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Reviews & Editorials
Russo’s New York Ready Offering Franchise Opportunity InternationallyAuthor: PR Web Posted: Thu, 13 May 2010 02:33 AM Houston-based Russo’s New York and Russo’s New York Coal Fired Italian Kitchen has plans to continue to take a bigger piece of the pie, and we’re not just talking pizza. The Russo’s Coal Fired Pizzeria on Northwest Freeway and Highway 6 in Houston, TX opened in 1992 as a test kitchen. It became so popular, the franchise expanded to 26 other venues located in and around the Houston Area.  In 2007, Russo’s rolled out their second restaurant franchise concept called Russo’s Coal Fired Italian Kitchen featuring pizza, pasta, salads, and unique menu items such as Risotto Black Truffle pasta. Russo’s Coal Fired Italian Kitchen’s also offers a Sunday Brunch and Heart Healthy Menu. In June of 2009 Launched in 1978, the company has awarded over 32 franchises, with franchise stores, the Richardson location opened as the chain's first restaurant in the North Texas area. Included in the new stores to be opened by year end, is a new prototype concept for the Russo’s New York Coal Fired Italian Kitchen chain. Changing from an inline format, to a free-standing restaurant, the first unit is planned in McAllen, TX located on Expressway 83 and Taylor Road. “I’m excited about owning the first free-standing Russo’s franchise,” said David Martinez, McAllen Franchise Owner. “This will enable Russo’s to grow exponentially and what I predict to be the way of the future for Russo’s.”
With more than 30 years of proven operational expertise, Russo’s
provides a franchise concept perfect for the fast casual Italian
pizzeria restaurant owner. The new Russo’s New York Coal Fired Italian
Kitchen is a perfect model for high income areas, offering gourmet fresh
entrees at a moderate price. As President, Anthony Russo says “It’s
the only chain in the market place that prepares every item fresh, in
every location, using all natural ingredients imported from Italy.” To
date in 2010, six new Russo’s COAL FIRE Italian Kitchen units have been
sold in new markets.
As part of the franchise agreement, Russo’s provides a complete
pre-opening and ongoing training and support program to include site
selection and assistance with lease negotiations, design, development
and construction, and support every step of the way.
Who wouldn’t want a Russo’s franchise, even if it’s just for the secret
family recipes?
Expect a Russo’s New York or a Russo’s New York Coal Fired Italian
Kitchen to be in your area soon.
About Russo’s New York Pizzeria
Today Russo's has over 28 U.S. based locations. Russo’s offers a full
service Italian menu for dining in, carry out or delivery with catering,
and specializes in 100% Authentic New York style pizza baked in a
coal-fired oven.
As the franchise continues to grow, Anthony has always stayed grounded
to his roots, that freshness and quality are his standards for success.
To learn more about Russo’s New York Pizzeria, or franchise
opportunities, please visit our website for more information at www.nypizzeria.com.
Russo’s New York Pizzeria Corporate Offices: 
Olive Italian Food From Russo's New YorkAuthor: PR Log Posted: Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:36 PM Who doesn’t love Italian food and olives? The medical community has stated that a Mediterranean Diet has many significant health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease and many types of cancer. One main stable in the Mediterranean Diet is Olives and Olive Oil. At Russo’s New York Pizzeria, only the best all natural ingredients are used to bring out the richness and flavors in homemade Italian recipes passed down through generations from the Russo family. The pizza dough and pasta’s are made onsite to ensure quality and freshness of the product. Other ingredients such as tomatoes, herbs and extra virgin olive oil are used. Russo’s uses Sicilian Olive Oil imported from Mt. Etna, an active volcano in Southern Italy. The volcanic ash produces fertile soil to support extensive agriculture, like growing olives and olive oil. The antioxidants in olive oil have been found to help fight colon cancer and heart disease, as well as reduce inflammation. “We offer old family recipes, featuring 100% natural ingredients imported from Italy to serve food that is better tasting, and better for us to eat,” said Founder and President Anthony Russo. Russo’s Heart Healthy menu offers various options. The popular Margherita pizza slice, with fresh roma tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil and garlic sauce is only 553 calories. Or you can try the coal-fired square thin crust Pizza Di Stagione – pizza for two with portobello mushrooms, grilled zucchini, grilled eggplant, fresh garlic, and pizza sauce for 641 calories, 1.66 grams of saturated fat, and 9.55 grams of fiber. As shown on March 20th, 2010 WFAA Good Morning Texas Show, Anthony was able to prepare Pescatori Di Gamberi, a healthy Italian meal with only 624.3, in less than 8 minutes. http://www.wfaa.com/ “Informing our customers of what they are eating is important to us,” continues Russo, “that’s why we have a nutrition guide for all our menu selections on our website.” I love Italian Food. Now go have a glass of red wine. It’s supposed to be good for you too. Mangiamo! 
Happy Anniversary to League City New York Pizzeria!Author: Laura Elder Posted: Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:31 PM Has it really been a year? Business partners Vic Matthews and Mike Putnal (a former captain with the Galveston Police Department) are marking the anniversary of their Russo’s New York Pizzeria franchise in the League City Town Center, on the southeast corner of Interstate 45 and FM 646 (in front of the Super Target). To celebrate, the eatery has rolled out a $5 lunch special, other daily specials and 99 cent beer and wine specials, they report. New York Pizzeria, a franchise created by Anthony Russo, is famous for brick oven pizza by the slice or the pie. But the eatery also is known for salads, pasta dishes, Italian entrees and desserts. The League City site is the second New York Pizzeria for Galveston County, the first being at 500 Seawall Blvd. on the island. 
