Cypress Edition | July 2023

DINING FEATURE Passerella Ristorante & Wine Bar Passion, creativity on display at local Italian eatery P aul and Doris Miller opened multiple types of lighting and wall art that help create the upscale vibe they were looking for in the new concept. BY DAVE MANNING

Passerella Ristorante & Wine Bar in summer 2022, bringing an upscale menu and interior to The Boardwalk at Towne Lake. The couple owns several restau- rants under the Gr8 Plate Hospitality umbrella, including Jax Grille and The Union Kitchen. Paul crafted the menu, borrowing from his extensive experience in the restaurant industry, starting with Pappas Restaurants as well as other well-renowned restaurants, including McCormick & Schmick’s. “My rst job was washing dishes, then I got promoted to busboy, and I got to actually be out front. And then once I was pretty good at that, then I got to be a server. And then when you’re a good server, you get to be a bartender; you know, that was just kind of the way it was back in the day. So I learned ... all the pieces. And that’s what kind of made me start to fall in love with the business,” Paul said. He then made the leap to owner- ship and has never looked back. With more than 20 years of restaurant experience, he was named the 2018 Restaurateur of the Year by the Greater Houston Restaurant Association and a 2018 Outstanding Restaurateur by the Texas Restaurant Association. With Paul’s longtime love of the restaurant industry and Doris’ passion for interior design, the interior of the Passerella showcases

From left, owners Paul and Doris Miller with their daughter Sarah Miller and General Manager John Karber.

Paul and his management team worked with their corporate chef James Lundy and the culinary team of husband-and-wife kitchen creatives Ed and Stephanie Roberts. Together, they developed traditional Italian dishes with some creative twists. “We knew we wanted a meatball; ... we wanted lasagna; ...we wanted calamari; ... and we did some of the seafood items. But when people think about Italian food, they really think about that New York Italian, which is ... the [chicken Parmesan] and the pizzas and the prosciutto. But those are more northern Italy,” Paul said. Over the rst six months of oper- ation, the team changed the menu and the wine selection to reect what patrons wanted. “So we thought we were going to be opening with probably 75% white wine, a lot of seafood, but that has morphed into probably 75% red wine and more red sauces,” Paul said. “We still have multiple salads and the cheese board because we really do want to be known for our wine bar.” Paul, who is a certied sommelier, developed the wine list the new restaurant concept needed. Menu favorites also include a seven-layer lasagna, pan-seared duck and Fritto Misto, a fried calamari dish with shrimp.

DAVE MANNINGCOMMUNITY IMPACT

4 DISHES TO TRY

Pan-seared duck ($29.95)

Chef Ed’s 7 Layer Lasagna ($17.95)

The duck is served with vegetable couscous and blackberry gastrique.

This dish is made with an Italian cheese blend, meat sauce, ricotta and basil.

DAVE MANNINGCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Pizza of the day ($17.95)

Fritto Misto ($19.95)

Chef-inspired pizzas are made from fresh ingredients.

Calamari and shrimp are served with anchovies, arugula and a vinaigrette.

DAVE MANNINGCOMMUNITY IMPACT

COURTESY PASSERELLA

Passerella Ristorante & Wine Bar 9945 Barker Cypress Road, Ste. 122, Cypress 281-213-2770 www.passerellaitaliano.com Hours: Mon.-Thu. 4-9 p.m., Fri.- Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

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CYPRESS EDITION • JULY 2023