Eater Inside

Six Things to Know About the New Restaurant Alma

The long awaited revamp of Alex Roberts’ beloved eatery has arrived.

by Alex Lodner Updated Nov 30, 2016, 11:42am CST

All Day Eats

While the restaurant opens at 5:30 p.m. and reservations are highly recommended, the cafe next door serves equally enticing menu from morn’ till night, no advanced planning needed. From a transformative Cafe Con Leche before work to a light yet fulfilling lunch to an internationally inspired, reasonably priced dinner menu, these guys have you covered until the wee hours. Stop by after work for a cocktail and stay for the gorgeous buttermilk fried quail or turmeric and yogurt roasted mahi. Dinner at the cafe is served until 11 p.m. weekdays and Midnight on the weekend.

Full Liquor License

While wine remains at the heart of Restaurant Alma, the new and improved version now boasts a full liquor license. Choose your poison to accompany the pre fixed menu at Restaurant Alma, or just belly up to the bar at the Cafe. The Bittercube guys are in charge so the list is wildly creative, including gourd fashioned cups, edible glitter and even a cotton candy cocktail made from cotton candy. If you don’t want the hard stuff, the restaurant has retained the low proof cocktail menu, too.

Also, Bread

To soak up all those cool-kids cocktails, Alma now has a full bread program under the deft guidance of Tiffany Singh. Before coming to Alma, Singh learned from the best, working under Steve Horton at Rustica and Solveig Tofte at Sun Street. She brings that experience and her love for the tradition of baking to Alma. The pastry team has been carefully cultivating and caring for the yeasty, two year old starter, which they have named Chauncy, which they tap into for complex breads rich in texture and flavor. The addition of new ovens and a giant new pastry area in the new, expanded kitchen helps Singh, executive pastry chef Carrie Riggs and their team craft noteworthy breads for the cafe and restaurant.

The Meaning of it All

When Chef Alex Roberts and former partner Jim Reininger were trying to come up with a moniker for their new restaurant, they synchronously arrived at the same idea. Both men were reading The Art of Eating by Edward Behr and circled the same word: Alma, meaning “soul”, “the root of things” and “nourishing.” Well, Reininger actually liked Alma Tierra, which became the corporate name. Fun fact: Alma also means “apple” in several languages, which works too.

A view of the dining room with warm wood, white walls, and navy blue seats

Specialty Menus

At Restaurant Alma, there are several specialty menus which the serves can present upon request. Whether your dining companions are gluten free, dairy free, or vegan, there is a menu designs especially for them. “It’s shorter, that’s for sure,” Roberts said with a warm smile. “But we want everyone to feel welcomed and to have a great experience here.”

Subtlety is the Name of the Game

If you are one of Restaurant Alma’s many loyal customers, fear not. The heart and soul of the restaurant remain the same as they always were: award winning cuisine and stellar service. The changes are subtle here. From more comfortable chairs to better lighting to a new direction to the stairs leading to the bathroom, Roberts hopes the entire experience for his customers will be enhanced, rather than completely altered, by the improvements he works so diligently on.