Motor City flavors are making a fierce push into Houston's food scene, with a spate of Detroit-style eateries popping up across the city. At the vanguard of this hearty invasion is Via 313, an Austin-original, Detroit-style pizza joint slinging thick, cheesy pies that locals can't seem to get enough of. Via 313, established by Detroit natives and brothers Zane and Brandon Hunt, is set to open its doors in Houston on March 10 at 10201 Katy Freeway in the Memorial City area, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The Hunts, who cut their teeth on Detroit-style pizza well before it became a national craze, apparently had no clue their concept would ever grow to quickly become something of a phenomenon. "There are a lot of people making (Detroit-style) pizza now. If you would have told me 20 years ago this would have happened, I would have told you no way," Zane Hunt said in a statement obtained by the Houston Chronicle. But Via 313 has risen to the challenge, expanding their base well beyond their original food trailer, creating a cheesy empire that now stands at 18 locations, with 13 in Texas alone.
Not to be outdone by an out-of-towner, Anthony Calleo, formerly associated with Pi Pizza, is opening his take on Detroit-style pizza with Gold Tooth Tony's in the Heights. Calleo expressed his ambition clearly: "I’ve wanted to sell this kind of pizza for, f--k, I don't know, seven years," he revealed in an interview with Chron.com. Meanwhile, the culinary invasion doesn't stop at pies. The Gripper Kitchen in Pearland is dishing out Detroit staples like chicken pitas and corned beef sandwiches, all thanks to Tony Durden, another Detroit transplant who found promise in the Houston market.
These new establishments join an already simmering Detroit-style movement in Houston featuring spots like Pizaro's and Rudyard's. Such eateries are diligently spreading word of a variant of pizza first created in the 1940s in the Motor City using steel pans borrowed from automotive plants. These pans produced a square, crispy crust that's become unmistakably characteristic of Detroit-style pizza, a detail the Houston Chronicle didn’t hesitate to note.
Both Via 313 and Gold Tooth Tony's are ramping up to give Houstonians a full-bodied taste of the North. Via 313 not only plans to bring their famed pies to the table but also intends to slake thirsts with Faygo Pop, another Detroit staple. And for those eager to preview Tony's twist on Motor City eats, Gold Tooth Tony's is hosting a pop-up event at Fluff Bake Bar on August 3. These moves point to a growing trend where regional specialties find new homes in the diverse culinary landscape of Houston, with entrepreneurs like the Hunts and Calleo betting big on Detroit's hearty legacy being more than just a flash in the pizza pan.
