adios, spanish village

Iconic Houston Tex-Mex restaurant and Third Ward landmark announces closing date

Spanish Village will close March 31.

Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

An iconic Houston Tex-Mex restaurant will soon serve its final enchiladas and margaritas. Spanish Village will close on March 31, owner Steve Rogers announced.

First slated for closure in 2021, Rogers kept Spanish Village open while he worked through redevelopment plans for the property and an adjacent tract of land. Although details on those plans haven’t been made public yet, “the restaurant’s legacy will live on in an upcoming project to be announced at a later date,” according to a release about the closure.

Founded by the Medina family in 1953, Spanish Village has been a staple of the Third Ward. Known for its retro dining room that’s adorned with Christmas lights as well as classic Tex-Mex fare such as cheese enchiladas the signature fried chicken, it been a go-to restaurant for generations of Houstonians. The potent margaritas are also a fan favorite.

“There’s absolutely no arguing the impact Spanish Village has had on the Third Ward. The Medina family built something incredible, and I have been honored to be able to continue that,” Rogers said in a statement. “Despite the restaurant closing, it’s important to me and to the community to honor that legacy.”

Part of honoring that legacy has been to seek input from the community about what businesses should be included in the upcoming redevelopment project. Signs that read “What Should Go Here” invited locals to submit their ideas. Suggestions included specifics like a co-working space and a diner as well as design ideas such as “please respect the small town feel of the street...good architecture will go a long way,” according to a release.

Which elements Rogers chooses to include and how Spanish Village is incorporated into those plans remains to be seen, but the business owner says the feedback has been valuable.

“It’s been really special to read the responses and see how invested this community is in the character of the neighborhood,” Rogers added. “The Third Ward has its own personality that’s hard to understand unless you’re in it, and with the help of my neighbors, I’m excited to begin this new chapter with a project that will benefit them.”

Those who wish to make their final visits to Spanish Village will find the restaurant at 4720 Almeda Road. It’s open Tuesday - Saturday from 11 am - 10 pm.

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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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