Russo’s New York Pizzeria to open branch in Dallas’ Uptown in Fall 2010Author: Pegasus News Posted: Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:11 AM With our economy on the steady decline, many restaurants are having a difficult time keeping their doors open. No one told restaurateur Anthony Russo — he continues to expand his Russo’s New York Pizzeria franchise by opening more locations in 2010. Russo’s New York Pizzeria franchisee Brad Leedy is scheduled to open in Uptown Dallas in Fall 2010, along with several more Dallas locations slated in the next 12 months. In the March 2010 Issue of Every Day with Rachel Ray, Russo’s New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria is ranked one of the best pizzas in the United States. Known for his authentic Italian cuisine, characterized by premium ingredients and regional influences, Russo personally stands behind the Russo family standards and devotion to quality. “We’re very proud and excited about our additional locations,” says Russo. “We’re always happy to extend our family and share our fresh, Italian food with new neighbors.” With its traditional Italian décor and neighborhood pizzeria simplicity, guests will also enjoy an open view of cooks tossing fresh dough and baking pizzas in brick-ovens. The menu will feature original Russo family recipes including cooked-to-order pastas, salads, calzones, and – of course – New York style pizza. Russo’s New York serves lunch and dinner during standard restaurant hours. It will also offer delivery and home-catering services. 
Russo’s New York Ready to Cover the WorldAuthor: Marketing Successories Posted: Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:22 PM Houston-based Russo’s New York and Russo’s New York Coal Fired Italian Kitchen has plans to continue to take a bigger piece of the pie, and we’re not just talking pizza. Launched in 1978, the company has awarded over 32 franchises, with franchise stores already scheduled to open in Dallas, and McAllen by year end. But Russo’s isn’t only looking to expand in the South. Registered to expand franchise ownership in all 52 states, plans are already in place to expand in the U.S., as well as internationally, such as in the Middle East United Arab Emirates and Asia in 2010. With more than 30 years of proven operational expertise, Russo’s provides a franchise concept perfect for the fast casual Italian pizzeria restaurant owner. The new Russo’s New York Coal Fired Italian Kitchen is a perfect model for high income areas, offering gourmet fresh entrees at a moderate price. As President, Anthony Russo says “It’s the only chain in the market place that prepares every item fresh, in every location, using all natural ingredients imported from Italy.” To date, six Russo’s New York Italian Kitchen units have been sold. As part of the franchise agreement, Russo’s provides a complete pre-opening and ongoing training and support program to include site selection and assistance with lease negotiations, design, development and construction, and support every step of the way. Who wouldn’t want a Russo’s franchise, even if it’s just for the secret family recipes? Expect a Russo’s New York or a Russo’s New York Coal Fired Italian Kitchen to be in your area soon. About Russo’s New York Pizzeria Anthony Russo’s family started Russos’ in 1978 after moving from New York to Texas as a fine dining establishment that used recipes passed down through generations from the Russo family. By using his culinary experience, Anthony serves high quality fresh Italian food while providing a quick and casual dining experience. He still lives by his Dad’s saying that “If you can’t make it fresh, don’t serve it!” Today Russo's has over 28 International and U.S. based locations. Russo’s offers a full service Italian menu for dining in, carry out or catering, and specializes in NY style pizza baked in a coal-fired oven. As the franchise continues to grow, Anthony has always stayed grounded to his roots, that freshness and quality are his standards for success. To learn more about Russo’s New York Pizzeria, or franchise opportunities, please visit our website for more information at www.nypizzeria.com. Russo’s New York Pizzeria Corporate Offices: 5847 San Felipe, STE 1730 Houston, Texas 77057 713-821-1322 
Houston pizza goes to Las Vegas — and ChinaAuthor: Houston Chronicle Posted: Thu, 8 Apr 2010 03:53 PM Anthony Russo wasn't panicky. “Just concerned.” International Pizza Expo judges would arrive in 10 minutes to taste his plain cheese pie (this was the “traditional” portion of the contest), but his pizza was already done. This is the largest pizza trade show in the world. Six thousand pizza people from around the world are packed into the Las Vegas Convention Center. Big prize money and global bragging rights are at stake. It's no time for a limp, cold pizza. “A good pizza has to be served within one minute after coming out of the oven,” said Russo, founder of the New York Pizzeria chain in Houston. Ten minutes might as well be tomorrow. Not only would his pizza be limp and cold, it would look like leftovers from the back of your refrigerator. The cheese would be pasty. The sauce would soak into the crust and lose its color. It'd be nothing short of a disaster. Forget reheating the pizza. This is the Super Bowl of professional pizza contests. Popping a pizza back in the oven is for amateurs. Ten minutes? No problem. Russo shooed his staff from the table and went to work. He made a pizza in 60 seconds flat. He pounded the dough with his fist. He stretched it on the back of his hands. He slapped it, flipped it back and forth and tossed it in the air. Then he ladled just the right amount of sauce and sprinkled two handfuls of mozzarella evenly across the crust. It was like watching Picasso paint. Russo's pizza was picture-perfect, bubbling hot from the oven, just as the judges arrived. It wasn't the first pizza he ever made. “I started making pizzas in New Jersey, in my family's restaurant, when I was a kid,” he said. “I grew up in a kitchen. I've been making pizza all my life.” Russo moved to Houston in the early ' 90s. He opened his first New York Pizzeria — it's still there, on the corner of Greenbriar and Holcombe — in 1994. Then he opened one downtown. Still there. Then Meyerland. Still there. Now there are 32 New York Pizzerias in the Houston area. Russo owns five of them. The rest are franchised, but he maintains tight control, creating the menus, picking the ingredients, training the cooks. “It's been pretty remarkable, the way we've expanded,” he said. “But now we're getting ready to make an even bigger leap. A few months ago, I marketed my concept at a food industry show in Dubai, and we're going to be opening New York Pizzerias in China next year.” Russo said the pizza business has changed — but he hasn't. And his pizza won't. “The pizza you get today at New York Pizzeria is exactly the same product as the first day we opened in 1994. It is identical. Not one thing is different. “I get my flour from a supplier in New York. The cheese is from Wisconsin. The dry herbs and olive oil are from Italy. I have my own recipe for sausage, and we have a meat company in Ohio make it for us. We make our dough fresh in each restaurant every day. That's something the big chains can't do. Consistency and quality and putting out a product you're proud of. That's how you become successful.” Russo is a traditionalist. “To me, pizza is plain cheese on a thin crust.” He makes a face at “gourmet” pizzas, like the Cheddar cheese with chicken, walnuts and dried cherries concoction being made a few tables over. “They have two contests at the Pizza Expo, traditional and gourmet. I'm entered in both, but I'm really here to meet people and talk about the business and see what's going on with the industry. … Winning would be great, but it's more important just to stay connected and keep up with the times.” Russo didn't win. First place in the traditional division went to Eddy Rossignoli from Venice, Italy. First prize in the gourmet category went to Theo Kalogeracos from Jakarta, Indonesia, and Perth, Australia. His winning pizza was covered with mozzarella cheese, prawns marinated in wild rocket pesto, prosciutto, lemon juice and garlic cream sauce. “That just shows that pizza is worldwide now. It's different everywhere. If you put some New Yorkers in the same room with people from Chicago, it's like a pizza fist fight could break out. People are passionate about pizza. … When we get to China, we will sell our regular New York Pizzeria product, but we'll work in some Chinese spices. “Pretty cool, New York Pizzeria from Houston, going to China, huh?” 
