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A salad with golden and red beets, shaved and pickled fennel, grilled watermelon, and a pistachio-and-herb vinaigrette (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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Photo by Adan Velis
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Gazpacho from Aloi (Photo by Adan Velis)
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Photo by Adan Velis
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The inside of Aloi features communal tables and a 14-seat bar. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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The mural on the side of Aloi, located at 3103 W. Leigh St. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
“It’s their turn in the season,” says Ben Watters, head chef of Aloi, talking about green beans and zucchini as he explains his vision to integrate seasonal menu items from local farmers into the restaurant's menu.
Aloi is the forthcoming solo project from Brandon Pearson, co-owner of Sabai and the recently opened Temple, set to debut by the end of July at 3103 W. Leigh St. in Scott’s Addition.
“I feel like this was something I needed to do and wanted to do. It’s more refined and more my own,” says Pearson. “We want to integrate what’s grown now and to represent a time and a place in food.”
Don’t expect Koa Moo Dang or Laotian rice noodles, signature dishes from Pearson's other ventures, to grace the menu. Diners aren't likely to find trite fried green tomatoes, duck fat-drizzled asparagus or pimento cheese on the refined, veggie-forward, fluctuating menu, either.
It won't be uncommon for menu items to change weekly. Aloi will focus heavily on seasonality, stepping away from the saturated Southern roots the Richmond dining scene has wholeheartedly embraced and homing in on contemporary American cuisine woven through with local, seasonal products from purveyors such as Tomten Farm, Manakintowne, Seven Hills, Yellow Umbrella Provisions and Autumn Olive Farms.
“They say dress for the job you want, not the job you have, and this restaurant sort of does that,” says Adan Velis, managing partner and beverage director of Aloi. “Building the stage for what we want Richmond to be, and what we want to see it evolve to — that newness.”
All three of the restaurant's heavy hitters are on board with the concept. Velis says the cocktail menu will take cues from what Watters and his team in the kitchen have available, and he'll incorporate lots of shrubs, house-made tonic and ginger beer. There won't be any soda in house. Although a few beers will be available on tap, the main focus is on cocktails — Velis runs the speakeasy at Sabai — and American wines.
“We want to emphasize the idea of the home and value things made nearby in our beverage program,” says Velis.
The Aloi space, formerly a woodshop for Pearson, who also designs and builds furniture, was converted for the restaurant; his artisan's touch is still evident, however. He designed every table and wood accent inside the space, including an intricate ceiling, three eight-person communal tables, and a 14-seat bar that faces the kitchen, visible through large glass windows. He describes the interior as chic, low-lit and where sexy food serves as the main star.
“It’s all about food; we want the food to be plated like fine dining but in a more casual, laid-back space with not a lot of fuss — fine dining without fine dining," says Pearson.
Velis has experienced with this approach: He helped open The Dutch, an upscale yet unstuffy restaurant in Soho, that was dubbed Restaurant of the Year by The New York Times in 2011.
“We're doing something casual and fine-dining but taking all the pretense out of it to hit the right points,” says Velis. “The kitchen is the centerpiece, and we want food from the cultural fabric of America — the flavors that make it what it is now.”
Watters, formerly of Brenner Pass and Lemaire, staged at Alinea in Chicago, on the list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants last year, with chef-owner Grant Achatz. His experience there and at Brasserie Ten Ten and Frasca in Boulder, Colorado, allowed him to hone his skills and push a regionally driven, fish-forward menu.
“We're trying to do things a little bit different, take it a little farther than everyone else, and we want people to step outside of their comfort zone and be adventurous,” says Watters. “Hopefully we can get people excited and they say, 'I can’t wait for them to bring back that salad next summer' and look forward to the seasonality of the menu.”
Seasonal test menu items include East Coast oysters with a dill, basil, cucumber and elderflower mignonette and heirloom Hanover tomatoes accompanied by juicy stone fruit. Watters' goal is to maintain the integrity of the ingredients and have that dictate where the menu moves, to enhance flavors rather than cover them up, yet still provide big, bold tastes and courses that don’t induce an unwelcome heaviness.
Most importantly, for Watters, Pearson and Velis, it’s about honoring the product and where it came from.
“The people working to get the oysters or working in the fields, those are the real rock stars," says Watters. It’s hot in the kitchen, but I get to have AC or bottled water and they have the hard, dedicated work. We should be proud because we're lucky enough to serve their products.”
Aloi will be open Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 5 to 11 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight, and closed on Mondays. The bar will open at 4:30 p.m. each day of operation.
