Raised in Sicily and Brooklyn by a family that loves food, Luigi knows a thing or two about delicious Italian cuisine. He started his career on Wall Street, but as might be expected, it was only a matter of time before he realized he'd rather toss pizza dough than work a nine-to-five. So he opened a pizzeria called Luigi's in Brooklyn. The slice-slinging community hub armed Luigi with the skills he needed to open and run a restaurant, and when he and his wife, Jo, moved to Houston, he took those skills along with him.

In opening Pomodoro's Cucina Italiana in 2005, Luigi and Jo expand their reach beyond pepperoni pies—but they still offer Brooklyn-style pizza. Along with slices, the couple serves chewy, flavorful garlic bread, chicken parmigiana with pasta, shrimp scampi, and many more classic entrees. Jo and Luigi don't just carry on a tradition of quality flavors and Old-World recipes. They also offer classically generous portion sizes. Almost every dish on the menu is a meal unto itself, accompanied automatically with garlic bread and a choice of salad.