What's Eric Eating 261

Garden Oaks bar owner dishes on her chill new neighborhood spot, plus hottest food news

Paige Lujan is this week's guest.

Photo by Dylan McEwan

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Paige Lujan joins CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss the Upside Pub. Recently opened in the former Shepherd Park Draught House/Tres Amigos space in Garden Oaks, the Upside Pub serves an eclectic menu of comfort food paired with wine, cocktails, and craft beer.

The conversation begins with Lujan explaining why she and her husband/business partner Andy decided to leave Southern California to open their bar in Houston. From there, she discusses the overall concept — a friendly place where neighborhoods can gather over food and drinks — and creating a menu that nods to her New Jersey roots, her time in California, and her new home in Houston.

Sandler asks how she feel like it’s going after more than two months of being open.

“It’s going great. My favorite part about the whole thing . . . It’s super cheesy to say, but it does feel like Cheers sometimes. We knows the names of at least half the people coming in here. We know about their kids already and their businesses. We starting bicycling groups and football groups. It really is that vision we had for what it is, and we’re hoping we can continue to grow on that community feeling.”

Listen to the full episode to hear how Lujan is giving back to the community with a monthly program to assist local non-profit Kids’ Meals. She also explains why the bar serves more drink options than just craft beer.

Prior to the interview, Sandler and co-host Michael Fulmer discuss the news of the week. Their begin by discussing the Houston Chronicle’s new list of the city’s top 100 restaurants. They debate whether a food hall restaurant deserves to be ranked as the city’s best restaurant. Then, Sandler throws out about a dozen missing restaurants that he thinks could have been included. The news segment concludes with a discussion of Artisans’ plans to move to the Galleria area and that the team behind Gatsby’s Steakhouse will open a more casual grill concept in the former Acadian Coast space.

In the restaurants of the week segment, they head to two newly opened Italian restaurants near Highland Village. The first, Numero 28, features Neapolitan-style pizzas, a full bar, and a show stopping presentation for its cacio e pepe. Davanti Ristorante, their second stop, offers well-executed pasta dishes by chef Roberto Crescini and affordable prices.

Photo by Dylan McEwan

Paige Lujan is this week's guest.

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Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify. Listen to it Saturday at noon on ESPN 97.5.

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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.

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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.

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