New Montrose Restaurant Charms With European Comfort Food and Anything But Your Typical Pizzas

The name is unforgettable: Rosie Cannonball — the new Montrose restaurant brought to the Houston scene by Peter McCarthy, David Keck, June Rodil and Felipe Riccio of Goodnight Hospitality, which also developed the neighboring Montrose Cheese & Wine, both of which opened within weeks of each other.

Goodnight has given the block a facelift with a little help from architectural firm Curtis & Windham, while New York designer Robert McKinley fashioned Rosie Cannonball’s modern, light-filled interiors.

Reserve a table and sip a complimentary glass of Lambrusco selected by Master Sommeliers David Keck and June Rodil, whose wine list is strong on Italian, Spanish and French imports. Chef/partner Felipe Riccio and chef de cuisine Adam Garcia focus on European comfort food centered around the kitchen’s wood-burning oven and grill, with vegetables from Pete and wife Bailey McCarthy’s Good Thyme Farm in nearby Bellville.

Start with sharable plates such as little gem lettuces topped with smoked trout roe and a creamy sherry vinaigrette ($12); or a warm version of caponata with roasted eggplant, capers, tomatoes and almonds ($14).

Then there are the pizzas, with a high-hydration dough that yields a chewy and crisp crust worthy of praise. The three-cheese version is topped with handcrafted mozzarella, latteria and cacciota from cheese producer Lira Rossa in Moulton, Texas. The melty, pully trio has a deep texture and heightened flavor, putting ordinary mozzarella to shame ($18).

Pastas include Rigatoni di Mancini tossed with friarielli pesto, served with Lira Rossa smoked ricotta and butter-fried bread crumbs ($18). Yearning for a bit of protein cooked over a live fire? Options include half-chicken Basquaise ($26), bream with pil-pil sauce and marinated citrus salad ($32), pork chop ($36), and bone-in steak Fiorentina (market price).

For dessert, try pastry chef Shawn Gawle’s homespun mint gelato with caramelized cocoa nibs and a drizzle of dark chocolate ($8). Heads-up: Coming from the McCarthys in 2020 is March — a 26-seat tasting-menu restaurant upstairs.

Rosie Cannonball, 1618 Westheimer Road.