Alara is Madisonville's newest American restaurant, latest from popular restaurant group
The brains behind Summit Park's TAHONA and Mariemont's Emery brought a new restaurant to Madisonville.
Alara, a contemporary American restaurant, opened its doors Monday in the Madison Square entertainment district, according to a news release.
The fine dining option is the eighth restaurant in Greater Cincinnati for Looking Glass Hospitality. The restaurant group's six brands include Toast & Berry, TAHONA Kitchen + Bar, Emery, Fretboard Brewing & Public House, S.W. Clyborne Co. Provision & Spirits and now Alara.
“Alara is inspired by the dining experiences we’ve enjoyed on our travels,” said Scott Schmidt, founder of Looking Glass Hospitality. “As we dined in high-energy environments offering inventive menu items designed for a shared experience, we were motivated to bring something to Cincinnati that doesn’t currently exist in our restaurant scene."
The restaurant's cuisine showcases prime meats and seafood. Options include traditional fine dining items — like lobster, wagyu beef and king salmon — but with a "unique" and "fun" twist, the release states.
Some notable items from the menu include small plates such as Korean corn dogs and smoked carrot hummus, pastas such as Thai shrimp tagliatelle, prime meats such as a wagyu sampler and Duroc crown rack of pork and side dishes such as lobster gnocchi.
The 10,000-square-foot space includes an open kitchen, a dining room and bar, and a private dining space.
"With an open kitchen that fosters a social atmosphere, Alara strips away the conventional formalities of fine dining to create an immersive experience focusing on high-quality menu items and warm hospitality in a lively yet elegant setting," the release states.
Alara is located at 5410 Medpace Way in Madisonville and its hours are Sunday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Happy Hour is Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Alara, contemporary American restaurant, opens in Madisonville
