new italian in river oaks

Festive new Italian restaurant serves up fresh fare, made-from-scratch pastas, and upscale vibe in River Oaks

River Oaks has a new destination for pizza, pasta, and other festive Italian fare. Zanti Cucina Italiana is now open in the River Oaks Shopping Center (1958 W Gray St.).

Founded in The Woodlands in 2019 by owner Santiago Peláez and executive chef Stefano Ferrero, the new River Oaks location represents an evolution of the concept that’s been upgraded for to suit its ritzy address. The almost 9,000-square-foot restaurant features design elements imported from Italy, including tiles and chandeliers.

Courtesy of Zanti Cucina Italiana

A look inside the new Zanti.

Peláez describes The Woodlands location as a more family friendly trattoria where customers in shorts can sit at the bar and watch sports or families can come for lasagna and chicken parmesan. River Oaks will be a more upscale ristorante with white tablecloths, a more extensive wine list, and a charcuterie bar.

“I used to go to Brasserie 19. I always loved that old feeling and the people in River Oaks,” Peláez tells CultureMap. “I think it made a lot more sense for the food we offer, the kind of service we like.”

Just as the design has been upgraded, Ferrero has changed the menu. Look for dishes such as black truffle beef tartare, Neapolitan-style pizza, and freshly made pastas. Entree choices include lamb osso bucco, salt-crusted branzino, and a selection of steaks and chops. Peláez cites the chef’s Italian heritage as a major influence on the menu.

“We tried to source as much as we could from Italy,” Peláez says. “We do the pasta from scratch every day. All our sauces are made from scratch. We tried to bring as many ingredients from Italy: flour, tomatoes, proteins, cheeses, charcuterie.”

“That passion [for cooking] he’s had since he was a little kid. I can see it in the food and how he transmits it to the people who work for us,” he adds.

Zanti opens at a time of transition for River Oaks Shopping Center. Brasserie 19 recently came under the sole ownership of Charles Clark. It has been reported that La Griglia, the Landry’s-owned Italian restaurant founded by legendary Houston restaurateur Tony Vallone, will soon relocate from the center. In the months to come, Hudson House, a lively oyster bar concept from Dallas, will open next to Brasserie 19. Peláez acknowledges he’s entering a dynamic market with lots of great restaurants, but he feels confident about Zanti’s prospects.

“I think the competition is good,” he says. “My uncle used to tell me a lack of competition generates incompetence."

Zanti opens for dinner nightly at 4 pm. It will serve lunch Thursday-Sunday beginning at 11 am.

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they're back

2 treasured Houston Mexican restaurants reopen after brief closures

Courtesy of Picos

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Two staple Houston-area Mexican restaurants are making comebacks after brief closures. Picos has already returned to service, while El Tiempo Cantina’s Webster location isn’t far behind.

After closing its Upper Kirby location on August 30, Picos reopened Saturday, September 12 in the former Cyclone Anaya’s space in River Oaks (3736 Westheimer Rd.). The move is only about two miles from Picos’ former home at Kirby and Richmond.

Chef-owner Arnaldo Richards partnered with Cyclone Anaya’s owners The Dhanani Group to transform the space into Picos. It allows Richards to preserve Picos, which opened on Bellaire Blvd. in 1984 and operated on Kirby Dr. for 12 years. Last year, Richards announced Picos would close due to declining sales but later stated his intentions to find a new, slightly smaller home for the restaurant. That dream was realized via a “last-minute agreement” with Cyclone Anaya’s owners The Dhanani Group according to press materials.

“After spending the past year searching for a new home, it truly feels like the stars aligned,” Richards said in a statement. “We were willing to do anything we could to keep Picos, and we finally found the right space for this next-generation evolution of Picos.”

Picos Westheimer River Oaks interior The new Picos features an indoor-outdoor bar.Photo by Becca Wright

At over 6,000 square feet, the new Picos still offers a spacious environment that includes an indoor-outdoor bar. It will serve the same menu as the prior locations, including fan favorites such as moles from all seven regions on Mexico, enchiladas, and the signature shaker margaritas.

“As native Houstonians, we understand what Picos means to this city and the generations of Houstonians who have supported the restaurant for more than 40 years,” said Usman Dhanani of The Dhanani Group, which still operates five other locations of Cyclone Anaya’s across Houston. “We’re excited to partner with Arnaldo and his family to carry the Picos tradition forward and ensure that a restaurant so deeply rooted in Houston remains part of the city’s dining community for years to come.”

The Houston Chronicle was first to report that Picos had reopened.

El Tiempo Cantina Post Houston El Tiempo is returning to Webster. Courtesy of El Tiempo Cantina

As for El Tiempo, franchisee Liquid Gold Hospitality surprised Bay Area diners when it abruptly closed the location at 20237 Gulf Fwy at the end of August. In a Facebook post, El Tiempo announced the location will reopen under direct management of the Laurenzo family, which founded El Tiempo and operates most of its other locations.

Notably, the post did not specify an opening date, merely that the restaurant is “reopening soon.”

El Tiempo’s Webster location opened at the end of 2017 after significant delays, including a lawsuit between the Laurenzo family and Liquid Gold. Overall, Houston is home to 18 locations of El Tiempo, with its outpost at The Post in downtown Houston being the most recent to open.

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