justin turner is back

Chopped champ unleashes pizza and Italian restaurants at Houston mixed-use development

Chef Justin Turner has started to put his stamp on Generation Park. In his role as Director of Culinary Hospitality for Gastropub Productions, a company created to develop restaurants for the 4,200-acre mixed-use development near Lake Houston, Chopped champion Turner has opened two new restaurants in the spaces previously occupied by Wholesome Kitchen and Wholesome Pies.

They are Bocca Italian Kitchen, a chef-driven, Italian-American restaurant, and Lupo Pizzeria, a New York-style pizzeria with a wood-burning oven; in Italian In bocca al lupo means "stepping into the wolf’s mouth," a phrase for summoning courage. Both restaurants began a quiet soft opening in late December and will be open full time beginning January 15.

Needless to say, they’re a big change from Turner’s former role as the founder of Bernie’s Burger Bus, but the chef tells CultureMap he’s excited about the new challenge.

“I’m going to keep the same food philosophy,” Turner says. “I’m going to make it all from scratch when I can. I’m going to buy as local as I can.”

Available as both whole pies and by-the-slice, Lupo’s pizzas run the gamut from traditional favorites like a meat lovers (the Vinny, topped with Italian sausage, pepperoni, meatballs, sopressata and capicola) to an East Coast-style clam pie that’s also topped with roasted garlic. Serving slices should make the restaurant a convenient lunch option for area office workers, Turner adds.

“The space to me dictated Italian food,” Turner says. “If I’m going to put all these beautiful toppings on pizza, I’ve got stuff for pasta, salads, and entrees.”

Bocca’s expansive menu starts with a series of small plates. Meatballs are based on a recipe handed down from his wife’s family, and the octopus comes chicken-fried. Other options include arancini served with tomato sauce, “ham and cheese” in the form of prosciutto and burrata, and calamari. Salads include a classic Caesar as well as arugula and goat cheese with apples and toasted macadamia nuts.

Turner is purchasing fresh pastas from BOH Pasta, chef Ben McPherson’s restaurant in Bravery Chef Hall. Diners will find familiar options like spaghetti and meatballs and linguine alfredo alongside a Thai-inspired pasta with coconut-basil cream and jumbo lump crab.

Entree options start with different chicken preparations such as marsala, parmigiana, and piccata. Osso bucco is served with cheesy polenta, and the pork dish offers both seared tenderloin and crispy pork belly. Prices start at around $20, topping out at $32 for filet mignon.

While both Lupo and Bocca will keep Turner plenty busy for the next few months, he’s already planning for Las Eva’s, a Tex-Mex restaurant that will open across the street from Bocca this summer. That restaurant’s signature feature will be housemade masa that uses corn that’s ground on site before going through the traditional nixtamalization process. In addition to tortillas, Turner says he wants to make dishes such as sopes and arepas that honor the heritage of his Mexican and South American cooks.

Lupo and Bocca are open for both dine-in and to-go for both lunch and dinner. Bocca will add weekend brunch service with dishes such as a frittata, a breakfast sandwich, and French toast, in the coming weeks.

Bocca offers a diverse selection of shareables and salads.

Photo by Marco Torres

Bocca offers a diverse selection of shareables and salads.

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where to eat on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving procrastinators: Reservations remain at these Houston restaurants

Courtesy of Culinary Khancepts

Dine on a three-course meal at Leo's River Oaks.

Houstonians who still don’t have plans for where they’re eating on Thanksgiving, which will be observed this Thursday, November 27, need not worry. With more and more Houston restaurants open for the holiday, procrastinators still have plenty of choices available.

This roundup includes some fine dining options with prix fixe menus, a couple of decadent buffets, and a few lower priced, a la carte options, including one that can be picked up from a drive-thru. All of the establishments listed below had reservations available as of Monday, November 24, but that will change as Thanksgiving approaches.

Courtesy of Culinary Khancepts

Dine on a three-course meal at Leo's River Oaks.

Note that this guide focuses on restaurants serving a version of traditional Thanksgiving fare. Dozens of restaurants in Chinatown and other Asian-focused districts will also be open — and busy — on Thursday.

Amrina
Put a masala-spiced spin on Thanksgiving with this restaurant’s five-course, $95 menu. Choices include pumpkin-spiced pani puri, Mulligatawny velouté with turkey kofta, and turkey kebab. Entree choices — including roasted turkey breast, filet mignon, and tiger prawns — are matched with family-style sides such as mashed potatoes, cranberry chutney, and spinach and corn casserole. Pumpkin mascarpone cheese mousse leads the three dessert options.

Bar Bludorn
The Memorial tavern is serving a three-course, $75 menu that begins with starter choices such as oysters, steak tartare, endive salad, and squash soup. Entree selections include roast turkey, steak frites, and branzino, all of which can be paired with sides such as pommes puree, cranberries, and stuffing. Finish with one of three dessert selections.

