"We sell what we eat and eat what we sell” is how Cristina Ward describes the new European-inspired eatery she is opening alongside her husband, chef Justin Ward. Glass and Plate boasts a robust menu of American fare blended with European influences, and is set to open in Olmos Park in March.

Glass and Plate will serve lunch, dinner, and brunch in what is billed as a "casual and relaxed" atmosphere. To craft the menu, Justin Ward, who was most recently a professor at the Culinary Institute of America's San Antonio and New York campuses, is merging his more than 30 years of experience in American restaurants with his wife's native Romania, a release notes.

Fresh vegetables, spices, and home-grown natural wheats and grains are staples of the dishes, which range from soups and salads to heartier mains and desserts. For lunch, dishes include soups; salads; pastas; and signature dishes, including braised chicken thighs with Romanian-style ratatouille, Italian sausage with slow-cooked cabbage and polenta, and grilled salmon with tortilla slaw and chimichurri.

Dinner offers an expanded menu, complete with appetizers such as peppercorn cured salmon bruschetta; littleneck clams with Parmigiano Reggiano, parsley, and white wine; and pork meatballs. Entrees range from hearty fare such as crisped pork ribs and braised chuck pot roast to lighter offerings like pan seared scallops.

Glass and Plate's brunch menu is equally ambitious, and includes a Texas chile omelet, steak 'n' eggs, Creole-spiced salmon cakes, and even a specialty poutine. And a full bar allows the restaurant to offer signature cocktails as well as a robust wine and beer list.

To staff the restaurant, Justin Ward kept it all in the family, so to speak. Former and current CIA students have been hired to help inside the kitchen, while Cristina Ward, who worked in restaurants in Europe, will lead front-of-house operations. (Fun fact: Cristina and Justin met in Italy in 2017 when the chef brought a group of his students to a restaurant where she worked.)

“We hope to become a staple of Olmos Park as well as the surrounding neighborhoods,” Justin Ward said in a release. “I see Glass and Plate Restaurant as standing the test of time because it will grow roots in the community, and it’s exactly the type of place I would want in my neighborhood.”

Once open, Glass and Plate will be open Tuesday through Friday from 11 am to 10 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 10 pm. Stay tuned to social media for opening updates.