Foodie News

Want delish on a dime? Hit Piola for lucky gnocchi day

The food of the day: Gnocchi
Piola

No one knows for sure why it's considered lucky to eat gnocchi on the 29th day of the month.

According to some, it's based on the feast day for Saint Pantaleon. According to gnocchi lore, Pantaleon traveled across northern Italy converting people to Christianity in the eighth century and blessed local farmers with a record potato harvest.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, however, Pantaleon was an early martyr from modern day Turkey who performed healing miracles and his feast days are July 27-28, not 29.

Others point to a less divine reason for favoring gnocchi at the end of the month. The 29th falls just before payday, when people are in need of an inexpensive yet delicious meal.

Whatever the cause, we never thumb our nose at a lucky tradition, especially if it involves good food and a good deal, like Gnocchi Day at Midtown's Piola.

Houston's international pizza import Piola has brought a once-a-month deal (available on the 29th of each month, which is Saturday for January) that offers all-you-can-eat potato pasta for a very reasonable $13. (For a double deal, enjoy it at the bar during happy hour and choose from even more small bites.)

The Gnocchi Day celebration flavors surpass a dozen. Some are simple, even a bit bland, like a four-cheese or a classic ragu, while other incorporate stronger flavors like salmon with tomato and spicy sausage.

I liked the fact that the gnocchi plates at Piola were small, with four to five bites of pasta on each one, the better for sampling as many versions as possible. Most were fluffy, light pillows of pasta although I got an occasional plate where the gnocchi was overcooked — tougher, denser and heavier. No worries — I pushed it aside and moved on to the next.

I still can't say I'm a full believer in Piola, but I am a fan of Gnocchi Day. So thanks, Pantaleon — or whoever.

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bring on barnaby's

Favorite Houston comfort food spot picks Garden Oaks for 10th location

Courtesy of Barnaby's Cafe

Barnaby's Cafe is coming to the Stomping Grounds this fall.

Earlier this week, real estate developer Bryan Danna promised “big news…very soon” about a new tenant for the former LuLoo’s Day & Night space at his Stomping Grounds development in Garden Oaks. That news is that Houston favorite Barnaby’s Cafe has claimed the space for a new location that will open later this year.

When a Barnaby’s decal appear on the restaurant’s door a couple of days ago, news of the restaurant’s imminent arrival spread quickly on social media. It will be Barnaby’s tenth location, joining outposts in Montrose, River Oaks, the Heights, and more.

The restaurant will occupy a 2,250-square-foot space at the Stomping Grounds. It will offer a to-go window for people hanging out in the development’s green space as well as a gated, dog-friendly patio. Houston artist Roberto Cervantes will contribute works to the restaurant’s interior.

Founded in 1992 by restaurateur Jeff Gale, Barnaby’s is known for its wide-ranging and affordable menu of classic American fare, including salads, sandwiches, breakfast items, and dinner entrees. Customer favorites include the Lebanese chicken fattoush salad, chipotle black bean burger, baby back ribs, and green eggs, which are scrambled with spinach and artichoke hearts. Dogs can snack on a special “puppy menu” of ground beef, sliced chicken breast, or scrambled eggs over brown rice.

Stomping Grounds green space A to-go window will expedite orders for people in the Stomping Grounds' green space.Courtesy of Stomping Grounds

“Bringing Barnaby’s to Garden Oaks and Oak Forest has been on my wish list for more than a decade, so I’m incredibly grateful that Jeff Gale and his team saw Stomping Grounds as the right fit,” Danna said in a statement. “Jeff and I go back to his first Heights location, which was one of Barnaby’s first big moves north of Montrose, and I have always respected what he and his longtime team have built. Thirty years in the restaurant business is a serious accomplishment. You do not make it that long unless you know how to take care of people, build loyalty, and become part of the neighborhood.”

When it opens this fall, Barnaby’s will be open daily from 11 am to 9 pm. It will join other restaurants at the Stomping Grounds, including Fat Cat Creamery, Tex-Mex restaurant La Mex, Bollo Woodfired Pizza, casual sushi restaurant Himari, Little Sister Cake Shop, and High Five Mini Bar. Earlier this week, casual Vietnamese restaurant Pho Prime announced that it had claimed the space formerly occupied by The Pho Fix for a new location that will also open this fall.

news-you-can-eat openings stomping grounds barnaby's cafe