By Chef Annie Greenslade
Bistecca – An Italian Steakhouse in Highland Village, celebrated THIRTY years of success.
Over the years it has evolved a bit, to include a cigar lounge and The Grotto (a refined bar), but one aspect has remained the same – Chef Morris Salerno. He runs an impeccable Italian/Nouveau Americana/French-flair restaurant with extreme eye for detail within every dish and every night of service. One of the best restaurants in this great state of Texas is run by this Culinary Olympic winning chef with a heart of gold. In 2014, he won a gold medal at the Expogast Culinary Competition in Luxembourg.
Not only is he also a published cookbook author, he’s a television celebrity. You would never know he is a celebrity if you met him, as his humble and kind demeanor is what you notice immediately. Chef Salerno’s testament to his passion and quality is the fact he still cooks with staff in his kitchen almost every night, to this day!
He knows so many guests by name and greets them at their table. I have been dining at Bistecca since before I was a chef, for 18 years. Every experience at his restaurant has been spot-on and memorable, with the highest quality food made with love. Chef Salerno is also very involved with the Texas Chefs Association (American Culinary Federation) and loves competing in culinary competitions currently. Also, in his little free time, he’s involved with many charities across the state.
For his thirtieth anniversary celebration he openly invited anyone to his restaurant who wished to attend, to indulge in a plethora of his amazing cuisine and drinks. His one ask was to please donate food to those in need, as attendance was free. I was thrilled to see a mountain of food
on the Texas Christian Community Action table that was set up at his party. So many notable chef faces attended his event, complete with an ice sculpture from Chef Bill Bush.
Chef Morris is the icon every chef should strive to be, the ultimate role model in an industry that is a dog eat-dog world. Be a beacon of light, work hard, and success is sure to follow. We love you, Chef Morris!
I want to go, do you guys serve lunch or brunch?