Alejandro Tort didn’t set out to become a restaurateur—he simply never stopped cooking. From the moment his grandmother taught him to knead dough at age three, the kitchen was his natural home.

La Trattoria: The Wisconsin Chapter
Nestled in Evansville, Wisconsin, Alejandro’s small eatery La Trattoria was where his passion first took flight. It was here that a then-Senator Barack Obama became a repeat guest, drawn by Alejandro’s wood-fired pizzas and warm hospitality. Those early encounters showed Alejandro that great food could build lasting connections.

The Montrose Pop-Up at Avant Garden
A layoff from DirecTV pushed Alejandro back to Houston, where he spotted a dusty, underused oven at Avant Garden in Montrose. He proposed a simple deal: “You sell drinks, I sell pizza.” What started as a weekly pop-up quickly grew into a two-year, three-nights-a-week sensation—selling out every time and proving that his heritage-driven recipes had mass appeal.

Cooking for Lady Gaga
Alejandro’s reputation for impeccable wood-fired crusts soon reached a superstar. When Lady Gaga performed at the Super Bowl in Houston, she discovered a similar oven at her rented home and hired Alejandro to run it. In the days surrounding the event, he crafted personalized pizzas for Gaga and her team—bringing his signature Sicilian-Uruguayan fusion to one of music’s biggest stages.

The Horse and The Turtle
Today, Alejandro brings these chapters of his career into a cozy nook inside a Southwest Houston medical plaza. The space may be small—just a counter and a few stools—but Alejandro’s vision looms large. Each Friday night, he fires up his wood-fired oven for fresh, hand-stretched pizzas, and every Saturday morning, his counter transforms into a bakery showcasing pastries and desserts made with handpicked, locally farmed ingredients—so popular that they often sell out before noon.

Alejandro’s story isn’t about chasing fame. From a three-year-old learning at his grandmother’s side to serving a sitting senator and international pop stars, his journey has always been about devotion to craft and community. At The Horse and The Turtle, he’s not just sharing recipes—he’s sharing a legacy in every handcrafted dish.

Visit The Horse and The Turtle:

6776 Southwest Fwy, Ste 101
Houston, TX 77074