2 acclaimed Houston chefs take on new roles with prestigious restaurants

Pizza lovers in the Heights and beyond are eagerly awaiting the opening of Angie’s Pizza, the new restaurant from chef Angelo Emiliani that’s expected to open this month. While Houstonians are dreaming of their opportunity to feast on wood-fired pies and house made pastas, the chef has a special surprise — an intimate cocktail bar that’s located directly above the restaurant.

Called Bar Angie, the 16-seat cocktail lounge has a private entrance, its own menu of food and drinks, and an intimate atmosphere that invites patrons to linger. Emiliani has recruited former Anvil bartender Drew Bennett to lead the cocktail program.

“One of the things I really admire about Drew is that he approaches cocktails the same way I approach food,” Emiliani said in a statement. “It’s never about using technique or rare ingredients for performative sake. There’s a real respect for the history of cocktails, the process, and the ingredients themselves. We speak a very similar creative language, even though we work in different mediums. As we developed the upstairs program together, Drew really understood what makes Angie’s important — the intention behind it, the hospitality, and the continual pursuit of learning and refining the craft. That openness made the collaboration feel incredibly natural.”

As customers would expect from a craft cocktail bar, each drink is made to order, allowing drinkers the opportunity to interact with the bar’s staff and appreciate the work that goes into each sip.

“With such a visible and intimate bar setup upstairs, we wanted guests to experience the process itself,” Bennett said. “It’s an ode to the old way of cocktail making that I want to preserve, but also expand on.”

Each drink utilizes one or two main ingredients, many of them seasonal and sourced within Texas. For example the Momo no Hana blends Texas peaches with rum, citrus, and mascarpone cheese. The Prizefighter showcases the skills of the bar and kitchen teams with its combination of a house made absinthe granita with cognac, chamomile, bitters, and strega.

Martinis play a prominent role — an illuminated, vintage-inspired martini sign greets patrons at the entrance. Described in press materials as Bennett’s favorite cocktail, Bar Angie’s martinis are served with a custom olive dishes created by local artist Lori Munoz.

Just as Bar Angie has a distinct cocktail menu from Angie’s Pizza, chef Emiliani has also created a canapé-style menu of dishes that are only served in the bar. That starts with the Morty Sandwich, the chef’s spin on the classic mortadella sandwich that’s served on house made focaccia and topped with creamy stracciatella, pistachio paste, and crushed pistachios (for texture). Another dish is a classic foie gras torchon that’s served with a preserved cherry jam, marcona almonds tossed in olive oil and paprika, and ginger.

Emiliani worked with Houston’s Gin Design Group on the interior. Inspired in part by the looks of midcentury modern apartments in New York City, the space features floor-to-ceiling wood paneling, velvet banquettes, chrome dining chairs, and a Calacatta marble bar top. Patrons will find a surprise or two, such as a Texas landscape in the restroom, that enhance the overall experience.

Both Angie’s Pizza and Bar Angie are expected to open this month. The pizzeria builds on Emiliani’s experiences working for famed pizzaiolo Chris Bianco at his restaurants in Los Angles. Emiliani made a splash locally with pizza pop-ups in 2020 and 2021 before opening the critically-acclaimed, but sadly short-lived restaurants, Cafe Louie and Louie’s Italian American. Emiliani returned to Los Angeles before finally coming back to Houston to launch Angie’s Pizza.

Photo by Leonid Furmansky

Bar Angie's interior is inspired by a midcentury modern penthouse.