but will there be burger pizza?

Duo behind Burger Joint and Taco Stand set to debut new Heights pizzeria

Chef Matt Pak and entrepreneur Shawn Bermudez are ready to put their spin on another of America’s most popular dishes. The duo behind The Burger Joint and The Taco Stand will soon add pizza to their repertoire.

Scheduled to open next fall, their new pizzeria — dubbed The Pizza Place, obviously — will be located at 2124 N. Shepherd Dr., which is just down the street from the Heights locations of the Taco Stand and the Burger Joint. Construction has already begun to convert the former resale shop into a 3,800-square-foot restaurant that will also offer a 2,600-square-foot covered patio.

As its name implies, the restaurant will serve pizzas, pastas, salads, and gelato, all of which will be made in-house. Pak tells CultureMap that pizza seemed like a logical next step for the growing restaurant group that currently operates three Burger Joints and one Taco Stand.

“Pizza was the missing fast casual piece of the puzzle for me,” Pak says. “Burgers, tacos and pizza. I like a challenge and I’ve been intrigued by the art of pizza making for a long time.”

As for the style of pizza he’ll be serving, it’s described in press materials as a New York-Neapolitan hybrid that will be baked in a Forza Forni gas-wood oven. Pak’s goal is to have a Neapolitan’s chewy outer edge with a New York pie’s crispy bottom. The chef explains that he considered other options like Detroit or traditional Neapolitan but prefers to forge his own pizza path.

“Like everyone else, I have my opinion of my favorite pizza,” he says. "Although I have had great pizzas of the styles you mention, there is always an element missing when trying them. I want to create a pizza that has my favorite elements from several styles and I believe people will enjoy what I come up with.”

Pastas will be made fresh daily. Like he does with tacos, expect Pak to focus on familiar styles with a limited number of well-chosen ingredients for sauces and toppings. The Pizza Place’s beverage offerings will include beer, wine, and cocktails.

Although a couple of burgers at The Burger Joint nod to Pak’s Korean heritage, the chef says those influences won’t show up on The Pizza Place’s daily menu. But that doesn’t mean he won’t showcase that side of his cooking at the restaurant — or in other venues.

“I might not include any Korean influence on the menu but I certainly will on our monthly specials,” he says. “Besides, we have a concept in the works where I will be able to veer outside of the box more.”

Stayed tuned for more details on that unnamed project. In the meantime, Pak and Bermudez have their hands full with upcoming openings, including a second location of The Taco Stand in Webster and a fourth location of The Burger Joint near Rice Village. In an interview with CultureMap in May, Bermudez acknowledged plans to open additional locations of The Taco Stand as well as a dessert concept. Details on those — including addresses and when they’re expected to debut — will be released in the months to come.

Courtesy of The Pizza Place

The Pizza Place will be located near The Burger Joint and The Taco Stand.

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inspired by Houston's

Houston steakhouse reboots as a more affordable neighborhood restaurant

Michael Sambrooks is ready to unveil the refreshed Andiron. Beginning this Monday, November 25, the fine dining steakhouse will begin operating as the more affordable Andiron Grille & Patio.

“We looked at more neighborhood restaurants [like] Nancy’s Hustle and Nobie’s,” Sambrooks tells CultureMap. “We wanted to fall into that neighborhood restaurant category instead of fine dining and steakhouses. With the patio opening, we wanted to turn it into an eating and drinking place that’s more casual. Seemed like the vibe that would work for the neighborhood.”

To get that everyday appeal, Sambrooks and chef Michael O’Connor worked to decrease the restaurant’s prices by removing luxurious items such as caviar and truffles. Andiron still serves imported Japanese wagyu, but now it’s the chuck instead of strip or ribeye. Overall, diners can expect to spend about $100 per person, which is down from the $150 per person or more of Andiron’s original iteration.

Similar to a restaurant like Hillstone (formerly Houston’s), diners will find steaks at Andiron, but they have other options, too. The restaurant’s prime rib sandwich and decadent wagyu burger both appear on the new menu. They’re joined by a roasted half chicken, pork steak, and Gulf fish with Thai curry.

“People seem to really enjoy [the new menu],” Sambrooks says. “A lot of our neighborhood folks and regulars have come in. They appreciate the value-driven options. A lot of people say they can come more often.”

Another reason they’ll come more often is to enjoy the restaurant’s new patio. Part of the 2,800-square-foot space features lounge-style seating designed for people who want to devote most of their attention to bartender Angel Bautista’s refreshed cocktail offerings. Inspired by his time working at Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy — ranked No. 1 in the world by the World’s 50 Best organization — the menu includes a selection of carbonated cocktails that are both refreshing and able to be served quickly.

“We’ve got 75 seats. Some of those are for dining, some are for lounging and cocktailing. About 20 seats are love seats for lounging with a place to put your drink,” Sambrooks says.

“We’re pitching it as a cocktail garden. We want people to walk in, get a seat on the patio, order a couple of cocktails, order a snack or don’t. Just a really great additional space to sit and have a drink.”

The wine list is cheaper, too. Inspired by his time working for restaurateur Bill Floyd at Reef, Sambrooks is selling wine at a much lower markup than before. “We get a deal, we pass that along, even if it’s something we can only get one time,” he says.

Photo by Michael Anthony

Find a steak frites on the new menu at Andiron.

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