Pizza, Pizza! Magdalena’s Is Latest in Long Line of New ‘Za Spots Popping Up All Over Houston

Alex Montoya
Pizza, Pizza! Magdalena’s Is Latest in Long Line of New ‘Za Spots Popping Up All Over Houston

Prosciutto E Rucola Pizza

CAN HOUSTON HAVE enough piping-hot pizza places? It appears not, as ones like Nonno’s garner national acclaim and celeb-backed ones like Pizzana open on prime corners.


What’s one to try next? Magdalena’s, a new neighborhood Italian resto in West U with homemade pasta and hand-tossed pizza. It’s all scratch-made using the recipes of the restaurant’s namesake, chef/owner Nicolas Nikic’s mom.

The kitchen uses select ingredients sourced in Italy including cheeses, olive oils and prosciutto. Everything is ultra-fresh, like the flash-fried artichoke and the shaved brussel sprouts — and those are just the antipastos! The burrata salad is a baseball-size helping of burrata (need we say more?) served with roasted cauliflower on a bed of arugula.

Nikic’s inventive pasta selections include sweet-corn ravioli with lobster and the oh-so-cheesy tortellinis topped with fresh herbs. Hand tossed and baked to a crispy perfection, the pizzas aren’t to be missed. The Siciliana features mozzarella, olives and capers — what could be more Italian than that!? There’s also pizza topped with clams or preserved tuna for the more adventurous. Buon appetito!

Cheese Tortellini

Panna Cotta with Berry Compote

Sweet Corn Ravioli with Lobster

Tiramisu

Food

Alex Au-Yeung (photo by Jenn Duncan)

WHEN IT OPENED a few months ago, The Woodlands outpost of acclaimed Katy restaurant Phat Eatery was billed as Alex Au-Yeung's dream restaurant. Unfortunately, Au-Yeung never got to see it come to fruition, as he passed away earlier this year. But the James Beared-nominated chef-owner certainly left his mark — and in honor of what would be his 53rd birthday, operating partners Kevin Lee and Marvin He have organized two pop-up tribute dinners.

Keep Reading Show less
Food

WHAT DOES IT mean to be "rent-burdened"? The phrase describes those who spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, and it's become an increasingly relevant part of the larger conversation about the American economy in a post-Covid world.

Keep Reading Show less
Home + Real Estate