b.b. goes west

Beloved Memorial-area Italian restaurant reopens after total transformation

B.B. Italia is bringing life to a beloved favorite.

Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

The Houston food scene continues to expand. And at times, that means re-purposing familiar concepts and giving new life to old names.

This week sees the opening of B.B. Italia Kitchen, a two-in-one concept from Berg Hospitality Group, taking over Memorial-area institution Carmelo’s. Berg purchased Carmelo's in January 2018 to renovate the spot and revamp the menu. The restaurant closed January of this year and reopened on Thursday, May 2.

Located at 14795 Memorial Dr., B.B, Italia Kitchen & Bar touts itself as a “a fresh take on classic, Italian-American food using only the best ingredients in a lively atmosphere.” B.B. Pizza To Go is located inside the restaurant and will serve New York-style pizza, subs and calzones. Diners can order in advance and grab their meals to go, although the restaurant plans delivery service soon.

The restaurant plans to launch an all-new weekend brunch menu along with a happy hour menu to be enjoyed in the bar area and a new outdoor patio (that seats at least 60) shortly after opening.

“As an Energy Corridor resident, I put a lot of thought into what this area needed and the people would like,” said Benjamin Berg, founder of Berg Hospitality Group, in a statement. “B.B. Italia is the perfect combination of authentic, Italian-American food with a great ambiance — two things that this neighborhood was missing.”

Executive chef and partner, Daniel Berg, created a menu of more than 50 items, featuring authentic Italian-American food with a contemporary twist. Look for appetizers to share, a selection of homemade pastas, pizzas and Italian classics, along with chicken, veal, beef, pork, and fish entrées.

The lunch menu is similar to the dinner menu with the addition of Italian-influenced sandwiches. Everything is made from scratch daily.

In addition, a small bar menu includes a selection of appetizers and pizzas. The restaurant’s cocktail menu was designed by B.B. Lemon’s beverage director, Monique Cioffi-Hernandez, who is using cutting-edge spirits to create traditional and unique Italian-focused cocktails along with a few on tap. The wine list, curated by B&B’s Sommelier Lexey Johnson, features Italian wines ranging from $30-$300.

The comfortable, 8,000-square-foot space has modern, minimalistic design elements with an Italian influence. The main dining room holds up to 100 guests, and the bar area has a large, 20-seat horseshoe-shaped bar, booths and high-top tables. There’s also an 850-square-foot outdoor patio lined with boxwoods for those who want to dine al fresco. The six semi-private and private rooms, all named after schools in the area, can accommodate between 8 to100 guests for a seated dinner and up to 125 for a cocktail party.

“Ben and I grew up eating incredible Italian-American food in New York City and several of the dishes on the menu are inspired by ones at our family’s favorite spots,” says Daniel Berg, who has several years of experience focused on Italian cooking, working under acclaimed chef and restaurateur Andrew Carmellini, and studying in Italy. “I can’t wait to give the city we now call home a world-class Italian restaurant and continue the legacy of a family-owned-and-operated business.”

openings news-you-can-eat

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.