Peking duck noodles
Expect his signature blend of classic and fun cuisine, with a Texas twist — this time applied to Chinese food. The restaurant's menu and interiors are designed to bring to mind Chinese restaurants in Berg's native New York, home to "some of my first and favorite dining memories," he says. “I want to give Houston those same moments but put a Texas-touch on it with a localized, ingredient-rich menu that they can experience in a luxe and exciting atmosphere.”
Executive Chef Shirong Mei steered the menu; the Chinese-born chef has more than three decades of experience cooking in Cantonese restaurants across Asia and the U.S. Some dishes will be very familiar to patrons by name, but less so by appearance: The General Tso's chicken, for example, is served as a tempura-fried half chicken. And the Peking Duck at Benny Chow's takes three days to prepare. It's a seven-pound, specially sourced Jurgielewicz duck, and one of the restaurant's private dining spaces offers a front-row view of the process.
Berg's commitment to local is shown in plates like the Smoked Brisket Egg Roll and the Holy Trinity Fried Rice, both starring Truth BBQ, another Wash Ave neighbor. The diverse menu also includes comfort foods like dim sum and cold sesame noodles, and even more indulgent delicacies like foie gras and white sturgeon caviar. Cocktails are equally diverse: There's the Ruby Foo’s Teardrop with gin and butterfly-pea-flower tea (yes, really). Then there's the ultimate tiki drink experience called Mr. K's Scorpion, brought to the table in a towering crystal decanter and garnished with scorpion lollipops, meant to serve several.
As for the interiors, Berg Hospitality’s VP of Design & Experience, Sam Governale, partnered with Gail McCleese of Sensitori to create the "experiential design." They procured authentic Chinese artifacts and architectural antiques, and set them among materials like wood, stacked stone and black lacquered furniture. Motifs of cherry blossoms, bird cages and accents of red and gold can be found throughout the inside, while outside on the patio, diners are transported to New York's Chinatown thanks to ornate lanterns dropping from patio light strands, recreated Chinese storefront signs, and an intricate water feature.
The rest of this year should also bring several additional Berg Hospitality projects, including Turner's Cut steakhouse, Annabelle's brasserie, Buttermilk Baby diner, Dune Road seafood, and the rooftop patio bar Canopy Social, situated atop Benny Chows.
2-pound lobster noodles
Brisket fried rice
Orange beef
18-vegetable salad
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Mushroom pizza
“Why pizza and crudo? It was pretty simple,” said Gallivan. “I (and most people) love pizza. Since Houston is hot most of the time, balancing pizza with lighter, cold seafood dishes is a nice combination.” Gallivan describes his place, which is inhabiting a vintage bungalow, as homey — a casual neighborhood spot where you can pop in for a drink and a bite or for date night.
Named after Gallivan’s children, Eleanor and Ronan, Elro also offers salads, elevated snacks and hoagies on housemade bread. Tempting starters include spicy cucumbers with toasted peanuts and mint, saltimbocca sausage, and unagi arancini fritters made with crispy barbecue eel. The opening menu reveals six different crudos – think nepitlla-cured salmon with apples; and snapper with pickled mango, olives and chiles. Come hungry for puffy-crusted pizzas in mouthwatering choices such as mushroom with smoked maitake, rosemary and tomato, and mortadella with pistachio pesto, balsamic, onions and Parmesan. Meat lovers will dig the chorizo with piquillo peppers and arugula and the guanciale with Parmesan sauce and dusted in black pepper.
Cured salmon crudo
Badlands Shandy cocktail
Gallivan, who was the chef and wine buyer at The Pass and Provisions, has curated a concise wine list ranging from natural sparklers and New World favorites to Old World benchmarks. The bar features classic cocktails and house specialties from bar manager Patrick Dougherty, as well as tap beer. Art deco pendants and globe lights hang throughout the space, which is paved in whimsically printed emerald green wallpaper, while the terracotta-like tiles on the main bar are a nod to terracotta used in traditional pizzerias.
Paying homage to its circa-1928 bungalow, the interiors maintain the feeling of coming into someone’s home. Gallivan tapped designer Betty Maccagnan for the interior design, who he worked with previously on The Pass and Provisions. For Elro, she created an intimate, playful space that’s equally welcoming to singles and couples as well as families. The main dining area features vintage chairs updated with grass green velvet, with Terrence’s kids’ favorite colors of yellow and blue highlighted throughout the room. Vintage Salterini-style wrought iron patio furniture updated with white paint and tropical pink fabric grace the patio creating a mix of old and new.
Elro is open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday with plans to open on Tuesdays soon. Lunch service will begin June 28. Don’t leave without trying the towering, chocolate-drenched Maraschino soft-serve ice cream!
Maraschino soft-serve ice cream
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