Photo by Joe Olivieri

Foodies focus on quality, dining experience

Pieous defies easy classification.

It serves classic Neapolitan pizza but is not a straightforward Italian restaurant. It cures and smokes its own pastrami in-house, but it is not a New York–style deli, either.

Paige and Joshua Kaner did not want to be boxed into one type of cuisine when they opened Pieous in February 2013.

The owners and self-taught chefs wanted to make the foods they liked—soups, salads, breads, pizzas and desserts.

They wanted to prepare them fresh daily and serve them in an intimate and inviting setting where the focus was on the dining experience, Paige said.

"Pieous is the culmination of our lifelong passion for food," Joshua said. "Well, not quite—a culmination implies an ending, and we are just beginning."

The Kaners had wanted to open a restaurant for years but had held off on the advice of friends and family.

When they finally took the leap, they set up shop in a former Cartwright Bar B Que location near the Travis/Hays county line.

They wrote inspirational quotes on the walls and built a counter where diners can watch foods being prepared.

Pieous's slogan is "Devoted to great food," and part of that devotion means operating on a small scale.

The restaurant has no takeout menu and staffers do not always answer the phone—they want to give diners their undivided attention, Paige said.

Pieous has been warmly received by Austin and Dripping Springs, Paige said.

"We are hard to please [as diners]. So we figure if it gets past us, you would like it too," she said. "... When I bus the tables, there's never anything left on the plates."

The Kaners said they have been asked when they plan to open a second location closer to the city. They have not ruled it out but would have to make sure the quality of a second location was up to their standards.

Pastrami

The Kaners inherited a smoker when Pieous moved into the former Cartwright Bar B Que site, Joshua Kaner said.

"We thought, 'This is Texas. People love brisket. Why not pastrami?' What is pastrami but cured and smoked brisket?" the co-owner said.

The pastrami is served as a sandwich on sourdough bread ($9.75) or as a plate with onions, pickles and mustard ($10.75).

Pizza

Joshua had spent years teaching himself how to master baking bread, specifically sourdough bread with his own special yeast culture.

Pieous' pizzas are baked in a wood-fueled oven at 800 to 1,000 degrees, Paige said. Neapolitan–style pizzas generally tend to be smaller, simpler and have few toppings.

Pieous offers specialty pizzas ($8.75–$13.75) including:

• Margherita—Crushed tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil ($10, second photo)

• The Fat Queen—Crushed tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, hot sopressata, Italian sausage, pepperoni ($12.75, third photo)

• Bacon Bleu—Bacon marmalade, fresh mozzarella, bleu cheese, arugula ($13.75)

Pieous also offers a create-your-own pizza option.

Other options

Co-owner Paige Kaner prepares the soup special each day. Past soups have included corn and potato chowder, chili and potato leek.

Pieous' salads ($8) include a Caesar, mixed-leaf and a chopped salad.

The appetizers are a mozzarella plate ($8) and the Pieous Sampler: artichokes, olive tapanade, eggplant and fire-roasted garbanzo beans ($8.50).

Pieous, 12005 W. Hwy. 290, 512-394-7041, www.facebook.com/pieous

Hours:

• Tue.–Fri. 11 a.m.–2 p.m., 4–9 p.m.;
• Sat. 11 a.m.–9 p.m.;
• Sun. 11 a.m.–8 p.m.