Cooking with Russo's New York Coal Fired Italian KitchenAuthor: Good Morning Texas Posted: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 06:46 PM Cooking with Russo's New York Coal Fired Italian Kitchen 
McAllen Russo's New York Pizzeria - Best Pizza & Pasta in Town!Author: UrbanSpoon Posted: Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:28 PM Russo's New York Pizzeria is the best Pizza in town! It is delicious from the first to the last bite. Russo's pizza is the REAL thing. The 45 minute drive to McAllen is worth taking just to try Russo's every weekend. Their Penne pasta is to die for. I love it it is creamy, tasty, and very affordable. The pasta literally melts in your mouth and you can ask to add any ingredients to it. I like mine with tomatoe and chicken. The house salad is superb very fresh and crispy. The environment is family friendly. It is a great place to reserve for graduation, business, family or private parties. It has the best deserts as well. Cheesecake is off the chain! Perfect end to a perfect meal. I highly recommend this restaurant if you want to impress anyone this is the restaurant that exceeds all expectations!!!
57 people have voted
Russo's New York Pizza Honored by Rachel RayAuthor: Chain Leader Posted: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:55 AM Culinary Queen Rachel Ray chooses best pizza in the country; Russo's New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria makes the cut.  The cover story in the March issue of "Every Day with Rachel Ray" magazine is devoted to the hunt for the best pizza in America. Ray enlisted the help of pizza bloggers Ed Levine and Adam Kuban, who run the website Slice and traveled 11,000 miles to find the perfect pizza. The results? Houston's own Russo's New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria is ranked one of the best pizzas in the United States.Since the opening of the first coal-fired concept in spring 2008, Houston's best pizza has generated local and national buzz. Russo's New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria's fame continues to spread like wild-fire. Owner, Anthony Russo couldn't be prouder of his franchise's success and the opportunity to represent Houston and the lone star state in the South-Southwest division of the ultimate pizza showdown. Pizza lovers appreciate the enhanced flavor that only comes from baking with coal. Russo's New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria offers a crisper, slightly charred crust that truly embraces the authenticity of New York style pizza. And the fresh toppings cook instantly in the heat. It's no wonder Ray's pizza experts fell in love at first taste! The all-pizza-all-the-time bloggers started with 64 pizzerias from four regions in the country - West Coast, South-Southwest, East Coast and Midwest. Each pizzeria was graded on service, toppings and the interplay of crust, sauce and cheese. See results of America's Best Slice in the March issue of "Every Day with Rachel Ray." 
Russo's New York Pizzeria Owner To Visit U.A.E.Author: QSR Magazine Posted: Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:09 AM Anthony Russo, owner of Russo's New York Pizzeria, will exhibit at the 2010 Gulfood Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the region's largest and most important industry event. The food, drink, foodservice, and hospitality exhibition will take place February 21-24, taking up one million square feet of dedicated space at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center. The 2010 Gulfood Conference will be the biggest event in the show's history leveraging its regional influence to highlight the latest trends, innovations, and developments in the industry. It's a one-stop-shop for the foodservice professional, offering personal interaction between buyers and sellers, on-the-spot deal making, and the chance to sample food from top-notch chefs — including Anthony Russo and New York Pizzeria, who will be serving the company's signature extra-large, 28-inch party pizza. The pizza chain has an optimistic agenda for business development in international markets. With the logistics already in place, Russo plans on selling area development in the Middle Eastern market resulting in numerous franchise opportunities. "We're trying to build a global brand and are extremely excited about the opportunities that Gulfood will bring," Russo says. The future looks bright for the ambitious restaurateur, who has successfully expanded his franchise to 28 locations in Texas and surrounding states and achieved an outstanding 30 percent increase in pasta sales in 2009 alone. Gulfood is the perfect venue to facilitate growth for New York Pizzeria, providing access to one of the key growth markets for the food and beverage industry. The Middle East and its neighboring regions have been earmarked as 'windows of opportunity' according to the 2009 A.T. Kearney Global Retail Development Index. While other markets have endured economic hardship and decline in sales over the past year, these emerging markets have enjoyed continued growth, with eight of the top 20 countries in the Development Index in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. The United Arab Emirates makes the biggest jump in the Index this year, moving up to fourth from twentieth last year, thanks to an economy that has remained relatively sturdy during the global recession. 
