Houstonians don't lack for choices when it comes to pizza. From New York-style slices to Detroit deep dish and even calzones to die for, the Bayou City offers essentially limitless options, but Will Gruy noticed something was missing.
The motorcycle racer-turned-restaurateur couldn't find the pizza al'taglio style he had enjoyed during the years he lived in Rome. To solve that problem, he's opening a new restaurant called Pizza Motus: Roman Inspired Cucina in West University Place. Slated to open this summer, Pizza Motus — the Latin word for "movement" — will serve pizza al'taglio, salads, grain bowls, and sandwiches in the former Edloe Street Cafe space at 6119 Edloe St. In addition, the fast casual restaurant will be BYOB with no corkage fee.
Known primarily as a street food, pizza al'taglio is defined by its crisp, airy crust that comes from being baked in a steel pan. Served in rectangular slices, toppings are typically added either mid-bake or after baking. Unlike Neapolitan-style pizza, which should ideally be consumed as quickly after baking as possible, pizza al'taglio travels well as a to-go or delivery option.
“Each pizza is baked in a steel baking pan and cut into rectangles," Gruy said in a statement. "The particular dough levitation and baking process produces optimal flavor and helps to create three-dimensionality with the texture and allows it to retain a crisp, light bite.”
One look at this photo from Bonci, the first American outpost of a highly-acclaimed Rome-based restaurant, should have pizza fans excited about Pizza Motus's potential. "Early summer" can't come soon enough.
A rendering of Pizza Motus' interior.
