The Allard co-owners Brenda Mora-Tilem, known professionally as Chef Mora, and brother Jose Mares stand at the bar inside the historic 100 Main St. E building in Valdese, where they hope to establish a second location by late September or early October.
The inside of what was once 100 Main Restaurant & Bar sat quiet and empty for six months, but now, passersby may hear the sounds of construction and renovation as contractors prepare the building for a new occupant.
By the end of the year, The Allard will open its second location in the historic building, with brother-sister duo Brenda Mora-Tilem and Jose Mares serving customers French-inspired cuisine in a space that, although renovated, keeps several characteristics of 100 Main intact.
Mora-Tilem, known professionally as Chef Mora, said that she wants to bring new flavors to Valdese, but more importantly, give locals a space to gather.
“We still want this to be a place where people are going to come hang out and have celebrations,” Mora-Tilem said. “We want it to be a part of Valdese and its people. … (100 Main) meant a lot to the community and I definitely don’t want to take that away from them. If anything, I want to give them … a little bit more menu.”
WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE?
Mora-Tilem and Mares have big plans for the restaurant, including a viewing window at the front where people walking down the street can watch employees make fresh pastries.
“Twice a day, (someone) is going to be making something seasonal,” Mora-Tilem said. “So, for fall we’ll have someone making cinnamon rolls or candied apples … or someone just making bread throughout the day and whatnot.”
Mora-Tilem said the schedule for the viewing window will be posted to social media.
Brenda Mora-Tilem discusses plans for The Allard in Valdese.
The front of the restaurant will operate as a space to have coffee, pastries, and mingle with friends without committing to full-on dinner, Mora-Tilem said. The room beyond the staircase is where the full dining room starts, with a host stand near the base of the stairs, and there will also be full patio service.
Upstairs, Mora-Tilem said there will be a room to rent for events.
Gesturing to the wooden benches in the windows, Mora-Tilem said a couple of them would be kept for the new restaurant.
“We are going to keep the wood (the bar is made from) … we’re just going to give it a little bit of a facelift,” Mora-Tilem said, emphasizing that she and Mares want to preserve the historic structure of the building. “But what we expect to have is a full bar with signature cocktails.”
Mora-Tilem said she and Mares are considering an art deco aesthetic mixed with a vintage Parisian look.
WHAT’S ON THE MENU?
The Allard’s Valdese restaurant will be larger than the Hudson location. Mora-Tilem is excited to work with a bigger kitchen, which gives her the chance to expand the menu.
In Hudson, The Allard offers soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, seafood, pastries, and more, ranging from less expensive brunch and lunch options in the $12-$33 range to high-end cuts of steak between $40 and $110.
“Here (in Valdese) it would be different. We would have a lot more affordable options, because again, we have a larger kitchen, but we are still looking to preserve that upscale vibe at night,” Mora-Tilem said.
New, exclusive items include Mora-Tilem’s favorite dish to cook: boeuf bourguignon, a French beef stew.
“That will definitely be on the menu … because it’s one of those comfort dishes, especially during fall,” Mora-Tilem said. “It’s a must have. It’s a staple.”
Boeuf bourguignon is a dish that must cook slowly. Mora-Tilem said the Hudson location does not have room to accommodate a dish that must stay over heat for so long.
The Allard’s Hudson menu can be viewed online at allardbakerybistro.com/menu.
Chef Mora has 20 years of culinary experience that includes training under Michelin-starred chefs, catering for the Grammys, and opening locations of Mastro’s Steakhouse in both New York and Washington, D.C. She also studied at Le Cordon Bleu’s California location and has training in both French and Japanese cuisine.
