Maybe you’re like Kevin McCallister’s family in Home Alone, and this holiday season you’ll be jetting off to Europe. If so, enjoy the sights and the food (and make sure all your kids actually get on the plane and, of course, be on the lookout for Joe Pesci).

However, if you are not headed to Europe anytime soon but still want to sample the wonderful cuisine the continent has to offer (over the holidays or year-round), our food writers share some of their favorite places to get European dishes closer to home in this month's edition of The Full Menu.

In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and Sofia Gonzalez, food and travel editor for Houstonia.

Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:

Brasserie 19
Toulouse Cafe and Bar
Chardon
BCN Taste & Tradition
Le Jardinier
Baso
Annabelle Brasserie
Camaraderie
Squable
Mi Luna
MAD
Costa Brava Bistro
Blue Tuba
Kenny and Ziggy's
Barcelona Wine Bar
Fish & Chips Houston
The Red Lion Houston
Cafe Brussels
Cafe Adel
Istanbul Grill

Dining out has been getting more expensive these days. So, we turn to our gaggle of foodies and seek their suggestions for the best low-cost eating options around town on this month's edition of The Full Menu.

In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and freelance food writer and editor David Leftwich.

Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:

Burger Bodega
Narwhal Jousting Club
Cantina Barba
Monkey's Tail
burger-chan
Someburger
Champ Burger
Dot Coffee Shop
Tacos Doña Lena
Frank's Pizza
Home Slice Pizza
Star Pizza
Coastline Pizzeria
Pizaro's Pizza
Olive Branch
AL Quick Stop
Aladdin
Oishii
Huynh
Alma
Thien Ân Sandwiches
Feges BBQ
Gatlin's BBQ
Shawarma King
The Brisket House
CasaEma
Central Market
Treebeards

In this month's installment of The Full Menu, food writers discuss some of their favorite places to get sandwiches these days in Houston and debunk the notion that we're not a great sandwich city.

In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, freelance food writer and editor David Leftwich, and guest contributor, restaurateur Raffi Nasr.

Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:

Craft Pita
Phoenicia Specialty Foods
Stuffed Belly and Agnes and Sherman
Winnie's
Bas's Cheesesteak Window
Philly Jawn Cheesesteaks (pop-up by Dawn Burrell)
Bayou Butchers
Burger Bodega
B'Tween Sandwich Co.
Stuffed Belly
Alpha Bakery & Deli
Roostar
Les Ba'get
Moon Rabbit
Tortas Perronas
El Rey
Josephine's Gulf Coast Tradition
Yuma HTX
Truth BBQ
Blood Bros. BBQ
Roegels Barbecue Co.
LuLoo's Day & Night
Local Foods
Central Market
Homeslice Pizza
CasaEma
Puebla's Mexican Kitchen

RELATED: Exploring H-Town one bite at a time to create the ultimate Houston sandwich

In this month's installment of The Full Menu, Houston food writers discuss their favorite area restaurants that they should have told you about sooner — the ones that maybe defy any category but deserve a little attention.

In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and freelance food writer and editor David Leftwich.

Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:

Gino's Italian Joint
Romano's Pizza
Little Kitchen HTX
Yiayia's Pappas Greek Kitchen
Thien An Sandwiches
Thiên Thanh
Little Rey
Pappas Burger
Tío Trompo
Boo's Burgers
J-Bar-M BBQ
Ploughman's Deli
Koffeteria
Roostar
Beck's Prime
Josephine's Gulf Coast Tradition
Kenny & Ziggy's
Sao Lao Thai Café
Butter Funk Kitchen

Houston Restaurant Weeks is underway during the month of August and runs through Sept. 1. The event raises funds for the Houston Food Bank. In this month’s installment of The Full Menu, food writers talk about what dishes local restaurants are offering this year and what they’re looking forward to sampling.

In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and freelance food writer and editor David Leftwich.

Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:

Killen's Steakhouse
The Blind Goat
BCN Taste & Tradition
Mad
Bludorn
Navy Blue
Perseid
Barbacana
Field and Tides
Traveler's Cart
Xalisko
Good God, Nadine's
Roost
Winnie's
Coltivare
Brett's BBQ Shop
Chardon

From hot pot, to dim sum, and from cafeteria style dining, to places with live music, Houston food writers discuss their favorite unique restaurant experiences around town in this month's installment of The Full Menu.

We hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and freelance food writer and editor David Leftwich.

Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:

Taste of Texas
Cleburne's Cafeteria
Bori
Korea House
Korea Garden
Seoul Garden
Gen Korean BBQ House
Hongdae 33 Korean BBQ
Haidilao
Shabu Zone
Kiran's
The Marigold Club
Emma Jane
Saigon Pagolac
Chama Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse
The Dinner Detective
Ishtia
Fung's Kitchen
Ocean Palace
Toca Madera
Brennan's of Houston
McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Credence

Eight Houston-area restaurants made the latest Texas Monthly list of the state's top 50 barbecue spots with one cracking the top ten. Houston’s Truth Barbeque was ranked ninth in the state.

With that list in mind, local food writers hone in on Houston as they discuss some of their favorite barbecue places in the city in this month's installment of The Full Menu, 

In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and freelance food writer and editor David Leftwich.

Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:

Killen's BBQ
Feges BBQ
Blood Bros. BBQ
Brett's BBQ Shop
Truth Barbeque
Pinkerton's Barbecue
CorkScrew BBQ
Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q
Bar-A-BBQ
Jennings and Company BBQ
Brisket & Rice
Redbird BBQ
The Pit Room
Burnt Bean Co. Barbecue (in Seguin, TX)
Gatlin's BBQ
Khoi Barbecue
Henderson & Kane
Ray's BBQ Shack

While Houston is perhaps best known for dishes that include (or center around) meat or seafood -- like barbecue, fajitas, or Viet-Cajun crawfish -- meat doesn't have to steal show, especially if you don't eat it.

In this month's installment of The Full Menu, food writers discuss some of their favorite restaurants to get vegetarian and vegan food around the city, and the options are many -- when that wasn't the case just a decade or two ago.

In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and freelance food writer and editor David Leftwich.

Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:

Pondicheri
Shri Balaji Bhavan
Mo' Brunch and Brews
Ema
green seed vegan
Lua Viet Kitchen
Traveler's Cart
Local Foods
Cochinita and Co.
Maximo
Lindiana's Southern Vegan Kitchen
Craft Pita
Hamsa
Just Falafel Vegan Cafe
Kriti Kitchen
bellagreen
Truth Barbeque
mantra
Camaraderie
Govinda's Vegetarian Cuisine
Kiran's

In this month's installment of The Full Menu, food writers discuss some of their favorite places to take kids to eat (and play) in Greater Houston. In the audio above, we hear from David Leftwich of Edible Houston and Houston Food Finder and Timothy Malcolm of Chron.com.

Their first bit of advice: plan ahead. Go early when your kids aren't tired. Bring activities to keep them busy while they wait for their food. If they're fussy or acting up, you might not want to go somewhere that's quiet. And patios are your best friend.

Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:

Little Matt's
The 401 Table and Tap
Feges BBQ
Antidote Coffee
Slowpokes
Dandelion Cafe
Blacksmith
St. Arnold Brewing Company
Walking Stick Brewing Company
Back Pew Brewing
Talyard Brewing Co.
Good Dog
burger-chan
The Gypsy Poet
Nonno's Family Pizza Tavern
Giacomo's cibo e vino
Paulie's
Squable
Tiny Champions
La Lucha
Superica
Hugo's
Vibrant
Betsy's at Evelyn's Park
Fung's Kitchen Hu's Cooking
Ramen Tatsu-ya

In this month's installment of The Full Menu, food writers discuss some of their favorite places in Greater Houston to grab a quick breakfast.

In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and David Leftwich of Edible Houston and Houston Food Finder.

Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:

Ema
EaDough Pastries & Provisions
The Kolache Shoppe
Dandelion Café
Villa Arcos
Brothers Taco House
Sunrise Taquitos
Laredo Taqueria
Torchy's Tacos
Cantina Barba
Shipley Do-Nuts

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Christy's Donuts
Red Dessert Dive
Love Croissants
Koffeteria
Magnol French Baking
The Hot Bagel Shop
Bagel Shop Bakery
Bagel Express
Bagel Bob's
Jersey Bagels
Common Bond
Sinfull Bakery
Whataburger