Social Media Frenzy

Social media frenzy: Gun activists target acclaimed pizza shop over concealed carry law

Gun rights supporters directed ire at Lee Ellis and Anthony Calleo.

Photo by Julie Soefer

Pi Pizza, the recently opened brick-and-mortar home of the popular food truck that’s a collaboration between chef-partner Anthony Calleo and Cherry Pie Hospitality (State Fare, Lee’s Chicken and Donuts), found itself on the receiving end of a modern phenomenon this weekend when guns rights activists bombarded its Facebook, Yelp, and Google pages with one-star reviews over the restaurant’s decision to ban concealed carry from its premises.

The issue began Friday afternoon with a one-star review by Facebook user Kyle Kelly. In his review, Kelly makes it clear that he won’t spend money at any business that prohibits concealed carry, and that’s what upset Cherry Pie Hospitality partner Lee Ellis.

“The thing about the review that got me worked up is that it wasn’t a review,” Ellis tells CultureMap. “The guy came by, saw the sign and wasn’t going to come in and give us money, because he couldn’t protect his family. It was all about the sign. It wasn’t about the pizza. It wasn’t about the service. It was not a legitimate review. Basically, I went in and called him out and said ‘FO.’”

While “FO” could stand for many things, many commenters on the review interpreted it to mean “fuck off.” When Kelly shared a screen shot of the reply with the Texas3006.com Facebook page, a group devoted to promoting concealed carry, the response was immediate. Negative reviews poured in from gun rights advocates and people who were upset that a business would engage its customers that way.

As the negative reviews mounted, Calleo posted to his personal page to ask Pi supporters to respond with five star reviews.

“The fact of the matter is, our rating on Facebook affects business here. It’s something I have to accept and acknowledge,” Calleo says. “That makes me want to say, ‘Hey, friends, this is what’s going on. If you can help us out please, we’re getting bombarded here a little bit.’ The response I got was superbly overwhelming and kind of humbling.”

According to Ellis, by Saturday night, Pi had jumped from 38 total reviews (mostly five star) to over 1,600: including 964 five-star reviews and 642 one-star reviews. Many of the one-star reviews were from outside the Houston-area, which means it’s unlikely they’d dined at the restaurant; instead, they were written by people who support concealed carry and were angered by a business that would tell a potential customer to “FO.”

Ultimately, the negative reaction turned personal. At least one Facebook page attempted to look up Calleo’s home address using his driver’s license information. At that point, Pi Pizza took down the review section of its Facebook page and began deleting posts. Ellis says they’re working with Facebook and Yelp to get the pages cleaned up.

One of the Facebook pages considers that a victory for their campaign.

Ellis says he won’t apologize to Kelly or remove the sign. He doesn’t think restaurants that serve alcohol should allow guns in the building and notes that many restaurants across the city share his opinion.

While many of the gun rights supporters are predicting their boycott will drive the restaurant out of business, Pi Pizza has benefited from the exposure. The restaurant had a line out the door both Saturday and Sunday, and that’s translating to sales.

“Our day was up 18-percent over last Saturday and 40-percent over last Sunday,” Ellis says.

Pi Pizza has created a FO Pizza and will donate 100-percent of proceeds to The 100 Club.

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no screaming required

15 Houston restaurants crafting nostalgic and decadent ice cream sundaes

Alex Montoya

The Pit Room in Memorial has a build-your-own dessert bar where patrons can craft sundaes with cookies and toppings.

There’s no need to scream for ice cream when dining at the Houston restaurants listed below as they all scoop out ice cream sundaes for patrons to enjoy. The timeless frozen treat has made a delicious comeback on dessert menus, with variations — like decadent build-your-own bars — appearing all over Houston.

This list takes a broad view of what constitutes a sundae — in line with its dictionary definition of “a dish consisting of ice cream served with toppings.” With that description in mind, sundae fans will discover several iterations of the classic dessert at these local eateries.

The miso caramel sundae at Balboa Surf ClubCourtesy of Western Addition

Balboa Surf Club
Balboa Surf Club emphasizes details in its food, from the sushi rice prepared fresh every 45 minutes to the elegantly crafted miso caramel sundae. A rich housemade miso caramel sauce is drizzled on three scoops of ice cream before being crowned with shaved chocolate, whipped cream, and crushed macadamia nuts.

Buttermilk Baby
The charming burger joint in the Heights could be a Candyland palace stand-in, so it’s only right that diners can order a Carvel’s sundae dasher with Reese’s or Oreo’s (12oz/$7.50, 16oz/$8.50) with layer upon layer of ice cream, whipped cream, and crunchy candy or cookies.

The buttermilk sundae at CredenceCourtesy of Credence

Credence
The buttermilk sundae at Credence aligns with the restaurant’s dedication to preparing ingredients over an open flame in a nod to South Texas’ rugged landscape. The cold treat is served with caramel cooked in embers and toasted pecans, a fitting tribute to Texas.

