What's Eric Eating Episodes 288 and 289

Meet the Wild talent baking up some of Houston's tastiest treats, plus our visits to Andiron and Blind Goat

Chef Jane Wild is this week's guest.

Courtesy of chef Jane Wild

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” chef Jane Wild joins CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss her business. Formerly a chef at restaurants such as The Dunlavy and Golden Bagel, Wild now operates a bakery that sells sweet and savory pastries at markets in Houston.

The conversation begins with Wild explaining her decision to go out on her own as a market vendor rather than seeking a job at a restaurant. From there, they duo discuss the details of her business, which operates at the Urban Harvest farmers market on Saturday and either the Heights Mercantile or Rice Village farmers markets on Sunday. She also pops up at events like the Butcher’s Ball and cooks private dinners.

Sandler asks Wild about market life. She tells him her days start at midnight and end in the afternoon, which includes standing outside to serve customers. It sounds difficult, but the chef explains how she makes it work.

“I’m in this really cool rhythm where I feel rested,” Wild says. “Is it hot on Saturday and Sunday? Absolutely, but my trick is to stay present, don’t think about it. I’m so grateful that I have the freedom that I can do my thing, too. I have a line. That brings me so much joy to see my regulars. That community, that’s a driver. It doesn’t feel so hot when you have so much joy.”

They also discuss Wild’s participating in Regeneration Weekend at Synergos Farms in Santa Fe, Texas. She’ll prepare a live fire farm-to-table dinner on Friday, June 23 and breakfast on Saturday morning. Attendees will also participate in a farm tour and learn about regenerative farming techniques that nourish the soil without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. A limited number of tickets are still available online.

Prior to the interview, Sandler and co-host Michael Fulmer discuss the news of the week. Their topics include: Robb Report selecting two Houston establishments for its Best New Restaurants list; Cyclone Anaya’s replacing Frank’s Americana in River Oaks; and Montrose Tex-Mex favorite La Mexicana opening a fast casual sister concept in Garden Oaks’s Stomping Grounds development.

In the restaurants of the week segment, Sandler and Fulmer share their thoughts on Andiron, the new live-fire steakhouse from the owners of The Pit Room. They also visit the new Spring Branch location of The Blind Goat, chef Christine Ha’s Vietnamese gastropub.

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Pizaro's on the move

Family-owned Houston pizzeria rises with 2 new locations

Photo by Sergio Trevino

The Meyerland location will serve New York-style pies.

A Houston pizzeria will expand its footprint with two new locations in Meyerland and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). Slated to open in March 2027 and October 2026, respectively, the new locations will allow more Houstonians to enjoy Pizaro’s Pizza’s creative pies.

Brother-and-sister owners Matt Hutchinson and Nicole Bean, along with Nicole’s husband Brad Bean, have claimed a former dry cleaners at 9150 Chimney Rock for a new location that will operate for to-go and delivery only. Diners will have the option of picking up their orders via the restaurant’s drive-through. It is intended to make Pizaro’s most accessible to customers in West U., Meyerland, Bellaire, Westbury, and other surrounding neighborhoods.

Pizaro's Pizza Brad Bean, Nicole Bean, and Matt Hutchinson Brad Bean, Nicole Bean, and Matt Hutchinson are the owners of Pizaro's Pizza.Courtesy of Pizaro's Pizza

Notably, the Meyerland location will only serve styles of pizza that travel well, such as New York, Chicago cracker thin, and Detroit, a rectangular-shaped deep dish pie with crispy edges. It will not serve the wood-fired Neapolitan-style pies served at Pizaro’s existing locations in Montrose and the Energy Corridor.

On the other hand, the IAH restaurant, which will be located in Terminal B, will serve a variation on Neapolitan-style pizza that’s cooked in a gas-fired oven. For security and safety reasons, restaurants at the airport are not allowed to cook with wood. Nicole Bean tells CultureMap the IAH outpost will serve 10-inch, personal-sized pies.

Chicago cracker thin has been a special at both locations over the past couple of years. It will join the menu full time next month, Bean says.

“We’ve wanted to expand for a really long time. In 2020, we started to take steps toward making that dream a reality, but then the pandemic happened and we halted all planning,” Nicole Bean added in a statement. “We revisited the idea in 2024, and last year all the pieces started falling into place. Both locations fit the criteria of what we were looking for, and we’re thrilled to bring our pizzas to first timers and the customers we’ve fostered relationships with throughout the years.”

This year has been a dynamic one for Houston pizzerias. Winnie's co-owner Benjy Mason and chef Jason Kerr teamed up to open Shredder's, a retro-style pizzeria serving New York-style pies. In Spring, Pi Pizza and Gold Tooth Tony's founder Anthony Calleo recently opened Galaxy Pizza. In July, chef Angelo Emiliani began serving wood-fired pies at Angie's Pizza in the Heights.

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