Monday, June 4, 2007
Alo, new restaurant from owners of La Duni, set to open in July
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DALLAS — Aló Cenaduria & Piqueos, the new restaurant in Knox Plaza at Central Expressway and Knox Henderson Avenue from the owners of La Duni, has July penciled-in as its opening date.
Aló will focus on contemporary street foods of Mexico and Peru, specifically the Chihuahua region of Mexico and Lima capital of Peru.
"La Duni corporate chef Julia Lopez, who grew up in Chihuahua, will take the reigns as executive chef of Aló," says Taco Borga, La Duni founder and proprietor. "Julia has studied this cuisine extensively and recently returned from Peru where she understudied acclaimed chef Gaston Acurio. An addictive new dessert menu will complete the casual/sensual dining experience which is also reflected in the décor."
Served family style, intended for sharing, menu favorites include Peruvian Saltados and Ajis (Peruvian stir-fries and rice), Tacu Tacu (Peruvian rice and bean patty with choice of toppings), Gringas with Menonita cheese, Lobster Volcanoes, Baby Enchiladas, Discada Norteña (traditional barbecue pit of Chihuahua) and more.
Renowned for award-winning desserts and cocktails, La Duni Family has created another spectacular "dulce" (sweet) menu with creations such as roasted banana cake with chocolate truffle; mango tart with coconut ice cream; chocolate mousse milhojas, and two unusual cakes: chocolate cuatro leches cake and berry cuatro leches cake.
Cocktails include such temptations as Bombay Fire on Ice and a line of "fuego" (flamed) cocktails, Love Elixir, Pomosa, Cholopolitan, and Mojito. Doors will be open until 12:00 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Julia Lopez joined the La Duni team in 2004; in 2006, she was named corporate chef of La Duni North America. Her previous experience includes River City Grill and the Mansion on Turtle Creek.
When Aló opens, it will be dinner hours only, but will open for lunch in August.
Posted by T.G.
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Comments
kirk Anonymous
I keep wondering when the growing number of restaurants serving Peruvian food will start serving cuy. Maybe Aló will be the guinea pig?
By the way, somebody should rein in Mr. Borga's (or his PR firm's) use of gs. Hay una diferencia entre las riendas y el reinado.
In spite of my snarky comments here, I am looking forward to trying out this place!
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
DC Anonymous
I've never been much of a La Duni fan overall and I don't think this endeavour is going to change that much. As much as some of those dishes sound interesting, I all ready have issues:
Plates for sharing, aka: how to run up the bill and make sure noone actually gets what they want. I see the business sense to it. It offers the chance to charge the snot out of a side of asparagus and it makes plating easier and faster. To those that argue it's "fun" and "just like at home," actually it's not fun and if I wanted to eat at home, I would stay home.
I;m not going to get started on high class street food. Just go to Tacos Y Mas.
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Michael Davis Verified
Come on DC, you know that the cuatro leches cake at La Duni is the bomb.
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Gary Cohen Verified
During my lifetime, I hope to see a cinco leches cake. I believe scientists are hard at work now on this project.
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Lisa Lawrence Merritt Verified
I was in the LaDuni on Oaklawn several weeks ago and spoke to one of the owners and told him I didn't understand the false advertising on a sign Downtown as if a store front was going in there.
I was hoping for a LaDuni Downtown...bummer!
Btw... I love their Sunday brunch. OMG!
LLM
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Teresa Gubbins Staff
what makes la duni special is that it's one of the few "nice" places in town where you can eat well (good ingredients + skillful preparation) AND affordably, such as the $8 torta sandwiches served on hot popovers. it's rare in dallas to find the kind of quality and creativity that la duni has at that price point. they could gouge more and they don't. it's a great place for a date, it's open late at night - i think it's one of the most cosmopolitan restaurants we have.
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Gary Cohen Verified
What did happen to La Duni's plan for DFW Domination? At one point, they were planning to open four(!) different La Duni-like places in Northpark, plus some others around town. And is the DFW Airport Terminal D location still open?
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
twisteddog Anonymous
Tom Cruise eats at La Duni.
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Mike Orren Staff
Yes, Terminal D is in full effect. I was going to write a blog post last week about the glories of Terminal D, but never got to it.
I had breakfast at Reata in D last week -- Beats the hell out of the usual airport crap.
(I think that may be their advertising slogan.)
