“We are trying to be the go-to Italian neighborhood restaurant, and I think we’re doing a good job of being that,” manager James Maltby said.
Owners Chris and Sue Meroff opened The Garden at Ellera in Bee Cave in October 2020 after moving to Central Texas from Boston, Maltby said. In November, Maltby helped open a second location at The Summit at Rivery Park in Georgetown, and in March, The Garden expanded again to South Austin.
“[Chris] wanted to bring this sense or feel of the North End to Italian restaurants here,” Matlby said.
Inspired by the North End, an Italian neighborhood in Boston, The Garden’s cuisine is heavily focused on seafood. Lobsters are flown in from the Northeast each day for the restaurant’s popular lobster roll, lobster bisque and more, Maltby said.
Ingredients are sourced from abroad and in house, as pasta is made with flour from Italy, and herbs are grown at the restaurant.
“It’s all fresh, and everything [is] made from scratch,” Maltby said.
Executive Chef Tim Lane, who studied Italian cuisine at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Rome, helped inspire the menu. Using a special dough fermentation process, the restaurant serves Roman-style pizzas with extra-thin crusts.
“He learned this technique when he was living and training in Italy and brought that back here,” Maltby said. “He is really true to the authenticity of Italian cuisine.”
Besides lunch, dinner and dessert, The Garden at The Summit serves brunch on Saturday and Sunday.
With locals already frequenting the shop, Maltby said he hopes the eatery serves as a second home for Georgetown residents.
“I think a lot of people want that in their neighborhood, a restaurant they feel comfortable going to,” Maltby said. “Where you know you’re going to get good food and good drinks at a fair price with good service. That’s what we all want in a restaurant, isn’t it?”
The Garden at The Summit
1500 Rivery Blvd., Ste. 2175, Georgetown
512-318-8046
www.thegardenatx.com/georgetown-location
Hours: Mon.-Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
