Farm-to-table is a popular mantra among restaurateurs; could street food-to-table become the next catchphrase?
Isalita, a new restaurant coming soon from Adam Baru, proprietor of the neighboring Mani Osteria, will be serving up traditional Mexican street food in Ann Arbor. Included on the menu: housemade tortillas, choice of guacamole, pickled tomatoes, and all-fresh juice margaritas.
Baru hopes to open his 90-seat eatery at 341 E. Liberty St. either by year-end or the first week in January. "There's a market culture of Mexico that's an important part of the social fabric of the country. Street food plays an important role and is an important characteristic of eating in Mexico," he says. "And so we really tried to rely on more of a bright colored, yet more of an industrial, sort of an unfinished feel to the space that feels much more like an experience in Mexico. [It's] more whimsical, but at the same time maybe a little bit more edgy."
Baru is wrapping up a complete build-out of the space, which will be connected to Mani Osteria through a passageway. In addition to sharing some staff between the eateries, 30-35 more employees are being hired for Isalita. To start,
Isalita will be open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday, with a possibility of brunch or lunch down the road.
"A little splash of tropical in the middle of winter will be nice," Baru says.
Source: Adam Baru, owner, Isalita and Mani Osteria
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar
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