Brasserie 19 Shakeup

Longtime general manager departs River Oaks' favorite society hangout, plans new dining future

Shelley and Shawn Virene at Veuve Clicquot at Brasserie 19

Shawn Virene, right in this file photo, has left Brasserie 19.

Photo by John Tran

No restaurant-related news item will top Friday's revelation that Oxheart will close in March (at least in the immediate future), but a personnel change at one of the social set's favorite hangouts certainly has tongues wagging. Some regular patrons noticed that Shawn Virene was absent from his post overseeing the dining room at Brasserie 19 and inquired with a hostess, who said the longtime general manager was no longer employed by the establishment.

In an email to CultureMap, Virene confirmed his departure. "Yes I have left Clark Cooper Concepts to pursue my own concept. We are not prepared to divulge much information at this point," he writes. "I can say it was a very difficult decision to leave such a great group who I have worked with for almost 15 years. It is just time for me to spread my wings and make my mark in the already dynamic Houston dining scene. I wish I could give you more at this time. Please stay tuned for the exciting news to come!"

In response to CultureMap's request for comment, Brasserie 19 owner Clark Cooper Concepts (the company behind restaurants including SaltAir Seafood Kitchen, Coppa Osteria, and Ibiza) released its own statement about Virene:

"We value each and everyone of our employees at Clark Cooper Concepts and respect their decisions to move in a different career direction. Each team member is hand selected and contributes to the success of our restaurants. With Shawn's recent departure, we are confident and excited for Bradford McKnight to take over as General Manger of Brasserie 19 and know that Bradford and chef Jaime Salazar will continue to make Brasserie 19's excellence in food and service an essential part of the Houston community."

While Brasserie 19 will remain successful without Virene, his departure certainly constitutes a loss for the restaurant. Since it opened in 2011, Brasserie 19 has served as the unofficial clubhouse for the leading lights of the city's social set. While the crowd can be fickle — they can currently be found packing the dining rooms at Steak 48 and Le Colonial in River Oaks District — they always come home to B19. Virene's ability to manage the egos, to know which VIPs deserve the coveted tables by the windows at the front of the dining room, and who had to wait at the bar, made him an invaluable asset to the restaurant.

Virene may not be ready to divulge the details of his next move, but the smart money is on him staying somewhere either in or very close to River Oaks. If his successful tenure at Brasserie 19 is any indication, the see-and-be-seen crowd will follow wherever he turns up.

news-you-can-eat

Anthony's song

Prolific Houston pizza chef fires up a new Italian restaurant in River Oaks

Courtesy of Anthony's New York Italian

Anthony's New York Italian is now open near Central Market.

One of Houston’s most prolific pizzaiolos has quietly opened a new restaurant in River Oaks. Anthony Russo, founder of Russo’s New York Pizzeria, has opened Anthony’s New York Italian in the former Pie Tap Pizza space at 3748 Westheimer.

While Russo is known primarily for his fast casual restaurants that sling New York-style pies, Anthony’s New York Italian is both more personal and more upscale. It takes inspiration from his Italian heritage — his father grew up in Naples and his mother grew up in Sicily — as well as Russo’s Italian Restaurant, the Galveston eatery his parents operated for almost 20 years.

“We had veal, lobster, Gulf snapper, a lot of nice, classic dishes. There’s where I grew up in the kitchen,” Russo tells CultureMap. “I was always around fine dining restaurants. My mom and dad used to bring in chefs from Italy. They were excellent chefs. That’s what we had in Galveston for 18 years.”

With Russo’s at more than 50 locations, the time felt right to open a more upscale concept. Partially inspired by New York restaurants such as Carbone and Quality Italian, Russo thinks Houstonians will appreciate his high-end take on Italian American fare.

The menu includes lobster fra diavolo, a 24-ounce prime porterhouse, bone-in veal parmesan, frutti di mare (shellfish with tomato sauce over pappardelle), and more. In addition, the dish utilize Italian olive oil that’s pressed by one of the chef’s friends. Anthony’s also makes all of its doughs, sauces, and sausage in house.

Of course, Russo is making pizza, too. They’re baked in imported Italian ovens using slightly different dough and sauce recipes — along with imported mozzarella and burrata — than his more casual restaurants.

And, no, Russo isn’t concerned that a pizzeria lasted less than a year in the space.

“I feel confident this location is going to be a killer for us. We make homemade pasta on site here, fresh from scratch.” he says. “We're bringing fresh lobster. We're bringing fresh clams. We got a nice veal chop. I mean, these are all chef-selected ingredients. I don't think anybody's doing that in town right now.”

The restaurant is still in such early days that it doesn’t have its own website or social media pages yet. For now, diners can follow Russo on Instagram for updates.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Anthony Russo (@chef_anthony_russo_)

Anthony's New York Italian is open for dinner Monday-Thursday beginning at 4 pm. It’s open for lunch and dinner on Friday and Saturday beginning at 11 am. Reservations are available on OpenTable.

news-you-can-eat openings chefs anderson