Prolific Houston Restaurateur Ben Berg Will Open a New Italian Eatery in the Heights

Houston restaurateur Benjamin Berg has plans to expand his culinary empire with a pair of new restaurants in the Heights.

On Tuesday, February 23, Berg Hospitality Group announced that it would team up with developer Ancorian to open two new dining destinations on West 11th St. in the Heights. Per a press release, the first will be a cozy Italian restaurant called Trattoria Sofia. Set to open in the space at 911 West 11th St., formerly occupied by chef Adam Dorris’s acclaimed Presidio, which has sat empty since 2018 when a fire damaged the building.

As far as the food is concerned, a press release announces that Trattoria Sofia will serve “rustic Italian” dishes in a cozy setting, but Berg hasn’t elaborated much on what exactly the menu will look like. The restaurant takes its name from Berg’s eldest daughter, and is set to make its debut later this spring.

Berg also has another restaurant in the works, which will land at Ancorian’s new Docks at Timbergrove development down the street at 2505 West 11th. Berg’s been even quieter with the details on this as-yet-unnamed restaurant, which is expected to open in early 2022.

Berg’s Houston hospitality empire has grown rapidly over the past several years, following the debut of his much-lauded steakhouse B&B Butchers in 2015. Since then, he’s opened Italian eateries B.B. Lemon and B.B. Italia, the latter of which is temporarily closed as it plans to move to a different location in the Energy Corridor. Berg also operates vaunted Houston chef Robert Del Grande’s Cafe Annie, along with the most recent addition to the empire, chic seafood spot Turner’s.

Trattoria Sofia is expected to debut in May 2021. Stay tuned for more details on both its official arrival and Berg Hospitality’s big plans for the Docks at Timbergrove.

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