Pi Pizza Truck to Bring Sandy Witch Sandwich Company to Grand Prize Kitchen

At an invite-only tasting last night, Pi Pizza Truck owner Anthony Calleo previewed his new venture, the Sandy Witch Sandwich Company. Rather than another food truck, Calleo has leased the kitchen at laid back Montrose cocktail spot Grand Prize and will utilize it to sell his sandwiches. The bad news is that the days of chef pop-ups and one-off dinners at Grand Prize are coming to an end within the next three or four weeks. The good news is that Sandy Witch will be an everyday presence that will end the late starts, early sell outs and occasional no shows that sometimes marked the pop-ups. As the guests, including Bernie's Burger Bus owner Justin Turner, tore through the menu of witch-named sandwiches that features a chicken parm, a pulled pork and a Philly cheesesteak, Calleo spoke to Eater about his plans for the project.

Asked why he's launching Sandy Witch, Calleo says simply, "I fucking love sandwiches, man. I think I have something to offer." Just as he defines Pi Pizza as "Houston pizza," he wants people to think of his creations as "Houston sandwiches." As for the location, Calleo says simply "I love this bar" and that he feels like the kitchen has a "cool energy to it" that he enjoyed when he served from it during previous pop-ups.

Although Calleo will continue to work the truck, he could not be more pleased with the crew he's hired to execute the concept; it includes former Eatsie Boys sous chefs Sarah Troxell and Jacob Pate. He calls the group a "dream staff" and says "their input will make the food better."

For Grand Prize co-owner Brad Moore, the decision to bring in Calleo made a lot of sense. "We think he'll have a badass, consistent product." While Moore regrets that the pop-ups are ending, he says Calleo is "super dedicated to creating a restaurant within the bar."

Look for Sandy Witch to launch early next month after Calleo upgrades some of the kitchen's equipment, redecorates (expect brooms and other artifacts) and consults with tattoo artist Gabriel Massey on a new logo. Until then, follow its Twitter account for updates.

· Sandy Witch Sandwich Company [Twitter]
· All Pi Pizza Truck coverage on Eater Houston [-EHOU-]