Tucked away in Market Square, downtown’s newest pizzeria ERA offers a dozen different playful pizzas, all mini-sized. The catch is the last part, the personal-sized aspect.
The topping combinations are cross-cultural (so very Houston), like the Tai Thai with chicken, baby corn and water chestnuts, and the Castro, which is topped with roast pork and plantains. The crust itself was thick and chewy, a positive in my book, as opposed to the cracker-thin versions. And the toppings are all well prepared. But as much as it may be surprising for a Texan and an American to say, there was perhaps a bit too much of them – yes, too much topping. Piled high on top of the smaller canvas, nothing could really stick to the crust and just glopped onto the plate at first bite. The proportions were all off. The same amount of meat and cheese could have been applied to a full-sized pizza to better effect.
Surprisingly, the desserts are where the restaurant really shines. The fried Oreos were exceptional, coated in just the right amount of batter to let the heat reach and melt the chocolate cookie a little bit. A decadent house-made cappuccino ice cream laced with brownie and toffee bits came out in a martini glass.
That’s another funny thing about ERA – known as Entertainment Restaurant Air on its official documents – the mix of casual and upscale. Martini glasses and white tablecloths co-exist with Shiner and a sandwich and pizza menu. But that kind of eclecticism is par for the course in this city, and between the friendly wait staff and the ice cream, an acceptable peculiarity.
ERA Restaurant & Bar, 809 Congress bet. Milam & Travis, 713-225-1066