No matter how you slice it, Anthony Russo's pizza is topsAuthor: Houston Chronicle Posted: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 02:27 AM  It'll be March madness for Anthony Russo. First, he's headed to Las Vegas to compete in the third annual International Pizza Challenge held at the International Pizza Expo, March 2-4. March is also the month that Russo's pizza makes the short list of best pizza in America in Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine. The cover story of the March issue of Ray's popular food glossy is devoted to the search for the country's outstanding pizza. Ray and her pizza experts scouted out 64 pizzerias in 25 cities before narrowing the results to 16 prize pies. Houston's Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen is among the best pizzerias in the country, according to Russo's publicist. Russo, owner of Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen and Russo's New York Pizzeria stores, calls his pies authentic New York style pizza. In Vegas, Russo will be competing in two categories: best traditional pizza and best non-traditional pizza. Winners in each category collect a cash prize of $10,000. But being included in Ray's magazine's survey of the best pizzerias in the country might be an even better prize for Russo. 
UrbanSpoon - Russo's New York Pizzeria voted #1 pizza restaurantAuthor: UrbanSpoon Posted: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 02:12 AM Russo's New York Pizzeria was chosen as THE #1 BEST pizza place in McAllen, and THE #5 BEST OVERALL restaurant in McAllen.  
2009 Nominee... Best Pizza in Houston ContestAuthor: Click2Houston Posted: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:51 PM The Click2Houston's Best features more than 1,500 of Houston's best local businesses. Eligible businesses are nominated by our readers and Winners are determined by popular vote meaning that YOU choose the Best of 2009. There were 45,166 votes in the 2009 Click2Houston's Best Pizza contest... Nominated this year... Russo's New York Coal Fired Pizzeria At New York Pizzeria, we're inspired
by the traditional Italian values of family, friends and, of course, food. Our
menu delivers delicious Italian meals prepared with our passion for food, fresh
ingredients and the goal of providing our guests a distinctive
dining experience. We have been serving quality food since
1978.
Italian Concept Wants Healthy HeartsAuthor: QSR Magazine Online Posted: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:52 PM Every year since 1963, Congress and the President have proclaimed February as "American Heart Month." Russo's New York Pizzeria's Houston, Texas–Westheimer and Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Richardson, Texas, locations celebrate "American Heart Month" by offering heart-healthy alternatives to your diet. Russo's New York Pizzeria partnered with Medical City Heart in the Restaurant Partner Program. Selected menu items have been endorsed by MCH using ingredients with approved low levels of sodium. Only recipes that meet approved levels of total fat, calories, and sodium earn this endorsement. No trans fats are permitted. With MCH's endorsement, New York Pizzeria offers customers a variety of choices that meet the heart-healthy guidelines, such as Pollo con Limoni—chicken breast topped with Portobello mushrooms, capers, sundried tomatoes, served with fettuccini cooked in a lemon garlic white wine sauce. Penne Mediterranean is another pasta dish that makes the heart-healthy list, made with fresh spinach, sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, feta cheese, and Sicilian extra virgin olive oil. Additional approved heart-healthy dishes are Pescatori di Gamberi (jumbo shrimp, angel hair pasta, and spicy marinara sauce), Grilled Shrimp Calzone, and Slice Heart Healthy Pizza. Russo's is taking it one step further by distributing the heart-healthy menu to medical center hospitals, local gyms, dieticians, and personal trainers, giving them healthy meal options to pass along to their clients. The menu will include information such as nutritional value so customers can make better choices when they dine at Russo's. "We want to offer our customers healthy choices when they dine with us without depriving them of flavorful ingredients that they've come to expect from New York Pizzeria," says owner Anthony Russo. Russo's New York Pizzeria is setting an example for local and national restaurants as they meet the country's new heart-healthy standards by reducing the amount of sodium used in their dishes. The New York City Health Department issued an initiative on January 11 urging restaurants and food companies across the country to voluntarily reduce their products' salt levels gradually by 25 percent over five years. Doing that would reduce the nation's salt intake by 20 percent. Many restaurants in New York and other partnering states may be joining Russo's New York Pizzeria in their fight against heart disease. 
Entrepreneur Magazine Recognizes Russo's New York PizzeriaAuthor: Entrepreneur Magazine Posted: Fri, 8 Jan 2010 04:09 PM Entrpreneur Magazine showcases restaurant franchises organized by category, then by their rank in the 2009 Franchise 500®, Entrepreneur’s comprehensive franchise ranking. Russo's New York Pizzeria # 462 in the 2009 Franchise 500®. 
Eight top tastes from Dallas-Fort Worth restaurants in 2009Author: Teresa Gubbins Posted: Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:09 PM Pizza at Russo's. Russo's is a major plus for the neighborhood, as there is absolutely nothing comparable on this stretch of 75. But this would be top-five pizza, regardless of the 'hood. The crust is thin, yet stretchy, and has char marks around the edges. And it has FLAVOR: There's a yeasty thing plus some salt in there. Topping selection is way above usual; they do a pizza with egg. But they don't overdo; they let the crust and the toppings shine. 
