Cedar Park Leander Edition | April 2022

DINING FEATURE Giovanni’s Pizza and Pasta Family-run kitchen focuses on quality and taste W hen looking for a local choice in Leander, Giovanni’s Pizza and Pasta features a variety of Italian and Tex- Mex oerings. The counter-service restaurant family, or like a friend,” Osario said. The new owners take pride in their BY SUMAIYA MALIK

in-house recipes and keep adding menu items based on their clientele. Aside from the Italian-style, crispy pizzas, of which pepperoni and meat lovers are the most popular toppings, the chicken fajita bowl and breakfast tacos are popular to-go items on the Tex-Mex side. The pizzas are sold as full pies and not by the slice in medium and large sizes, while Osario’s daughter Gabby, who prepares the desserts, recom- mends the an and the tres leches cakes to end the meal. A new item to the menu is homemade tortillas, which Osario makes herself in house. Osario has lived in Texas for 10 years and also worked as a seamstress before coming to Giovanni’s as a cook, after which she began looking to own a food truck. But after a con- versation with the taking ownership of the shop was a dream come true. Osario, though, said it would have happened much earlier if she had ever gone to school, though she said she taught herself how to read and write. Even though they own the kitchen, she and her son still get up early in the morning for a typical nine-hour shift but also have plans to open a free-standing restaurant of their own in Hutto in the coming months. previous owner, she and her son oered to take Giovanni’s on as their own. For the mother and son,

is located inside Whitewing Market at 2036 US 183, Ste. 100, Leander. Its owners, a mother-son duo, rst worked in Giovanni’s as employees for over two years but took over ownership in 2021 while retaining much of the menu. “The recipes were always ours,” said Rodrigo Villaverde Jaimes, who co-owns Giovanni’s with his mother, Elvia Jaimes Osario. Osario, who only speaks Spanish and had her son translate for her, started working for Giovanni’s from the day the kitchen opened its doors in 2019. She also worked

From left, Rodrigo Villaverde Jaimes co-owns Giovanni’s Pizza and Pasta with his mother, Elvia Jaimes Osario, seated with her granddaughter Marlet Yarelith Santizo Villaverde. PHOTOS BY SUMAIYA MALIKCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

Giovanni’s oers an array of toppings such as pepperoni ($12.50). (Courtesy Giovanni’s Pizza and Pasta)

Giovanni’s serves a variety of tacos such as the beef fajita taco ($2.99). (Courtesy Giovanni’s Pizza and Pasta)

While Italian food staples are in the name, Giovanni’s Pizza and Pasta oers a variety of favorites on its menu, including some Tex-Mex options. Here are some of Giovanni’s most popular items. MENU PICKS

“WE TALK TO CUSTOMERS ALMOST LIKE FAMILY, OR LIKE A FRIEND.” ELVIA JAIMES OSARIO, OWNER

with the previous owner to develop the recipes, Jaimes said, and won her employer over with her honesty and hard work. When

Tex-Mex: chicken fajita bowl, breakfast tacos

Dessert: an, tres leches cake

Pizza: pepperoni, meat lovers

the business changed hands in June 2021, she did not change any avors or even the ambiance of the kitchen to keep business as usual for its regulars. According to the duo, they have a line of customers at breakfast and lunch, and 80% are repeat customers, many of whom come in every day from nearby businesses and highway construction crews. “We talk to customers almost like

HOOT OWL LN. N.

Giovanni’s Pizza andPasta 2036 US 183, Ste. 100, Leander 512-548-6955 www.giovannis-leander.com Hours: 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon., 6 a.m.-3 p.m. & 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Tue.-Sat., Sun: 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

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CEDAR PARK LEANDER EDITION • APRIL 2022