“It was the first time I’d ever seen anything like that,” Turner said.
Shortly after, Turner entered the restaurant industry and had worked in three different restaurants by the time he was 18. He eventually worked as a personal chef for NBA player Shane Battier and opened his own food truck that eventually became four brick-and-mortar locations until they closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, Turner is the head chef at Bocca Italian Kitchen, which offers high-end Italian cuisine in Generation Park, a master-planned community where Turner also serves as the director of hospitality.
Despite challenges with the restaurant’s January 2021 opening—including supply and labor shortages due to the pandemic and damage from the February 2021 freeze—Turner said Bocca Italian Kitchen’s success can be attributed to its food.
“The inspiration and style come from how [chefs] cook in Italy, but really, we want to pull from our local market and our local produce,” Turner said.
The restaurant offers Italian staples, such as spaghetti and meatballs and chicken Alfredo, though Turner said he hopes to move the menu toward more unique offerings, such as spinach lasagna.
“We spend a lot of time creating new specials, and our menu will constantly change to adapt to specials that [customers] fall in love with,” he said.
Turner said the quality of the ingredients used at Bocca Italian Kitchen is what makes them stand out from typical Italian offerings.
“We use great ingredients, not just good, and that is what I know will set us apart,” Turner said.
According to Turner, the aim of a great restaurant should extend beyond offering quality cuisine.
“This is about creating an experience,” he said.
Bocca Italian Kitchen
250 Assay St., Ste. 100, Houston
281-741-0203
www.boccahtx.com
Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
