What One Of The Woodlands’ Favorite Chefs Cooks at Home — Amerigo’s Grille’s Arturo Osorio Relishes the Heat

Editor’s note: This is the first story in a new series on what top Texas chefs cook at home.

Executive Chef Arturo Osorio has helmed the kitchen at Amerigo’s Grille in The Woodlands since day one in 1994. That’s more than 30 years at the stove. Chef A is a fixture in The Woodlands, but his accolades stretch far beyond that.

Amerigo’s is widely known for its elevated Italian food, but at home Chef A prefers the heat of the grill.

He’s a purist when it comes to fuel — charcoal only. “Because of the flavor,” he says. No gadgets. Nothing fancy. Just fire.

At home, Osorio is the go-to grill master. His must-haves: charcoal, his backyard grill and the proper tongs. “So I don’t burn myself,” he says with a grin.

Most often, there are steaks on the grill. That’s the top request from his wife Gracie — “a good cook in her own right” in Osorio’s words — and his children. Though the kids are grown and out of the house, when they return for a special meal, it’s almost always steak. 

If the family’s in the mood, Osorio swaps the steaks for ribs, fajitas or hamburgers.

From Grill to Saucepan

When the weather keeps Arthuro Osorio away from his beloved grill, he whips up his signature sauce: pomodoro. He adds it to either bucatini or linguine, two of his favorite pastas.  

“I like to brown my garlic with the olive oil first,” Osorio says. “That way, the flavor comes from the garlic.” He keeps his pomodoro simple, sticking to garlic, olive oil, basil and tomato.

Fresh ingredients matter at home to this chef too. Osorio relies on his own backyard garden for his herbs and a few vegetables.

“Every year I try to cultivate my own garden, especially herbs,” Osorio tells PaperCity The Woodlands. “This year, I have mint, rosemary, basil, peppers and tomatoes.” 

But his modest garden doesn’t yield enough tomatoes to keep him in pomodoro year-round. So when he needs more, he turns to Atkinson Farms. That’s his go-to spot for fresh produce, especially tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini. For everything else, Osorio swears by H-E-B. He says their produce is fresh all year long.

The menu at Amerigo’s Grille is classically Italian. But at home, Osorio plays around. Occasionally, those experiments inspire something on the restaurant menu.

“We might love something I cook at home, but it’s not always right for the restaurant,” Osorio notes. “Still, those home experiments help with inspiration. If someone comes in asking for a specific dish, like something with eggplant, I can draw from what I’ve made at home and adapt it for the menu.”

This chef is always cooking.

Amerigo’s Grille is located at 25250 Grogans Park Drive in The Woodlands. It’s open Mondays through Fridays from 11 am to 9 pm, Saturdays from 5 pm to 10 pm and is closed on Sundays. For more information and reservations, go here.