Francisco Alejandri is back. The chef shuttered his famed Kensington Market food stand, Agave y Agucate, last summer, but he has since partnered up with furniture designer Keyvan Foroughi to bring the brand to Baldwin Village in full restaurant form. We caught up with Alejandri to find out more about his upcoming venture.
What was the winter like for you? You dropped off the radar for a bit.
Things started a bit slow. We were trying to get to know each other — myself and my partner — and looking for locations. That took a while. We’ve been doing this for eight months already.
How did you end up meeting your partner?
He’s a furniture designer and an architect. He came to my place, to Kensington, several times. He used to come very often. One day he asked me why I didn’t have a restaurant, and he asked if it was OK for us to have a meeting, no commitments, no nothing. So we got together and then everything started from there.
So you’re 50/50 partners?
Yes.
And what’s the new restaraurant going to be like?
We’ve kept the same name. It will be a little more refined than the booth, with the same vision. The prices will be slightly higher because it is a restaurant, and the food will be a little better, I can say.
Are we going to see any favourites from the food stand?
Yes, that’s for sure. I’m going to bring flank steak salad, the meatball sandwich, the tinga tostada, the green tostada — people still ask me about those items. The lime charlotte. But I’m not going to have them all for opening day, I’ll be spreading them out over the seasons. And I want to introduce people to new items, some more challenging than others, like pig’s trotters and things like that.
Have you changed your stance on tacos? Some people think Agave y Aguacate was a taqueria, but you never sold tacos, correct?
I know! I wasn’t pleased with that. I can’t find the right tortillas. I’ve been looking for a good tortilla everywhere, everywhere. I might not find it. Tacos right now are a trend, but it is part of our culture. I’ve been talking to a guy who’s been making tortillas here, and he says he can make them to my specifications. If that’s the case, and if they are good, I would make one taco, I think. Lobster, or fish, or something.
You’re known for your extremely high standards. Are we going to see the same thing at this new restaurant?
It will be the exact same thing, if not more. The reason why it was hard for me at Kensington Market is because I was doing everything. I was doing food costs, I was doing everything, and I missed things because I just couldn’t do it. Now, it will be more structured. We have an accountant, we have a kitchen consultant. I have my staff. But yes, I am demanding, and I’m lucky and quite happy because my partner is the same way. I think we have a bit of OCD, which is OK for us.
When is the restaurant going to open?
I think six to eight weeks. Our goal will be to open by June. It might be hard, but that’s our goal. It’s a big place; it seats 110 people. It has a front and a back patio, a second floor — that’s going to be our main dining room — and then downstairs is a bar. Downstairs will be walk-ins, upstairs reservations.
Did you learn any lessons from your experience in Kensington?
Yes, I did. I think the most important lesson is that I have to respect the numbers and percentages. Without that, without money, passion ends. Without money, there’s nothing, plain and simple.
Agave y Aguacate, 35 Baldwin St.
