While Kelley describes Kalurah Street Grill’s cuisine as modern American, he and his team draw upon tastes and methods from other areas for an exceptional menu made with distinctive ingredients. Kelley builds upon his French-Creole training by introducing flavors and techniques from other genres, including Spanish and Vietnamese cuisines. This approach is most evident in accompaniments, such as the tomato and piquillo pepper romesco served with the fried calamari, or the udon noodles and curry broth that comes with the seared ribeye.
“There’s no specific genre of food that we make ourselves stick to,” Kelley says. “When you give yourself a huge umbrella like that, the possibilities are endless, which is something that I think any chef would be grateful to have.”
While the menu at Kalurah Street Grill is updated seasonally, there are a few dishes that have become fixtures, including braised short ribs with sage pappardelle, red wine demi-glace, shitake mushrooms, and sherry vinegar pea shoots; seared scallops with creamed corn and piquillo peppers, chorizo, and crispy leeks; and hanger steak with tomato romesco, chimichurri, fried shallots, and roasted red potatoes.
