classics so well, they’re jammed on Tuesday nights. At, like, five. The 39 restaurants featured here represent the best of the best to arrive in Bayou City over the past year. Each demands attention despite having entered a packed field of purveyors of good things to eat, in a town that knows its food. Taken together, these newcomers show that there’s never been a better time to eat in Houston than at this very moment.