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Teresa Gubbins Staff
the airport branch is closed; it was a "franchise", not under the mgmt of the owners. northpark will open later this year. and i think the downtown branch is still being planned...
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Mike Orren Staff
Weird. I thought it was open, but then I was sleepy.
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
DC Anonymous
I agree that at the Uptown place the food is reasonable if not necessarily exceptional and most of the menu is reasonably priced. I describe the McKinney location as a reasonable 'casual restaurant.'
However, it's the details that irritate me there. Charges for split cheques, the D Magazine endorsements and awards on the menu (like I care, just give me food), and the greater than thou attitude of the front staff all put me off from really enjoying the place.
When I see this "preview" I think that I probably eat out most days and nights of the week and a lot of that time is for two or four. So the "family style" places mean that if it's two we're going to either get too much or not enough and if it's for four, we'll spend as much on sides as entrees. Do this enough and it starts looking less like a great chef's idea and more like cash grab and kitchen convenience.
The whole downtown scene is an entirely different post.
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Teresa Gubbins Staff
mike, you are right, airport branch NOT closed; the young manager who answered the phone at the la duni on mckinney is not. (he said it was closed. i guess he meant "closed to us". as in "you are dead to me.")
but it is a franchise. that part is true.
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
The Law Reviewers Verified
The quatro leches cake is the closest thing to heaven this side of Kevin Costner on a baseball field in Iowa, and the cocktails simply rock (the pisco sour makes whiskey sours taste tame). Oh yeah, and if you're on Rewards Network (formerly known as iDine) you get a 20% discount! We're definitely looking forward to checking out Alo once it opens!
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Billusa99 Anonymous
Always love it when TG posts about new stuff. My wife and I think La Duni is one of the best, high quality, most interesting places to eat in town. I can only hope that the pisco sour, at its native Peruvian Alo, will rock even more!
I'm sure the tapestries on the walls will sing, and the paint and chair coverings will glow with undiminished pride. The wall sconces and lighting will bathe the diners with charm. Above all, the glassware at the bar -- I'm sure -- will be perfectly proper, too.
Oh yea... and the food will be good.
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
DC Anonymous
Geez, Bill, isn't it a little early in the day to be getting started on the E?
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Billusa99 Anonymous
Actually, DC... I was runnin' high on full tank of BA when I wrote that.
But, my guess is that you'll miss that one, too... ;-)
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
DC Anonymous
"Studies of dogs and rats have shown that infertility and damage to testes can result from acute or chronic ingestion of boric acid."
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Laduni Anonymous
Hola....
Thank you for your interest in Alo. Although it won't really be a Peruvian restaurant it will feature some great street foods from Lima. It will be primarily Mexican,featuring some dishes from Chihuahua.
La Duni DFW was indeed a license, the whole floor closed including La Duni. Unfortunately DFW did not planned to install an escalator in front of the restaurant and travelers did not wanted to carry lugage up 30 steps.....
Downtown La Duni is waiting for the Hotel to open as it will be it's primary source of business. It is also a license, but we will run it when it opens.
Northpark sould start construction in 60 days and the first of 3 venues (island between Neimans and Barneys)should open in September and hopefully the restaurant by November. Otherwise the restaurant won't open until the end of January.
For more info check our websites www.laduni.com and www.alodallas.com
Thank you all and hope to share a "Shaken Mariana" cocktail or any of our new flamed drinks with you at Alo soon.
Taco
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Gary Cohen Verified
Thanks Taco - your comments are appreciated. Please keep us updated on the progress at Alo and the new La Duni locations.
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
kirk Anonymous
BillUSA: I got the Bill Addison reference, even if some of the other people on here assumed you were drinking eye wash for breakfast.
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
DC Anonymous
I sincerely hope everyone enjoys the DMN and Law Reviewers.
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Lisa Lawrence Merritt Verified
[Downtown La Duni is waiting for the Hotel to open as it will be it's primary source of business. It is also a license, but we will run it when it opens. ]
Ok, so I'm dealing with mixed messages?
The proof is in the pudding...or should I say Tres Leches?
LLM~
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Billusa99 Anonymous
Good on ya, Kirk. Some folks, like those inside the Beltway, are most often seen standing in a group of people wondering "why is everyone else laughing?"
Nobody ever expects the Spanish Inquistion.
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
DC Anonymous
Yes, it's true, Dallasites always live up to their reputation.
2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
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