Russo's New York Pizzeria

The son of first-generation Italian immigrants, Chef Anthony Russo grew up in a New Jersey home where the kitchen was the center of family life. There was always cooking and baking at home, and many of the ingredients came from the family garden. Just the way Grandpa and Nonna Russo did back in Avellino, Italy.

These experiences stuck with young Anthony as his family moved to Galveston, Texas, in 1978. His father opened Russo’s Italian Restaurant, which quickly became a local favorite. Just like that, Anthony found a second home in the restaurant kitchen. By the age of 12, he was learning family recipes from relatives who flew in from Naples and Sicily each summer. Making pizza and scacciata (calzones) became his passion.