Hoping to bring a more casual vibe to their second location, restaurateurs Anu and Vikram Bhambri opened Alora Social in San Ramon’s City Center Bishop Ranch this week with many of the same bold dishes you’ll find at the original in San Francisco — plus more family-friendly options.
“The approach was really to try to take a lot of the sharable dips and spreads and make it a social experience,” said chef Nicholas Peters, who had previously worked at SFMOMA’s grace and Lita in Walnut Creek. “The kumpir (is) a really fun, Turkish street food-style baked potato. A really nice russet potato baked with butter and halloumi cheese, loaded with pickled veggies, olives, roasted peppers, white and red sauce. You see peoples’ eyes light up.”
The Bhambris, the same team behind Michelin Guide-recognized ROOH Progressive Indian, Pippal in Emeryville and Fitoor in Santana Row and Santa Monica, said they discovered their love for Turkish food on a trip to Europe two years ago and knew they wanted to open a restaurant to celebrate it.
Peters’ favorite dish is the classic Turkish kabob with marinated, house-cured halal brisket and lamb shoulder, “bringing authentic spice and pop and roasting it over an open fire,” he said.
He also loves the muhamarra ($17), a roasted pepper and walnut dip: “It sounds simple but it’s a multi-day process of charring peppers, reducing down syrup, candying a walnut butter with spices and finishing with a house fermented pita. A lot of people don’t get muhamarra like that. If you get it in a jar, it’s red pepper paste with nuts and sweetness.”
Peters’ dips have been so popular that Alora will be selling them in the retail section of their new location.
Anu Bhambri explained the vibe of the new space as “very bright and airy.”
“We have a huge patio which will be open as the weather opens up a little bit,” she said. “A casual lounge, a few fire pits — it’s really cozy. We’ll plan to have bands on the weekends to bring people together. It’ll be high energy.”
Details: Open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Sunday and until 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday at 6000 Bollinger Canyon Road in San Ramon; visitalora.com.
