il Bracco, an Italian-inspired neighborhood restaurant will open their first Houston location this Fall. This will mark the 2nd location of the concept – outside of the well-heeled Park Cities neighborhood of Dallas – planned for the corner of Post Oak & San Felipe at 1705-A Post Oak Blvd, Houston, TX 77056 in the former California Pizza Kitchen space.
il Bracco, open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, offers a fresh take on classic Italian dishes with fresh homemade pastas, breads and desserts. Whole fish is fileted, and USDA Prime steak are butchered in-house daily as well. An extensive but concise Italian wine list will be available along with Italian-inspired, approachable cocktails such as The Bracco (“hound” in Italian), a fan favorite frozen spin on the greyhound with fresh hand squeezed grapefruit and Aperol.
il Bracco is the culmination of Robert Quick (CEO) and Matt Gottlieb’s (COO) twenty-five plus years in the restaurant industry. The duo has created an impressively high quality, crave-able and everyday accessible menu in a chic but comfortable environment with excellent service and hospitality as a core emphasis.
Quick says of bringing il Bracco to Houston, “We’re thrilled to open our second location of il Bracco in this vibrant city and in such a bustling area. We hope Houstonians enjoy our food menu and bar program that we’ve perfected over the past two years. We’ve also planned a few additions of menu items only available at this Houston location.”
Gottlieb adds, “Both Robert and I have friends and family in Houston, and I previously lived in Houston, making it feel as if this is our second home. It was a natural fit. Many of our managers and staff will be familiar names and faces from the Houston hospitality scene as well.”
There is so much to go back for time and time again on the il Bracco menu but a selection of the more popular menu items include starters such as the Crispy Artichokes with fresh baby artichokes and olive aioli and the Meatballs made with freshly ground beef, lamb and pork, house tomato gravy, Reggiano and housemade focaccia. Standout pastas include the Spicy Gemelli made with house made gemelli noodles, spicy vodka sauce and Reggiano and the Bolognese with mafaldine noodles, 6 hour slow-cooked beef, lamb and pork ragu, Reggiano; with salads and sandwiches including the Plaza made with roasted chicken, golden beets, pancetta, marcona almonds, goat cheese and honey vinaigrette; and the always crave-able Classic Italian Combo with artisan charcuterie, fresh mozzarella, LTO, cherry pepper spread, oil and vin on a housemade roll. For entrees, the pan roasted Mediterranean Sea Bass with mint gremolata and seasonal vegetables as well as the Center Cut Filet – hand-cut USDA Prime, broiled and served with polenta and seasonal vegetables.
The 6000 square foot space – offering seating for 160 inside (including bar) and 35 outside – was designed by award-winning Texas architect, Michael Hsu of Michael Hsu Office of Architecture (South Congress Hotel & Restaurants, Sway, Hotel Ella) and will boast stunning contemporary design with a spacious patio, bar and cocktail lounge. The artwork featured in the restaurant comes from Quick’s personal collection and has been curated and chosen specifically for this space by his wife, Mary Lucille, il Bracco’s Design Director. The restaurant’s light fixtures and furniture pieces will be custom designed and built to give guests an optimal dining experience.
