Mascalzone Ristorante….Now That’s Italian!

Interior shot of Mascalzone Ristorante, that is where I sat to dine on their exquisite food….under the photo of Sophia Loren and sitting on red chairs…I was in Heaven!

I knew I was in for a great evening when I showed up at Mascalzone Ristorante and was greeted warmly by co-owner, Rachel Magi, wife of Chef owner and former professional Italian boxer,  Andrea Magi.  I was seated under the great photo of Sophia Loren (resemblance to me is obvious right….NOT, but it was fun!) and the evening of dining on unique Italy-Italian dishes began.  What a treat for me….it was like being back in Italy, which I love.  The Italian music was playing and Ray, the pizza man from Napoli was spinning his pizzas in the air and singing and shouting out his orders in Italian to the various waiters.  The level of authenticity was so apparent from the manager, Leonardo from Calabria to Rachel, a native-born Israeli whose accent we swore sounded Italian?! to the uber-talented chef, who we know from Simposio here, Chef Alberto Baffoni, but also spent much time in London, training with owner (from same native town in Italy)  to duplicate many of the dishes that have made his three London restaurants so successful.  This is the second restaurant for the Maggis, first opening West of town, on Westheimer in August and is a great addition to the Shepherd/Washington Ave. corridor for their newest location. Dining at Mascalzone is a unique experience….because it’s so authentic it should,  in my opinion, be planned as an evening dining experience, to appreciate the flavors, the creativity and freshness of all ingredients that are made in-house and savor the flavors of many of their unique dishes. Not to say that you couldn’t drop by for their namesake Mascalzone (half calzone, half pizza) or any of their pizzas or quick dishes, on the way to a movie, but I recommend taking the time to enjoy this restaurant for what it is…..a totally Italian experience!

About the Mascalzone team

I must take a moment to speak to this group of people, starting with the owners that make for such a great story that totally intrigued me.  First, owner/founder, Andrea Magi was an accomplished Italian boxer who participated and placed in the Seoul Olympics, went on to professional boxing as a career.  He began his restaurant career in London where he is now the owner of three very successful restaurants, two of which are named Mascalzone, which means in Italian, “naughty boy”, in a cheeky sort of way.  Rachel, who was born in Jerusalem met Andrea in London.  They married, relocated to Miami, where they have (4) children, all under 10 yrs. of age and are constantly in a whirlwind of travel where they take turns between watching their children and traveling between London, Houston and I’m sure occasional trips to their perspective homelands where their families reside. While their lifestyle sounds exhausting, we could tell by chatting with Rachel, that it is their passion for what they do that pushes them to excel.  Their Chef, Alberto Baffoni has worked all over the world and attributes his techniques and passion back to his childhood in his native Italy. His former restaurant, Simposio, here was named one of the best restaurants in America by Esquire Magazine.  He oversees both Houston restaurants.  Leonardo, the Manager from Calbria and Ray the pizza man from Napoli are both authentic, warm and welcoming to all that visit and their passion for what they do shines through to complete the team.  I hope you will make it by to visit, try some of the dishes we have shown here that we personally tasted or many others from their menu….it is truly a touch of Italy that feels like you’re there!

Exterior Shots of newest location of Mascalzone Ristorante at 1500 N.Shepherd, near Washington Ave…….don’t miss it!

Bar Salotto, below, the lounge area that can also be reserved for private parties, will honor a different region of Italy each month, as well as regional wine pairings. It will also feature a fully stocked bar and an “Assaggi”, meaning tasting menu featuring Italian bar fare. Added note, photo wall features black and white photo collection of owner’s famed boxing days!

Below are some of the candid IPhoto shots I took while feasting at this restaurant. Loved the snapper cooked under parchment, so moist and flavorful and a presentation I hadn’t seen? Also,  it shows the desserts…..a Nutella pizza that was unbelievable, tiamirsu, uncooked cheesecake with berries, warm chocolate soufflé w/homemade Mascarpone gelato on top and such signature drinks as the Limoncello martini and a Strawberry/Basil martini that were yummy!