Tucker's Italian Opens November 15 in San Antonio as Chef Michael Sohocki Reopens Historic East Side Spot as an Italian Deli
Tucker's Italian, a neighborhood deli and market, opened on Sunday, November 15, at 1338 E. Houston St. on San Antonio's East Side, in the former home of Tucker's Kozy Korner. The opening was announced in a surprise Instagram reel on Saturday, November 14, ending almost two years of speculation about chef Michael Sohocki's plans for the site.
Sohocki, who owns the Neapolitan pizza parlor Il Forno in Southtown and the ramen shop Kimura, bought the historic building in December 2024 from a partnership led by local developer Mitch Meyer. It was widely reported at the time that he planned a second Il Forno location, but he told CultureMap in June that this was no longer the case. The announcement video showed meatball and porchetta sandwiches made on house ciabatta, pastas and charcuterie, and promised that the full menu would be announced soon.
The new restaurant is the latest chapter for the San Antonio institution, which first opened as a hot dog and burger stand in 1948 before becoming a hot spot for live soul and R&B music. Recent owners have included Chris Cullum of Attaboy, Jeret Pena of Boulevardier Group and former Francis Bogside barman Steve Mahoney, and the building had been vacant since the most recent iteration shuttered in summer 2023. Tucker's Italian is open Wednesday through Saturday, from noon to 8:30 p.m.
Source: Tucker's Italian
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图中是一份 porchetta 三明治，与 Tucker's Italian 开业短片中展示的同款主打三明治相同。来源：Wikimedia Commons — RodzillaReviews, CC BY-SA 2.0。
