Houston’s next great pizzeria has opened its doors. Angie’s Pizza is now open for dinner in the Heights.
Located across from Trattoria Sofia at 1002 W. 11th St., Angie’s is the latest project from chef Angelo Emiliani, his business partner, Alex Dunlevie, and his sister, pastry chef Luciana Emiliani. Angie’s serves the same wood-fired style of pizza that Angelo learned while working for famed pizzaiolo Chris Bianco in Los Angeles. The pizzas combine Neapolitan and New York styles, which results in a thin, chewy crust that’s crispy enough to be eaten by hand.
Angie’s opening menu includes seven pizzas. In addition to a classic margherita, diners may opt for the Piccante (Calabrian honey, Spanish chorizo, fennel, and garlic), the Louie, Louie (provolone, mozzarella, olives, garlic sausage, and miso butter onions), or the Black Gold (mozzarella, Texas sheep’s milk gouda, black garlic, and dried porcini). Toppings include boquerones, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, and olives.
Along with pizza, Angie’s serves small plates and pastas. These include fried olives, polenta “tots,” hamachi crudo with peaches and Jimmy Nardello peppers, Piedmont-style agnolotti filled with Texas wagyu, leek tortellini, and a take on the comfort classic of baked stuffed shells. Desserts include a blueberry and cream tiramisu, made with jasmine tea, lychee cream, and chiffon cake, as well as an ice cream sundae.
Many of the dishes use ingredients sourced from Texas farms — a practice that’s a signature of mentor Chris Bianco's cooking.
“The defining difference in how I build my network of vendors is that it’s personal,” Emiliani said in a statement. “I’ve spent years finding people who are producing great food, and I work closely with them to grow what I want—and what others might get excited about, too.”
Anvil veteran Drew Bennett leads the bar program for both Angie’s and Bar Angie, the restaurant’s 16-seat cocktail bar that occupies the building’s second floor. Sommelier Renato Bringas, a veteran of restaurants such as Chardon and Andiron, leads the wine program.
All that eating and drinking happens in a space that received an external facelift from Texas’ acclaimed Michael Hsu Office of Architecture (Uchi, Loro, Oporto Fooding House, etc.). Emiliani worked with Houston’s Gin Design Group on the interior, using a painting by his grandfather as the jumping-off point for its midcentury modern-inspired design.
Angelo Emiliani first rose to prominence with pizza pop-ups in 2020 and 2021. From there, Emiliani and his sister opened the critically acclaimed — but sadly short-lived — Cafe Louie and Louie’s Italian American. The critical difference between Angie’s and those previous efforts is that neither sold pizza.
“Angie’s has always been about more than pizza for me — it’s about place, people, and process,” Emiliani added. “Houston is home, and this space is the result of years of learning, building relationships, and wanting to create something that feels both personal and shared. Opening in the Heights feels like bringing everything full circle.”
Even before it officially opened, raves are already coming from the restaurant’s invite-only friends-and-family service and a few days of soft opening. “If you know anything about [Emiliani], you know that if he’s at the helm of anything… it’s going to be an out of body experience,” Burger Bodega owner Abbas Dhanani wrote on his houstoneatz food influencer page.
Photo by Eric Sandler
Angie's hamachi crudo includes peaches and Jimmy Nardello peppers.
“Angie’s is much more than a pizza joint. Not only will it be probably the best pizzeria in Houston, it will also be one of the very best new restaurants to open here this year,” veteran Houston food writer Mike Ricetti raves on his blog.
Angie’s Pizza is open for dinner Monday-Saturday beginning at 5 pm. Reservations are available on OpenTable.