Sienna couple open new Missouri City pizzeriaAuthor: Houston Community Newspapers Posted: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 11:53 AM  A local couple is bringing the flavor of Italy to the Missouri City area with the recent opening of a new pizzeria.Doug and Allyson Huston of Sienna, owners of Russo’s New York Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, opened the doors of their new franchise in late August. The couple left behind careers in the corporate world in 2002 and has never looked back. “We were working for someone else for seven days a week and we weren’t having fun at it anymore and it was one of those things where at least I want to have fun doing what I do, so we thought why not work for ourselves,” Allyson Huston said. Former professionals for a national chain of retail stores, the couple ran a bed and breakfast inn in New Braunfels, Texas for more than five years before selling the business and deciding to start a new venture. “The franchise in 2007 was only in the Houston area and was growing really fast and kind of peaked our interest,” Allyson Huston said. Despite the tightening of loans and credit in the banking industry, the Huston’s were able to secure a loan to help open their business. “We were in the middle of all of that, but it didn’t impact us, although we did have to go through several banks to find the right loan,” she said.  The
Italian Kitchen, the newest concept in the New York Pizza franchise,
uses a coal-fired oven that runs on black coal mined out of
Pennsylvania and allows the pizzas to cook faster and adds a distinct
smoky flavor to the pies, according to the couple.The oven operates on anthracite coal that is loaded into the brick oven several times a day. “It is hard lump coal like the kind used in a train locomotive and it will heat the oven to up to 1,000 degrees and is super hot,” Allyson Hutson said. The restaurant also uses only fresh ingredients on all of their pizzas and makes all their dishes are made-to-order. “So many restaurants these days bring frozen foods off of a truck and heat it up and serve it, where here we actually bring in the raw meats and raw vegetables and make our own dressings and sauces and it all is hand made,” Doug Huston said. The chef also does daily specials using a variety of fresh meats. In the first two months since opening its doors, the restaurant has experienced a phenomenal response from customers. “People are loving the food and the atmosphere and loving the people in the restaurant,” Allyson said. “It is also is something in the area that is not fast food,” Doug Huston said of the restaurant’s attraction. A number of their customers come from the Sienna Plantation and surrounding neighborhoods. “They are just excited to have a restaurant in the area that they don’t have to drive into town for, all they have to do is drive out of their neighborhoods,” Allyson Huston said. “We have regular customers already that are coming two to three times a week,” she said. The restaurant offers its trademark specialty pizzas, a full-line of fresh pasta ranging from lasagna to fettuccini alfredo to shrimp tortellini, salads with homemade dressings, coal-fired flatbread bruschettas as well as a variety of appetizers and soups. “The franchise has always been known for its pizza, but with our Italian Kitchen concept, we have a full on menu of pastas as well,” Allyson Huston said. “We are doing half of our business in pizza and half of our business in pastas, salads and sandwiches, and we have the benefit of both,” the Missouri City restaurant owner said. The 2,700 sq. ft. restaurant seats ___ and has brought 22 jobs to the area. “I am a little heavy out here in the dining area, but wanted to make sure that we have great customer service,” Allyson Huston said of the restaurant’s staff. The restaurant offers a family-friendly atmosphere that provides a dining environment for both adults and children. “We are in a young community as well, Sienna Plantation is made up of a number of young families, so we do cater to families here,” Allyson Huston said. “We also have a wide-variety on the menu where mom and dad can come in and have a nice bottle of wine and eat a great pasta dinner and their kids can have a slice of pizza and gelato, so everyone can be happy,” Doug Huston said. The restaurant will roll out a new menu in the next two weeks with the start of brunch on Sundays, featuring a range of items from sausage, potato and egg pizzas to breakfast sandwiches to French toast. In addition to offering a new dining option to area residents, the couple also is giving back to the community. The pizzeria currently collaborates with Burton Elementary School in Fresno to provide 10 percent back to the school on “Spirit Nights” on overall meals purchased by students, parents and faculty from the school. “In the first two weeks we were opening I started contacting all of the schools to find out how we can help,” Allyson Huston said. “We also have donated items to area silent auctions to try to give back,” she said. The couple hopes to open up additional franchise locations in the future. The restaurant, located at 10350 Highway 6, Ste. G., also offers take-out and catering and is open 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Monday – Sunday. 
Best Calzone: Russo's New York Coal-Fired PizzeriaAuthor: D Magazine Posted: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:34 PM  Russo's comes to Richardson from Houston, where its specialty is New York-style pizza with a crisp-yet-chewy crust, produced by the blazing heat of its coal-fired oven. But that same yeasty dough is also used in the calzone. When they bring it to the table, it sprawls across your plate, hanging over the edges, big and fat, goading you to cut it down to size. Do as it bids: crack open the monster, become engulfed in its warm, yeasty aroma, then inhale the crusty bread and melted cheese.
Dear Anthony,Author: Zagat Survey Posted: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:39 PM  "I wanted to personally thank you for satisfying my cravings for a taste of home. I was born and raised (just like Texas cattle) on the lower east side of Manhattan. I have lived in Houston for ten years and have tried every pizza place in this city. Your restaurant is the ONLY one that has hit the nail on the head! Your pizzas and calzones take me right back to Mulberry Street. I was a steady customer at your Medical Center location and I'm thrilled that you have moved into the neighborhood. I wish you great success.Salute!" Linda Grand - staff 
New York PizzeriaAuthor: Herald-Voice Posted: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:35 PM 
"You gotta see it to believe it! The largest pizza in Houston comes from the New York Pizzeria, and like its name, this is a real New York pizza. I took home a 28 inch pizza and had to have my wife open the back door as far as it would go and then still had to tilt the pizza to get it into the house. I had to tilt it again by the entrance to the kitchen. I knew my doors were wide enough for the pizza; I just didn't figure on the even larger box that holds the pizza." - review by Theodore Powers, Food Editor 
N.Y. Pizza's Great - Any Way You Slice It excerpted fromAuthor: Houston Chronicle Posted: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:28 PM Frank Sinatra's on the juke box, fluorescent lights flicker overhead. I could be enjoying "a slice" at John's on Bleeker Street in New York, but I'm not. I'm in Meyerland at New York Pizzeria. "New York pizza has the same deserved reputation as Texas barbecue," said chef and owner Anthony Russo."You can eat pizza in every city in the world, but when you take your first bite of New York pizza, you know it's special." - review by Kathi Mosbacher 
Best of Citysearch: Houston RestaurantsAuthor: Citysearch Posted: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:27 PM 
#1 BEST PIZZA 2006
#2 BEST PIZZA 2008
AOL Best Pizza 2007: New York PizzeriaAuthor: AOL CityGuide Posted: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:22 PM "New York Pizzeria is the real deal. Giant slices of pizza cut from homemade pies are cooked the old-fashioned way in brick ovens. Hand tossed before your eyes, the Italian and Sicilian pies are the main attractions, while stuffed pizzas like Stromboli and spinach Calzones are also popular choices." 
