Houston's newest pizzeria
Celeb-backed, LA-based pizzeria sets opening date for River Oaks location
Pizzana opens this Friday.
Houston welcomed several new pizzerias in 2023, and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. Already, this year has seen the openings of Austin favorite Via 313, patio bar and pizzeria Woodland Social, and Magdalena’s Trattoria & Pizzeria in West U.
Add an acclaimed, Los Angeles-based restaurant to the list. Pizzana announced on Instagram that it will open its first Houston location this Friday, March 22. It’s located in a former Starbucks at the River Oaks Shopping Center (2029 West Gray St.).
Pizzana showcases the culinary talents of chef Daniele Uditi, a native of Naples, Italy who has appeared on Hulu's "Best in Dough" pizza competition series. In addition to its cuisine, Pizzana has drawn attention for its celebrity owners — Sprinkles Cupcake founder Candace Nelson and her husband Charles as well as actor Chris O’Donnell and his wife Caroline.
Described as neo-Neopolitan, Pizzana’s dough is fermented for 48 hours and cooked in a wood-burning oven. It has a more crispy crust than traditional Neapolitan, which can sometimes be a little damp for the American palate.
Uditi is best known for his Neo Margherita and Cacio e Pepe pizzas. The former earned a rave review from legendary LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold in 2017.
“When you bite into the pizza — unlike the last Margherita pizza you had, this one is stiff enough to pick up with your hands — there is a crackle, a crunch, and a blast of fresh basil, that licoricey greenness that never quite comes through from a single raw leaf, right before the caramelized tomato acidity kicks in,” he wrote.
In addition to pizza, the restaurant serves antipasti, pasta, salads, and desserts. A gluten-free curst and vegan options are available.
The restaurant opened a Dallas location in 2022, its first outside of California, that earned considerable acclaim. Expect a crowd to turn out for its Houston debut.
River Oaks Shopping Center has seen a number of changes in the past couple of years. Upscale Italian restaurant Zanti opened in November 2022. Last year, the developed welcomed Dallas-based restaurant Hudson House and upscale French restaurant Cocody while bidding farewell to Italian favorite La Griglia. In addition to Pizzana, the shopping center will soon welcome Leo’s River Oaks, a fine dining concept from the owners of State Fare and Liberty Kitchen, and the rebirth of the River Oaks Theatre.
