One of Houston’s most eagerly anticipated restaurants has opened its doors. ElRo Pizza & Crudo began a soft opening last Friday, June 23, with full time lunch and dinner service beginning tomorrow (Wednesday, June 28).
Located in a converted bungalow on the border of Montrose and Midtown (2405 Genesee St.), ElRo is the new restaurant from chef Terrence Gallivan. Previously, the chef was the co-owner and co-executive chef of The Pass & Provisions, the dual-concept restaurant that ranked as one of Houston’s top spots from 2012 until it closed in 2019.
Photo by Julie Soefer
The Hoagie is made with mortadella, hot coppa, provolone, and giardiniera.
Provisions always served pizza, and Gallivan has leaned into that with ElRo. Diners will find options such as mortadella with pistachio pesto and balsamic onions, mushroom with tomato and scamorza, and a spaghetti carbonara-inspired pizza made with guanciale, parmesan, and black pepper. Gallivan has tweaked his dough recipe, which makes it a little different from the pizza he served at Provisions.
“It’s similar to the pizza at Provisions in that it’s roughly the same size and we offer a small menu of specialty pies, but differs in recipe, fermentation time, and the oven it’s baked in,” Gallivan tells CultureMap. “I am trying to have a little more crunch in the crust while still trying to be as light as possible.”
As for the crudos, ElRo offers a range of options, including tuna with pistachio and n’duja spice, snapper with pickled mango and olives, and beef tartare with egg yolk, mushrooms, capers, and parmesan. Small plates such as Caesar salad, chicken saltimboca sausage, and unagi arancini round out the menu.
“I (and most people) love pizza,” Gallivan added. “Since Houston is hot most of the time, balancing pizza with some lighter, more refreshing, cold seafood dishes is a nice combination.”
The beverage list focuses on a tidy wine list selected by Gallivan. Bar manager Patrick Dougherty, who previously worked at Bar No. 3 at La Colombe d’Or, has contributed a menu of house original cocktails named after Bruce Springsteen songs. For example, the Glory Days is a paloma riff made with tequila, grapefruit juice, St. Germain, and Cocchi Americano.
Named for Gallivan’s children, Eleanor and Ronan, ElRo occupies an intimate, 1,200-square-foot bungalow that seats about 30 people indoors with room for another 40 on its patio. The chef worked with designer Betty Maccagnan on the interior, which features blue and yellow highlights (the kids’ favorite colors), Hygge & West wallpaper, and globe lights.
“Elro is inhabiting a vintage bungalow so the whole idea is for the space to feel homey,” he says. “It will be a place you can pop in for a drink and bite with friends in shorts and flip flops or can be a date night spot.”
Opening weekend proved a bit frantic, as two power line fires occurred near the restaurant that disrupted service. Still, ElRo managed to stay busy Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
“It was surreal to be back in the kitchen. I haven’t done a restaurant service in four years but it felt like I never stopped,” Gallivan says.
ElRo opens at noon Wednesday through Sunday. Tuesday service will follow in the coming weeks. Reservations are available for the indoor seating, while the patio is open for walk-in diners.