2008 Houston Award - Best PizzaAuthor: U.S. Local Business Association Posted: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:16 PM  2008 U.S. Local Business Association's Award
New York Pizzeria has been selected for the 2008 Houston Award in the Pizza category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA). The USBLA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community. 
Checking out Russo’s Coal-Fired Pizzeria, serious new pizza place in RichardsonAuthor: Teresa Gubbins Posted: Thu, 28 May 2009 11:00 PM  Dallas doesn't yet get credit
from outsiders for its buzzy pizza scene, but we who live here know
that that past few years have been happy times for fans of good, even
great pizza. First Fireside Pies, then Campania, Coal Vines, Olivella's, Cavalli, Grimaldi's, and Rocco's in Fort Worth.Add to that list Russo's Coal-Fired Pizzeria, an exciting new spot that just opened in Richardson, at the new Eastside "urban village" development right off US 75 and Campbell Road. Russo's has one of the choicer locations in the development, visible from the freeway as well as from the DART Red Line, which trundles by every 20 minutes. Urban!  Russo's Coal-Fired Pizzeria, in the new urban village in Richardson. Russo's is a Houston-based pizza chain that launched in 1992; in 2008, the company created a Coal-Fired division, of which this Richardson branch is a part. Coal-fired is a selling point because it cooks the pizza very quickly and add lots of character and flavor to the crust. 
Bags of charcoal stacked convincingly at the door
Russo's uses a Wood Stone Fire Deck oven, which does incorporate coal, though it doesn't rely on it exclusively as a heat source. The oven has no door, said to be a plus for customers who like to watch the progress of the chefs. Note that oven is surrounded by gorgeous tiny irridescent tiles. 
Wood Stone Fire Deck oven at Russo's Coal-Fired Pizzeria in Richardson.
Russo's has the same "fast-casual" format as Pei Wei: You place your order at the counter and you get a number suspended on a clip. When your food's ready, it's brought to your table. With the place being so new, the logistics of this process haven't been resolved. One customer left and never received her dessert, which still sat on the counter. Another customer didn't take his number and a server wandered through the restaurant, trying to guess who ordered two salads. 
Russo's cashier is to the left and the bar and pizza oven are to the right. The menu's large: salads and half a dozen appetizers such as spinach-artichoke dip and calamari; flatbreads with toppings; panini sandwiches; pastas; and pizzas, both regular and a thin-crust square version. Toppings run from the "normal" sausage and pepperoni to unexpected items such as feta cheese and fig. Pizzas come in two sizes: a large, estimated to feed 3-4, and priced from $18.95 to $20.95; and a smaller size, estimated to feed 1-2, and costing $13.95 to $15.95. So it's not cheap. But perhaps because they are still new and don't have a routine in place, they didn't deliver orders in their entirety simultaneously. However, they did deliver the food when it was hot; and most dishes, whether pizza or pasta, seem designed for sharing. Atmosphere was extremely casual. 
Ingredient bin includes fresh mushrooms and green peppers -- encouraging.
Pizzas were excellent, both because of the personality of the crust, and also because of the quality and diversity of the toppings. They do the rare but appreciated topping of a sunny-side egg (called here "edgy" and "on trend"); the only other pizzeria in town that offers pizza with egg is Cavalli. 
Pizza with prosciutto and egg
The egg gets cracked right onto the pizza, cooking along with the crust until it's just set; it's rich and unique. Russo's had a lot of egg, probably 3 to 4 on the small pizza, along with fanned-out slices of prosciutto that were chewy but not "rubbery". The combination was like a clever spin on bacon and eggs. Tomato sauce was ladled on discreetly; theirs has a cheery brightness with a pronounced hit of oregano. Chicken pesto pizza had chunks of white-meat chicken, fresh spinach leaves, pesto sauce, mozzarella and feta cheese; both pizzas were slightly heavy on the oil.  But the story here was the crust: crackly and dark on the edges, chewy in the transitional area, and extra thin -- too thin? -- in the center. The rims had areas that were nearly burned, which added not just good crunch but also a toasted-popcorn flavor with a yeasty undertone. It gave the pizza an extra component, making the crust a more complex experience than just a slab on which toppings were conveyed. 
Stromboli with marinara sauce The same dough is used on their calzones, which looked absurdly huge with their edges falling off the plate. There's one with Canadian bacon and ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, and another with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, and so on, but you can also just create your own. You get a ramekin of marinara for dipping. 
Lobster ravioli
Lobster ravioli was a revelation because it had palpable chunks of lobster inside the pasta pockets. You don't usually expect anything more than a puree of ricotta with a random lobster shred, and so to cut one in half and find an actual piece of claw meat seemed ultra-indulgent. The pasta came with an extremely rich mascarpone cream sauce. A little of this dish went a long way. 
Closeup of lobster ravioli
Desserts, said one of the employees, are Russo's recipes, made to their specifications, but by someone else. The case was appealing with its slices of Italian cream cake, white and dark chocolate cake, and oversized chocolate chip cookies. 
Dessert case at Russo's
New York cheesecake was tall-and-high with an impeccable fineness. But the cake wasn't as dense as it looked. Cheesecake is such a subjective thing. But the graham cracker crust was notably good, with a good salt-and-sugar grit running through to give the bland cheesecake some pizazz. 
