We first told you about Monica Greene's departure from Aca y Alla to open up a restaurant in Oak Cliff just before summer. Now the restaurateur has released new details about the space on Cedar Springs Road that will have a soft opening this evening, with a grand opening scheduled August 7.
Nueva Cocina will be a fine-dining restaurant open only for dinner and helmed by former Hibiscus sous chef Hector Hernandez. Hernandez will touch some of the favorites from Monica's old spot (like the lasagna, pictured above) but will also feature authentic Mexican cooking with tortillas made onsite from freshly ground corn.
A second concept, ME Lounge, will open up next door as a casual counterpoint to Nueva Cocina, serving tostadas, ceviches, nachos, tacos and tortas for lunch and dinner. From there things get a little crazy.
From the release...
The sushi bar will offer sushi rolls plus "Monica's tower." Traditional Wok entrees will take on a Monica-style twist with ingredients like pork belly and sautéed rib eye.
At first read, Jose Andres China Poblano popped into my mind -- the chef has garnered a lot of attention for his Vegas outpost focusing on Asian and Mexican fusion -- but the menu items listed read less like fusion and more like a Mexican restaurant infiltrated by a out of place sushi menu. It seems strange.
We'll have some photos up in the next day or so.