Chardon
Visit this French restaurant in the Thompson Hotel for a three-course, family-style Thanksgiving meal. Priced at $75 per adult and $25 for kids five and above, it includes shareable portions of cornbread, deviled eggs, chestnut and celeriac soup, fennel and apple salad, and smoked duck and cranberry terrine. For the entree course, diners will share herb-roasted turkey, turkey leg cassoulet, and beef cheek bourguignon paired with traditional sides. For dessert, the restaurant will serve apple tart, maple profiteroles, and chocolate and hazelnut cake.

Cleburne Cafeteria
For those looking for a more affordable option, this Houston favorite will be open for both dine-in and to-go from from 11 am-8 pm with a full range of starters, sides, entrees, and desserts. Keep in mind that lines may be long.

Fielding’s River Oaks
The European-inspired restaurant will supplement its usual menu with Thanksgiving add-ons such as grilled turkey breast with garlic confit and sage gravy, orange cranberry chutney, brown butter sweet potato mash, and green bean casserole ($49), as well as Peking duck breast ($46), pumpkin spice parker house rolls ($18), and apple cinnamon crisp ($17).

Himalaya
On Thanksgiving, chef-owner Kaiser Lashkari adds masala-spiced turkey and dressing to his extensive menu of Indo-Pak fare. Remember, the restaurant is BYOB, so plan accordingly.

Juliet Steakhouse & Fine Dining
The Galleria-area restaurant will serve a Thanksgiving buffet from 12-9 pm. Priced at $59.95 for adults and $29.95 for kids, it includes a carving station with turkey, salmon, and filet mignon as well as sides such as mashed potatoes, green casserole, mac & cheese, and more. Additional items include lobster bisque, Caesar salad, and desserts.

King Ranch Texas Kitchen
The Galleria-area restaurant’s Thanksgiving Day buffet ($59 per adult, $25 per child), includes a carving station with turkey, ham, prime rib, and brisket, as well as spinach dip, Caesar salad, deviled eggs, King Ranch chicken empanadas, shrimp cocktail, and an extensive selection of sides and desserts.

King Steak
The recently-opened Galleria-area restaurant will serve a four-course, $70 Thanksgiving menu. The family-style meal includes shared appetizers including vegetable “charcuterie,” deviled eggs, and cornbread. Entree options include turkey, ham, and tenderloin ($10 supplement) paired with sides that include mashed potatoes, dressing, green bean casserole, candied yams, roasted carrots, Brussels sprouts, and cranberry sauce. Finish with pumpkin pie and pecan pie.

Kitchen Rumors
The eclectic, Indian-inspired eatery is serving a four-course, $65 menu. Begin with dishes such as lobster dumplings, crispy kale and wasabi peas, and blue cheese chicken kebab. Entree choices include turkey breast, filet mignon, shrimp and pumpkin stir fry, and two vegetarian options, all of which are paired with family-style sides such as mashed potatoes, cranberry chutney, garbanzo beans, and garlic naan. The meal concludes with either pumpkin halwa pie or chocolate cremeux.

Leo’s River Oaks
Winner of the Best New Restaurant in the 2025 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, the restaurant will serve a three-course menu that begins with lobster bisque or kale salad. Choose turkey ($75) or chateaubriand ($85) for an entree, both of which are paired with family-style sides that include pomme puree, brown butter green beans, butternut squash stuffing, cranberry sauce, and a parker house roll. Dessert is pumpkin pie.

Navy Blue
The Rice Village seafood restaurant is offering a three-course, $85 menu (children 10 and under, two courses for $55). Starter choices include shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, seafood gumbo, or crab cake. For an entree, select turkey roulade with sweet potato and stuffing, hanger steak with bone marrow herb butter, branzino, seared scallops, or tagliatelle with mushrooms, plus optional sides. The meal ends with one of four desserts.

Pappas Bar-B-Q
Get a Thanksgiving plate with turkey, ham, and sides for $21.95. Served from 9 am-6 pm, it’s the only meal on this list that can be picked up at a drive-thru. The restaurant will also be serving its full menu, which means people can pick up brisket, ribs, or pecan pie to supplement their Thanksgiving table.

Perseid
This French-inspired restaurant at the Hotel Saint Augustine will serve a three-course, $85 menu. Starter choices includes chicory salad, sunchoke soup, duck terrine, and hiramasa crudo. Go traditional with turkey roulade or mix things up with mushroom risotto, hanger steak, or salmon. Dessert choices include pumpkin pie and maple cake.

Saltgrass Steak House
The family-friendly restaurant will serve a Thanksgiving plate that includes roast turkey breast, dressing, gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and choice of salad or soup for $23.99.

Willie G’s
This seafood restaurant next to the Post Oak Hotel will serve an expansive Thanksgiving buffet that’s priced at $69 for adults and $29 for children. Expect a full spread of traditional Thanksgiving fare such as turkey, honey-roasted ham, stuffing, candied yams, and green bean casserole. In addition, diners will have access to a raw bar with oysters, smoked salmon, peel & eat shrimp, deviled egg, and spicy tuna rolls. Breads, pastries, and a couple of kid-specific dishes round out the offerings.

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