New York-style cheesecake
Sinatra-esque jazz played in the background, a motif perhaps borrowed from Grimaldi's. The walls were lined with patches of brick including archways that held B&W photos of New York landmarks such as the Chrysler Building. Tables and chairs were functional-grade but there was a pretty red chandelier hanging in one corner of the dining room. 
B&W photos of New York landmarks on the walls.
There's lots of good things to say about Russo's. It won the best pizza nod from the Houston Press, it's already drawing customers, and it's bringing high-end pizza to the east side of 75. Bravo. 
Houston-based Russo’s Coal-Fired Pizzeria opening in RichardsonAuthor: Teresa Gubbins Posted: Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:53 PM Houston-based Russo's New York Pizzeria is opening a branch of its "Coal-Fired" chain in Richardson this spring, bringing to the Dallas-area another pizzeria that employs a gen-you-wine coal-fired oven. Called Russo's Coal-Fired Pizzeria, it's a small subset of the Houston-based chain. Russo's was the first to bring coal-fired pizza to Houston a year ago [first written about by Robb Walsh], but not all of its 25-odd Houston-area locations are coal-fired. That makes this branch special. The Richardson branch is going into the same "urban village" on Campbell just east of 75 that's also home to Twisted Root, Panera, Jersey Mike's, and a bunch of loft-y type apartments. The story on Russo's is that they moved to Houston in 1978 and opened Russo’s Italian Restaurant. In the early 90s, Anthony Russo opened Anthony’s Pizzeria, a New York-style pizzeria, in Clear Lake, and then opened New York Pizzeria in Houston in 1992. The Russo's Coal-Fired Pizzeria concept was launched in 2008. 
My Russo's Coal-Fired Pizza pix : Pure TormentAuthor: Cook's Tour: Alison Cook Posted: Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:33 PM So I'm back from Maine, and already I am wishing I had time for a run out to Russo's New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria.  The sliced sausage and red onion pie at Russo's New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria.  The coal-fired sausage and red onion pizza, up close. Instead I am just going to have to content myself with staring at a couple of photographs I took of my favorite sliced sausage and red onion pizza, an example of the simpler-is-better principle for ordering here. I was going to set one of these photos as my desktop background, but I realized if I did I would never get any work done. Too Pavlovian. I haven't forsworn my allegiance to the thin, high-style Italian pies at Marco Wiles's Dolce Vita Pizzeria Enoteca, but there's something about the no-nonsense, blue-collar appeal of the Russo's Coal-Fired pies that calls to me, even from 25 miles away. And boy, was I happy to see in the comments section of my Russo's Coal-Fired restaurant review last week that the owners went out and purchased two wine coolers, so now their reds will be served at cellar rather than room temperatures. It makes me even gladder to be home. * photos by Alison Coo 
Top 100 Pizza Companies 2008Author: Pizza Today Posted: Tue, 8 Jul 2008 04:02 PM Each Year Pizza Today mails surveys to pizza company executivesaccross the nation. Working off their responses, they compile the "Top 100 Pizza Companies" list -- a ranking of America's 100 largest pizza companies (based on sales). Russo's New York Pizzeria made the cut! In the 2008 issue of Pizza Today, page 62 - 63 lists the top 100 pizza companies in America, and Russo's New York Pizzeria ranked in the top 100 in 2008. 
Extra Crispy at Russo's New York Coal-Fired PizzeriaAuthor: Houston Press Posted: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:38 PM  "Was
the crust black on the edges?" a fellow pizza geek asked me when I
reported on my first experience at Russo's New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria."It was dark brown here and there, but not black," I reported. "Didn't you tell them to make it extra-crispy?" my friend nearly shouted in disbelief. "No," I had to admit I had left out this critical bit of info from my order. Evidently, in order to get a real East Coast coal oven pizza with scorched black spots on the crust, you have to assure your waitperson that you want your pizza well done. Not that I was complaining. The first pizza I got at Russo's on 290 was very impressive. They had my favorite topping -- sliced Italian sausage with fennel. And the pizza had a spectacular crust. There were big yeast bubbles and some dark crunchy spots on the edge of the pie. It's this kind of uneven texture, thin and crispy in some spots and thick and bready in other places, that makes for a great pizza. Since that first experience, I have eaten two more pizzas at Russo's Coal-Fired, and I have found that "extra-crispy" is indeed the secret password. I tried a "Manhattan Special" pizza off of Russo's menu ordered extra-crispy. It featured the thin-sliced Italian fennel sausage I like so much with green peppers, onions and mozzarella. But while the crust was slightly charred and very crispy along the edges, unfortunately, the raw onions and peppers gave off so much liquid in the cooking process that the pizza quickly grew gloppy in the middle while it sat on the table. It was an extra-crispy mushroom-and-pepperoni pie that came out just about perfect. The whole pizza was extremely crisp, and it stayed that way. In fact, a couple of slices taken home and refrigerated overnight crisped up just fine when I reheated them the next day. The owner of Russo's New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria, a New Yorker named Anthony Russo, went to a whole lot of trouble to build the first coal-fired pizza oven in Houston. It's odd when you think about it. After all the technological advances in pizza ovens over the last few decades, somebody had to revert to a century-old style of baking to remind us what pizza is supposed to taste like. America's oldest pizzerias -- such as Lombardi's in New York, which was founded in 1905, and Frank Pepe's in New Haven, Connecticut, which opened in 1926 -- were built at a time when coal ovens were common for bakeries. The huge coal oven at Pepe's is made of shiny "fire bricks" that are built to withstand the intense heat of a coal fire that is never extinguished. But coal-fired ovens became obsolete when gas and electric-fired stainless steel bakery ovens came along. The best stainless steel ovens, like the Baker's Pride, turn out a decent pizza. But in the 1980s, these were in turn made obsolete by the super-fast "impinger" oven. This style of conveyor-belt convection oven revolutionized the pizza business by cooking a pizza in six minutes. And thus the promise of