Pistachio soft serve at ElRo Pizzeria and CrudoCourtesy of ElRo Pizzeria and Crudo

ElRo Pizza & Crudo
This pizzeria is based in a bungalow tucked into a spot where Montrose and Midtown converge, and its soft serve sundae is just as approachable as the locale. The pistachio soft serve ($10) is made in-house at ElRo before being covered in crumbled cannoli shells that have been dipped in chocolate.

il Braco's Italian sundae with olive oilCourtesy of Western Addition

il Bracco
The Italian sundae at il Braco is a luxurious dish with olive oil, chopped pistachios, and three scoops of vanilla ice cream resulting in a smooth, creamy dessert. Flaky sea salt adds texture while enhancing the sundae’s sweetness.

Katami's sundae is made with Japanese shaved iceCourtesy of Katami

Katami
The American dessert receives an international spin at Katami, where the restaurant substitutes ice cream with kakigori, Japanese shaved ice. The green tea ($15) is made with white chocolate cream, caramel, and condensed milk. The strawberry Nutella ($16) combines chocolate ice cream with mascarpone cream, Nutella, and strawberry compote.

La Lucha's soft serve sundaeCourtesy of La Lucha

La Lucha
After slurping down oysters at this stylish spot on Shepherd, it’s time for soft serve. Diners can build their own soft serve sundae ($7) with Nutella or vanilla ice cream. Then come the toppings and there are plenty to choose from, with pecans, Maldon sea salt, Fruity Pebbles, and mini M&Ms, to name a few.

Little Rey
Houston native Ford Fry brought his Atlanta-based chain, Little Rey, to the city this summer with street tacos and other northern Mexico-inspired fare. The eatery’s soft serve machine is getting lots of love from patrons, with a range of flavors and toppings. The newest soft serve “sundae” is a Mexican spiced chocolate concoction with peppermint bark and sea salt.

The Marigold Club's sundae cartPhoto by Zach Horst

The Marigold Club
The classic sundae experience is elevated with the upscale restaurant's sundae cart ($22). A server navigates the elegant walnut cart through the Marigold Club's dining room, laden with housemade chai tea, clotted cream, and chocolate ice creams. Patrons can craft their ideal sundae without leaving their seats thanks to an array of toppings from sprinkles and candied hazelnuts to rum-infused banana jam and vanilla chantilly.

Medium Rare's hot fudge sundaePhoto by Alex Staniloff

Medium Rare
Dessert isn’t included in Medium Rare’s, two-course, $33 dinner of steak frites and salad, but the hot fudge sundae ($12) is worth the order. Also known as le sundae maison with sauce au chocolat chaud, the classic creation’s vanilla ice cream is smothered in hot fudge, with sprinkles scattered over a tower of whipped cream with a cherry on top.

Relish Restaurant & Bar
Relish's Town & Country location may have only recently opened its doors, but it's already dishing out a housemade vanilla soft serve sundae ($6). Relish's take on the dessert is adorned with Luxardo cherries, candied pistachios, and shaved dark chocolate. At the original River Oaks location, diners will find the sundae with sweet cream ice cream.

the annie cafe's sundae The Annie sundae at The Annie Cafe and BarPhoto Kirsten Gilliam

The Annie Cafe and Bar
This Uptown cafe delivers a sophisticated interpretation of Texas-American cuisine and the Lone Star State inspiration is evident with the Annie sundae ($12). Vanilla and chocolate ice cream are smothered in chewy brownie bites, pralines, and marshmallow fluff, before being stacked with churros.

The Pit Room has a dessert bar for guests to create sundaes. The Pit Room's Memorial location has a dessert bar to create sundaes. Photo by Alex Montoya

The Pit Room
Diners can step up to The Pit Room’s dessert bar at its Memorial location to customize a sundae by mixing and matching ice cream flavors, such as sweet cream, pistachio, and birthday cake, with fresh baked cookies like chocolate chip and red velvet white chocolate. Garnishments such as sprinkles, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream are on hand to complete the masterpiece.

The coffee ice cream sundae at Tiny ChampionsCourtesy of Tiny Champions

Tiny Champions
The coffee ice cream sundae ($12) is the perfect way to end a meal at this pizzeria from the team behind Nancy's Hustle. At Tiny Champions, coffee beans are cold-steeped in housemade ice cream for 48 hours, infusing it with rich flavor. The sundae is then topped with hot fudge and pillowy, freshly fried donut holes.

The turtle brownie sundae at Turner'sPhoto by Brian Kennedy

Turner's
The fine dining establishment’s turtle brownie sundae ($17) is a recent addition to the menu. “We wanted to create an elevated take on the beloved, classic dessert by adding refined ingredients, including candied pecans and bourbon whipped cream,” restaurateur Ben Berg told CultureMap. “It’s the sundae you loved as a child, with the elegance you expect when dining at Turner’s.”

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