
Chef Justin Turner has commenced to set his stamp on Technology Park. In his job as Director of Culinary Hospitality for Gastropub Productions, a corporation established to acquire places to eat for the 4,200-acre blended-use improvement near Lake Houston, Chopped winner Turner has opened two new dining establishments in the areas beforehand occupied by Wholesome Kitchen area and Healthful Pies.

They are Bocca Italian Kitchen area, a chef-pushed, Italian-American cafe, and Lupo Pizzeria, a New York-model pizzeria with a wood-burning oven in Italian In bocca al lupo means “stepping into the wolf’s mouth,” a phrase for summoning braveness. Both of those dining places commenced a quiet tender opening in late December and will be open comprehensive time beginning January 15.

Pointless to say, they are a huge adjust from Turner’s previous purpose as the founder of Bernie’s Burger Bus, but the chef tells CultureMap he’s energized about the new obstacle.

“I’m heading to retain the very same food philosophy,” Turner says. “I’m going to make it all from scratch when I can. I’m heading to obtain as nearby as I can.”

Accessible as the two whole pies and by-the-slice, Lupo’s pizzas operate the gamut from regular favorites like a meat fans (the Vinny, topped with Italian sausage, pepperoni, meatballs, sopressata and capicola) to an East Coastline-style clam pie which is also topped with roasted garlic. Serving slices must make the restaurant a handy lunch possibility for location office staff, Turner adds.

“The room to me dictated Italian food stuff,” Turner states. “If I’m going to put all these gorgeous toppings on pizza, I have received things for pasta, salads, and entrees.”

Bocca’s expansive menu starts with a series of small plates. Meatballs are based on a recipe handed down from his wife’s family members, and the octopus will come rooster-fried. Other options include things like arancini served with tomato sauce, “ham and cheese” in the variety of prosciutto and burrata, and calamari. Salads include things like a classic Caesar as well as arugula and goat cheese with apples and toasted macadamia nuts.

Turner is purchasing fresh pastas from BOH Pasta, chef Ben McPherson’s restaurant in Bravery Chef Hall. Diners will come across common options like spaghetti and meatballs and linguine alfredo alongside a Thai-motivated pasta with coconut-basil cream and jumbo lump crab.

Entree possibilities start out with unique chicken preparations this kind of as marsala, parmigiana, and piccata. Osso bucco is served with cheesy polenta, and the pork dish features both of those seared tenderloin and crispy pork stomach. Rates commence at all over $20, topping out at $32 for filet mignon.

Although both of those Lupo and Bocca will preserve Turner a lot busy for the following couple of months, he’s by now arranging for Las Eva’s, a Tex-Mex restaurant that will open throughout the road from Bocca this summer. That restaurant’s signature element will be housemade masa that works by using corn that is ground on internet site prior to likely via the classic nixtamalization course of action. In addition to tortillas, Turner claims he wants to make dishes this sort of as sopes and arepas that honor the heritage of his Mexican and South American cooks.

Lupo and Bocca are open up for both equally dine-in and to-go for both lunch and meal. Bocca will incorporate weekend brunch provider with dishes these as a frittata, a breakfast sandwich, and French toast, in the coming months.
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