a 30-minute delivery time became possible. Impinger ovens are ubiquitous today -- you see them in all sorts of fast-food applications, including sandwich shops that sell toasted sandwiches. The fast, easy-to-use and relatively inexpensive impinger ovens turned pizza into fast food in the United States. In the last 20 years, in a backlash against the declining quality of pizza, upscale Italian restaurants like Dolce Vita have turned their backs on all this new technology and revived the primitive, wood-burning brick oven. These ovens turn out wonderful pizzas, but they don't get as hot as coal-burning ovens. When I visit a barbecue joint, I try to walk around back and take a look at the pit. Real barbecue men are proud to show you their equipment and talk about what kind of wood they are burning. If the pit is hidden away or the management doesn't want you to see it, odds are it's a stainless steel "virtual barbecue" oven that is heated with gas or electric power with a couple of logs added for flavor. It's getting to be the same story with pizzerias and their ovens. A couple of years ago, I stopped by the new Frank Pepe's pizzeria in Fairfield, Connecticut. The Pepe's folks had been in business for 80 years on Wooster Street in New Haven, and nobody thought they could equal the quality of their old coal oven pizzeria somewhere else. But the first thing they did at the new place in Fairfield was to build a brand-new coal oven. On my first and only visit to the Fairfield Pepe's, I parked in the lot along the side of the building and walked around back to see the coal oven. There was a guy back there shoveling big chunks of coal who was happy to take a break and talk. I felt like I was visiting a barbecue joint. The pie at Pepe's Fairfield location proved to be just as awesome as the original. Which proves that they can make coal oven pizzerias like they used to. Pizza makers are just like barbecue joint owners -- some are proud of their equipment, and some aren't. I stopped into a new pizzeria in a shopping center at Westheimer and Fountainview the other day and asked what kind of pizza oven they were using. What does the oven have to do with the taste of the pizza?" the owner asked elusively. "You are using an impinger oven," I quickly concluded. The owner got pissed at me and gave me a long tirade about how many successful Dallas pizzerias use impinger ovens. I left without ordering anything. At Russo's New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria, near the intersection of the Northwest Freeway and Highway 6, Anthony Russo is more than happy to talk about his oven. Russo is attempting to re-create the old-fashioned coal-fired pizzeria experience in a suburban strip center. Given the limitations of the location, he couldn't build a giant coal oven like they use at Pepe's. So instead, he imported a brick oven from Seattle. The oven was originally designed to burn wood, but Russo had it adapted for coal, which burns at a much hotter temperature. The new-fangled coal oven burns anthracite, a clean and virtually smokeless variety of coal. But the superhot oven is only part of what Anthony Russo is doing right at his coal oven pizzeria. You don't get a pizza crust with this kind of fabulous texture unless you can turn out a high-rising, yeasty dough every day. And the only way to keep such a great pizza from getting gloppy is to teach every apprentice pizza maker in the place that you aren't doing your customers any favors when you pile too many toppings on the pie. And then there's the excellence of the toppings themselves. As long as they can keep the oven hot, the dough yeasty and the toppings high in quality and low in quantity, Russo's New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria will have the best pie in Houston. 
Russo's New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria: Not Being Frank, But Still TastyAuthor: Houston Press Posted: Mon, 2 Jun 2008 07:07 PM  I tried a sliced sausage and green pepper pizza at Russo's New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria at 290 and Highway 6 over the weekend. The sausage was real Italian with a nice fennel aroma. But it was the crust that set this pizza apart. It was crunchy and slightly charred along the perimeter with a very crispy bottom and big yeast bubbles along the edges to add chewy texture. So I can say with authority that the first coal-fired pizza oven in Houston is turning out an outstanding pie. The oven was one those red brick jobs that you find in gourmet Italian restaurants only Russo's was burning coal in it instead of the usual wood. There was a big pile of anthracite coal bags piled up on the floor in case you were wondering what kind of coal they used. 
2008 Best Pizza in Houston: Russo's New York Coal-Fired PizzeriaAuthor: Houston Press Posted: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:25 PM At Russo's New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria near the intersection of the Northwest Freeway and Highway 6, Anthony Russo has re-created the old-fashioned coal-fired pizzeria experience in a suburban strip center. But the superhot oven is only part of what Russo is doing right. You don't get a pizza crust with this kind of fabulous texture unless you can turn out a high-rising yeasty dough every day. And the only way to keep such a great pizza from getting gloppy is to teach every apprentice pizza maker in the place that you aren't doing your customers any favors when you pile too many toppings on the pie. And then there's the quality of the toppings themselves. As long as they can keep the oven hot, the dough yeasty and the toppings high in quality and low in quantity, Russo's New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria will have the best pie in Houston. 
A Slice of Heaven: New York Pizzeria bakes up a pie that's the stuff of dreamsAuthor: Houston Press Posted: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 10:32 PM "Recently, I spent three weeks working on an archaeological dig in Central America. In camp, we subsisted on a diet of rice and beans, beans and rice and -- on special occasions -- plantains, beans and rice. Small wonder that our favorite entertainment was the "What I'm Gonna Eat When I Get Home" game. We'd lounge around camp in the long tropical evenings and dream of American food. Sweet little Katy from Mississippi would describe her mama's fried chicken, real mashed potatoes and fried okra." - review by Margaret Biggs |
Checking out Russo’s Coal-Fired Pizzeria, serious new pizza place in Richardson Teresa Gubbins May 28, 2009
A Slice of Heaven: New York Pizzeria bakes up a pie that's the stuff of dreams Houston Press August 28, 1997 |
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