The Houston Heights has welcomed its latest unique food concept: Euro-Tex cuisine. The new restaurant, Blue Tuba, offers an eclectic menu that is inspired by the many life adventures of its owners, Giga Leszayova and Vlado Kolenic, who are from the former Czechoslovakia.

Blue Tuba officially opened its doors on May 1 in the space that formerly housed Harold’s in the Heights, located off 19th Street. The restaurant’s menu items mix a variety of ingredients in traditional dishes from Scandinavia, Hungary, Germany, Greece, and Spain, as well as some Tex-Mex influences, to create the newly coined Euro-Tex cuisine.

“Somebody had to start it,” says Kolenic, a rocker-turned-executive chef. “You know, the culture of Tex-Mex and the combination with the Vietnamese and different cuisines here are great. Everybody puts in a little touch of Texas. Plus, it’s never been done, so why not?”

So, what do Kolenic and Leszayova mean when they say “Euro-Tex”?

Take a typical Italian caprese salad. Instead of the basil, Kolenic uses avocado and cilantro to mix it up. Another example is a twist on Spanish paella, dubbed Texas paella, which features brisket, shrimp, chicken, mussels, kielbasa, and black beans, along with Euro “dirty” rice—rather than the usual beef and chicken with celery and cayenne, the team opts for smoked sausage, ajar, and cabbage.

Diners will also have the option to choose from Euro-Tex fajitas made with brisket, shrimp, or potato pancakes, as well as a selection of Euro tacos with fillings like schnitzel from Germany, escargot from France, kielbasa from Poland, a Greek vegetarian option, and shrimp scampi to represent Italy. But the fusion doesn’t stop there: the tortillas come with an option of flour, corn, or Slovak, which is made with potato, flour, and salt. And with inspiration from Kolenic’s grandmother, there is also a chicken schnitzel dish.

Kolenic notes that the menu is small for now, but it will grow over time. He adds that anything that doesn’t do well, he will replace. The goal is to accommodate what customers like or don’t like, and to cook for the palate rather than the Instagram aesthetic, he says.

Meanwhile, the inside of the restaurant also plays to the Euro-Tex fusion theme with its decorations. The inviting space boasts a concrete floor, a map of Europe overlaid with a map of Texas to show customers just how big the state is in comparison to the continent, as well as a European flag next to a Texas one, and various sports team flags. Two separate paintings also nod to the mashup: a bull fighter to represent Spain; a cowboy riding a bull for Texan pride. Kolenic jokes that in Europe they kill the bull and in Texas, we ride them.

As for how Blue Tuba became the restaurant’s name—well, that deserves a little trip down memory lane.

Prior to his time as a chef, Kolenic was a rock musician, which gave him the ability to travel to various countries as well as live in multiple cities—hence the inspiration for the restaurant. However, he didn’t start cooking until January 2013, when he crossed paths with Leszayova at a ski resort in upstate New York. Leszayova, who came to the United States in 2001 with $200 to her name, created an extensive career for herself in the restaurant industry. One thing led to another, and Kolenic found himself switching career paths from rockstar to chef.

In May 2016, they opened the restaurant Bettola in New York City, which ultimately shut down in 2022 due to ongoing issues as a result of the pandemic. During the time it was open, it had makeshift décor with a variety of musical instruments, one being a notable blue tuba. Kolenic says the tuba was so well known, people would say, “let’s go to blue tuba,” instead of “let’s go to Bettola.” Upon that realization, he says that he and Leszayova decided their next venture would be named Blue Tuba because it’s a name that’s nearly impossible to forget. The tuba is so special that diners will also see it featured at the Heights location.

After Bettola’s closure, the couple chose to relocate to Houston for a change of scenery and to bring this dream of Blue Tuba to fruition. After eight months of searching both inside and outside the loop, Kolenic and Leszayova signed the lease on 19th street in October 2023. Kolenic says Alli Jarrett, Harold’s owner, took the much-needed chance on them to get the ball rolling.

With the location’s proximity to the Heights Theater and other neighborhood staples, Kolenic says he hopes that Blue Tuba will eventually be a space that fosters local talent. The goal is for the restaurant’s small dining room stage to become a late-night spot for artists. And when Blue Tuba isn’t busy with orders, some diners might even be lucky enough to get an exclusive concert from Kolenic himself. Eventually, he would also like to utilize the building’s rooftop for other fun activities.

“I hope everybody will hang out here as a gathering place,” Kolenic says. “Come and enjoy yourself.”