The Louie, Louie and Picante Pizza are among the menu items at Angie’s Pizza, a new restaurant located in the Heights.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
It’s been six years since Angelo Emiliani held his first pizza popup in Houston, growing a loyal following. Now, after much anticipation, he’s opening the brick-and-mortar restaurant of his dreams.
Angie’s Pizza is finally open at 1002 W. 11th St., where it will serve a menu of Neapolitan pizzas and pastas. Longtime followers of Emiliani’s cooking will recognize some of the pizzas from the original popup, like the Black Gold with mozzarella, sheep’s milk Gouda and mushrooms, as well as a sausage ragu similar to the one served at Cafe Louie, his first Houston restaurant.
RESTAURANT OPENING: Exclusive: Flor y Miel grows from Latin Caribbean food truck to Houston restaurant
Article continues below this ad
A Houston native, Emiliani wants the restaurant to feel rooted in the city. That commitment extends beyond the menu through partnerships with local farmers and a vision for a restaurant made with Houstonians in mind.
Angelo Emiliani poses for a portrait inside Angie’s Pizza, a new restaurant located in the Heights.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
“Angie’s has always been about more than pizza for me — it’s about place, people and process. Houston is home, and this space is the result of years of learning, building relationships, and wanting to create something that feels both personal and shared. Opening in the Heights feels like bringing everything full circle,” Emiliani said.
The restaurant reflects the influence of Emiliani’s friend and mentor Chris Bianco, the James Beard Award-winning chef behind Pizzeria Bianco, which started in Phoenix. Before working with Bianco, Emiliani worked in Michelin-starred kitchens including Thomas Keller’s French Laundry and Ad Hoc in Napa Valley, and was chef de cuisine at Tartine LA.
Article continues below this ad
In 2020, he launched his first pizza popup in Los Angeles before moving back home to Houston, continuing it in the East End, where he made a splash. The popups came to a halt when the opportunity arose to open Cafe Louie, which debuted in 2022 with sandwiches and pastries, until it closed only a year later.
Texas Wagyu Spiedini, Loaded Dice drink and Leek Tortelloni sit on a table inside Angie’s Pizza, a new restaurant located in the Houston Heights.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
Angelo Emiliani holds the Piccante Pizza topped with Bianco DiNapoli Tomato, Mozzarella, Calabrian Honey, Spanish Chorizo, Fennel and Garlic inside Angie’s Pizza, a new restaurant located in the Houston Heights, Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
Texas Wagyu Spiedini topped with Aged Balsamic and Colatura is one of the starters at Angie’s Pizza, a new restaurant located in the Houston Heights.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
A Cucumber and Tomato Market Salad paired with Whipped Tahini and Warm Paneer is a starter at Angie’s Pizza.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
The ice cream sundae sits on the bar inside Angie’s Pizza, a new restaurant located in the Heights.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
Varied dishes included the Louie, Louie and Picante Pizza inside Angie’s Pizza, a new restaurant located in the Heights.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
The Louie, Louie Pizza topped with Provolone, Mozzarella, Crushed Olives, Garlic Sausage and Miso Butter Onions finishes on the wood oven inside Angie’s Pizza, a new restaurant located in the Heights.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
Angelo Emiliani puts the Louie, Louie Pizza in the oven inside Angie’s Pizza, a new restaurant located in the Heights.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
Angelo Emiliani puts Calabrian Honey on at the Piccante Pizza inside Angie’s Pizza, a new restaurant located in the Heights.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
Cucumber & Tomato Market Salad, Winder Waker, Loaded Dice and Texas Wagyu Spiedini sit on a table inside Angie’s Pizza, a new restaurant located in the Heights.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
Leek Tortelloni at Angie’s Pizza, a new restaurant located in the Heights.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
Wood burns brightly inside the wood oven at Angie’s Pizza.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
In the new Heights space, he’s able to expand on the popups with a massive wood-fired oven that customers see behind the large bar. Pizzas on the menu include the Piccante with calabrian honey, Spanish chorizo, fennel and garlic; the Louie, Louie with provolone, mozzarella, crushed olives, garlic sausage and miso butter onions; and the Market with summer corn, salumi picante and garlic. There’s also a classic margherita.
He says while he may be known for his pizza, he’s most passionate about the pasta. Those include the leek tortelloni, which involves cooking locally-grown leeks and combines them with marscpone in a French curry; and the agnolotti del plin with braised Texas wagyu.
Starters and antipasti include polenta tots, fried olives, salads and vegetables like zucchini, carrots and potatoes.
Article continues below this ad
The menu is driven by Texas-grown produce. Emiliani has cultivated relationships with local farmers so the kitchen can cook with the seasons, a philosophy he developed while working at West Coast restaurants with on-site gardens. Those restaurants helped shape the way he wanted to cook, he said.
Tables are decorated with silverware and glassware inside Angie’s Pizza, a new restaurant located in the Heights.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
“The sort of holistic approach to a restaurant that we take here is, I want to know about what grows well in our region. I want to sort of dictate what goes on the plate based on seasonality,” Emiliani said. “That was the biggest takeaway from working in California… that to me is the most impactful thing in cooking, is cooking with the seasons.”
Desserts include a seasonally changing tiramisu, a chocolate tart and a sundae that’s texturally similar to a flan. His sister Lucianna “Louie” is helping on the pastry side of the menu.
An Italian-leaning wine list was developed by sommelier Renato Bringas, who was last at Chardon. Emiliani roped in Drew Bennett, formerly of Anvil, to lead the cocktail program, designed to complement the food. Bennett draws inspiration from an Italian aperitivo café with a focus on spritzy profiles. Still, there is a seasonal Negroni and a Biscoff espresso martini. Bennett also curated the drinks for Bar Angie, a separate bar concept that lives upstairs from the restaurant. At that bar, the cocktails will be more boozy in a moody setting.
Article continues below this ad
The bar program at Angie’s Pizza is run by Drew Bennett.
Jacob Lujan, Houston Chronicle
The restaurant-bar duo sits in a 1950s ceramic building, which was redesigned by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture. For the interior, an abstract painting by Emiliani’s grandfather set the stage for the restaurant, which was designed in collaboration with Gin Design Group.
Emiliani used an abstract painting by his grandfather as inspiration for the rest of the restaurant, from the era it was created to the red, orange, yellow and green color palette. Gin Design Group worked with Emiliani on a mid-century modern design, featuring a wood slat grid ceiling and Rey chairs.
Beyond his grandfather’s painting, there are two massive plates of pastas painted by a local artist on the wall, plus a piece by an artist who used to work at Pizzeria Bianco.
Article continues below this ad
“I don’t want to put things in places that don’t have any meaning,” Emiliani said. “Pretty much every part of what we do has some sort of meaning, whether it’s something on the menu, or the napkin we choose, the glassware, etc. We make very intentional decisions with everything.”
Angie’s Pizza will be open 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Reservations are open.
Angie’s Pizza just opened in the Houston Heights.
Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle