ciao, il bracco

2 Houston's vets debut new Italian eatery boasting housemade pastas and more near Galleria

Desserts change seasonally.

Courtesy of il Bracco

A Dallas-based Italian restaurant will make its Bayou City debut next week. Il Bracco has begun its soft opening and will celebrate its grand opening on Monday, August 15.

Located in the Post Oak Plaza shopping center, il Bracco occupies the former California Pizza Kitchen space at 1705-A Post Oak Blvd. It joins Kenny & Ziggy's in the Galleria-area development; in the months to come, the center will add a number of new tenants, including Australian-inspired cafe Bluestone Lane and global chicken chain Nando's Peri-Peri.

Two veterans of the Houston's/Hillstone restaurant group developed the concept, which debuted in Dallas in 2019. Robert Quick, CEO of il Bracco owner Western Addition, worked for legendary chef Thomas Keller at Ad Hoc and Bouchon before becoming a kitchen manager for Hillstone. COO Matt Gottlieb spent 10 years as a Houston's general manager, including a stint at the Westheimer location that closed in 2019.

“Being a part of the Post Oak neighborhood is like coming home, as we have worked and lived in Houston previously, and have immediate family and many friends here,” Gottlieb said.

To transform the space, il Bracco hired Texas firm Michael Hsu Office of Architecture (Uchiko, Loro). The 6,000-square-foot space features a contemporary design with a dedicated bar/lounge area, custom light fixtures, and a 35-seat patio. Quick's wife, il Bracco design director Mary Lucille, selected the restaurant's artwork from their personal collection.

Turning to the food, il Bracco serves an Italian-inspired menu of shareable starters, salads, sandwiches, entrees, sides, and pastas that are made fresh in house. In addition, the restaurant butchers all of its own seafood and USDA prime beef and makes all of its own breads and desserts. Dishes are paired with both New World and Italian wines as well as Italian-inspired cocktails, such as the Bracco, a frozen greyhound made with grapefruit juice and Aperol.

Other menu highlights include:

Housemade focaccia with ricotta, roasted garlic, and thyme.
Italian beef sandwich made with tri-tip, Provolone sauteed broccolini, and giardiniera spread.
Meatballs made with beef, lamb, and pork that are served with house tomato gravy, Reggiano, and housemade focaccia.
The Plaza salad: roasted chicken, golden beets, pancetta, marcona almonds, goat cheese and honey vinaigrette
Cacio E Pepe made with bucatini, black pepper, and pecorino.
Chicken Picatta: lemony chicken with capers that's served with a kale salad.

“We look forward to opening our doors in Houston and having guests experience the dishes and bar program we have perfected over the past few years," Quick said. "We hope our community feel the love and passion that has been poured into this kitchen and enjoy dining with us whether it’s for business lunch, dinner with loved ones or a special occasion."

The restaurant opens daily for lunch and dinner beginning at 11 am.

The restaurant occupies the former California Pizza Kitchen space.

Courtesy of il Bracco

The restaurant occupies the former California Pizza Kitchen space.

news-you-can-eat openings

firing up Montrose

New Houston seafood restaurant adds live-fire flair to Japanese flavors

Photo by Becca Wright

Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.

An ambitious new seafood restaurant is coming to Montrose next week. Casa Kenji will open on Tuesday, December 9.

Located in the former Andiron space (3201 Allen Pkwy), Casa Kenji is the first Houston project for New Orleans restaurateur Malachi DuPre, a former LSU standout who played briefly in the NFL before establishing Kenji and Kenji Kazoku restaurants in New Orleans. Together with former LSU teammate John “B-John” Ballis and Houston chef Bigler “Biggie” Cruz, Casa Kenji will blend Latin and Japanese influences while also incorporating live-fire elements into the restaurant’s dishes. Cruz, whose resume includes a lengthy stint at Uchi as well as working at critically acclaimed Houston seafood restaurant Golfstrømmen, tells CultureMap that Casa Kenji’s approach is the first time he can be himself in the kitchen.

“My perfect restaurant was always based on the live fire and sushi combination,” Cruz says. “My mom cooked with wood for my entire life. The live fire creates completely different flavors. The smoky flavors, the sear from the charcoal — they create a different type of memory for me.”

The use of live fire techniques will permeate Casa Kenji’s menus in ways both big and small. For example, diners will be able to feast on prawns grilled directly on charcoal and served with yuzu chili garlic, or savor lightly seared Japanese wagyu tataki paired with mushrooms. Even raw dishes will benefit from the restaurant’s wood-burning grill and stove.

“Every vegetable we peel, we make into an ash that’s a topping for the dishes. It adds a different layer of flavor,” Cruz says. Look for it in the scallop aguachile, among others.

Even vegetables get a smoky component, as in a cabbage dish that’s braised with dashi and soy sauce before being roasted and served with an onion soubise that Cruz says he developed based on techniques he learned from Golfstrømmen chef Christopher Haatuft.

“It’s rich, super savory, with smoky layers, and you get brightness from the shiso gremolata. I think it will be a signature dish for us,” the chef says.

One change to the interior is the addition of a six-seat omakase counter that looks into the kitchen. Cruz promises those diners will have an even more elevated experience than the restaurant’s regular menu, including ingredients such as Japanese wagyu and premium fish flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market.

Beyond its cuisine, Casa Kenji hopes to stand out with its spacious outdoor patio. Since very few Japanese-inspired restaurants in Houston offer outdoor seating, it should appeal to diners who want a little vitamin D along with their tuna crudo.

“We’re proud to showcase the craft and creativity that defines Casa Kenji,” co-founders Cruz, Ballis, and DuPre said in a statement. “With chef Bigler Cruz at the helm — blending live-fire technique with the discipline of Japanese tradition — we’re equally honored and excited to share a unique concept that is truly rooted in passion, culture, and community.”

Casa Kenji will be open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday beginning at 4 pm. Reservations are available on Resy.

Photo by Becca Wright

Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.