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La Griglia, a popular Italian restaurant owned by local billionaire Tilman Fertitta, is officially moving after more than three decades in the River Oaks Shopping Center.
The restaurant will end its service at 2002 W. Gray St. on Nov. 4 before moving to a vacated space about a mile away. The new location, at 2817 W. Dallas St., will open with a "reimagined look and menu" on Nov. 20, the company said.
La Griglia's new home was formerly occupied by Nino's, one of three former restaurants the family of the late Vincent Mandola sold in 2022. An affiliate of Houston-based Oxberry Group and TKG Capital Partners purchased the property to turn it into a mixed-use development dubbed the Harlow District.
The former Nino's space is about 7,000 square feet, according to Oxberry's information about the Harlow District. The Houston Chronicle reports that La Griglia's new location will seat nearly 300.
The Houston Business Journal has reached out for more information.
La Griglia's new location will be designed with sleek marble and brass juxtaposed by warm leathers and crisp white tablecloths, the company said. The space will offer an intimate main dining room and a wine room, and the Harlow District features a large courtyard area.
Chef Mark Ladner, a James Beard Award winner from New York and a two-time Michelin Star recipient, helped create a new menu for La Griglia, a combination of the restaurant's signature dishes and new offerings. The dishes feature "simple, uncomplicated ingredients elegantly presented," many of which were sourced from Italy, said La Griglia executive Brandon Busch.
“La Griglia has been a Houston staple for decades, and we are grateful to the many patrons who continually support the restaurant and its fine staff,” Fertitta said in a statement. “The La Griglia team has worked hand-in-hand to create an elevated menu and atmosphere unlike anything our dedicated diners have seen or tasted. La Griglia looks forward to welcoming both longtime patrons and first-time guests to experience a restaurant that is fresh yet familiar.”
Houston-based Landry's Inc., part of Fertitta's hospitality empire, acquired La Griglia and two Grotto restaurants in 2003 from Tony Vallone, a legendary Houston restaurateur who died in 2020.
Meanwhile, Vincent Mandola also died in 2020. He and his wife, Mary Mandola, first opened Nino's Restaurant in 1977.
Other restaurants within the 2.57-acre Harlow District include Verde Garden, which the team behind Heights Bier Garten opened in April, and Katami, which the team behind Kata Robata opened shortly after the La Griglia move was announced.