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    Chicken parm you taste so good

    Ben Berg's casual Italian restaurant swaps the Energy Corridor for charming Sugar Land spot

    Eric Sandler
    Mar 2, 2022 | 10:30 am
    BB Italia mixed food shot
    B.B. Italia is coming to Sugar Land.
    Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

    Houston restaurateur Ben Berg has found a new home for B.B. Italia Bistro & Bar. The casual Italian-American restaurant will reopen later this spring in the Sugar Land Town Square mixed-use development.

    Originally opened in 2019 in the former Carmelo's space in the Energy Corridor, B.B. Italia serves classic Italian-American fare like chicken parmesan, spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, and pizza. The original location closed in February 2021 due to diminished business as office workers stayed home during the pandemic. At the time, Berg Hospitality indicated it would find a new location nearby, but those plans have changed.

    Instead, the restaurant will reemerge in a former Charming Charlie's at 16250 City Walk Drive. The approximately 6,700-square-foot restaurant will have plenty of room for area families.

    “We’re thrilled to be a part of the transformation of Sugar Land Town Square, which is fast becoming a destination for eclectic dining offerings in the Houston area,” Berg said in a statement. “This bustling, mixed-use development is a great fit for us, offering great walkability, retail, entertainment, and events that add to the experience and ambiance our guests want before or after a meal.”

    The new B.B. Italia will join Berg Hospitality concepts such as B&B Butchers, B.B. Lemon, Turner's, and Trattoria Sofia. Later this year, the rapidly-growing hospitality company will add two more restaurants at the Autry Park mixed-use development: all-day brasserie Annabelle's and luxurious steakhouse Turner's Cut. A still unnamed live fire restaurant is in the works for the Lazybrook/Timbergrove neighborhood.

    Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the past couple of years have been a dynamic time for Sugar Land Town Square. The 1.4 million square foot mixed-use development has also welcomed Texas comfort food restaurant State Fare, crepe favorite Sweet Paris, and Mahesh's Kitchen, a sophisticated Indian restaurant.

    “We are so excited to have one of the most exciting and dynamic restaurateurs in Texas coming to Sugar Land Town Square," added Matt Ragan, director of retail programming and operations for Rebees. "The opening of B.B. Italia will kick off the complete reimagining of that entire part of the square. We are proud and honored to be working with the Berg Hospitality Group to bring this wonderful concept to our community.”

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    truffle masters recap

    Street corn shines at Houston's truffle-powered chef competition

    Eric Sandler
    Mar 12, 2026 | 5:32 pm
    Truffle Masters 2026
    Photo by Daniel Ortiz
    Marcus Benedict, Daniella Johner, and chef Luis Roger of MAD and BCN.

    One of Houston’s top Mexican restaurants took the top prize at this year’s Truffle Masters competition. Victoria Elizondo, chef-owner of Cochinita & Co., bested 24 other Houston chefs with Elotitos, corn brushed with chiltepin aioli, dusted with seven chile spice, and finished with shaved truffles and Parmesan.

    “The team killed it last night,” Elizondo wrote on Instagram. “We won 1st place at @thetrufflemasters all while having fun and cooking with love! Food doesn’t need to be fancy, it just needs to be made with corazón!”

    The attention couldn’t have come at a better time. As CultureMap reported last month, Cochinita & Co. is currently in the process of opening a second location in Lindale Park. Customers can invest in the project via the NuMarket platform in exchange for credits at the restaurant.

    Second prize went to Camaraderie in the Heights for its black sesame and black truffle gelato, while Cocody, a French restaurant in River Oaks, took third place for its truffle-shaped Lollys Persillade Escargot Cromesquis, essentially an escargot lollypop with with black truffle and quail egg in the middle.

    Montrose sushi restaurant Soto won People’s Choice with its Engawa fin muscle with truffle balsamic unagi sauce, kizami, and chocolate black truffle masago arare. Aniket Bhingare, a bartender at Michelin-starred restaurant Musaafer, won the cocktail competition with his Pour Me a Slice, made with truffle and herb-infused and a clarified mix of roma tomatoes, fresh basil, oregano, basil, and truffle oil.

    Other standout dishes included a Yukon Gold potato with truffle brown butter from Michelin-recognized sushi restaurant Hidden Omakase, truffle s’mores from Israeli-inspired steakhouse Doris Metropolitan, beef tartare and truffle ice cream from fine dining sushi restaurant Katami, and Credence’s truffle duck sausage with plums and truffles. Maximo, a Mexican restaurant in West U., maximized (sorry) its truffle usage with a Cachetada de Barbacoa Taco, made with nixtamalized truffle tortilla, truffle-braised barbacoa, and sottocenere al tartufo cheese with black garlic-habanero salsa

    More than 350 attended the sold-out affair, which took place at the Astorian events space in Sawyer Yards. The judging panel include both media members (such as this author) and hospitality pros. A portion of proceeds will be donated to the KNOWAutism Foundation.

    Truffle Masters 2026

    Photo by Daniel Ortiz

    Marcus Benedict, Daniella Johner, and chef Luis Roger of MAD and BCN.

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