Allora sharpens coastal Italian identity with first summer menu

Allora has rolled out its first summer menu under chef Gregory L. Jones, sharpening the downtown Grand Rapids restaurant’s coastal Italian identity with a slate of pasta dishes built for both seafood lovers and red-sauce regulars. The new menu reads less like a reset than a tighter edit of the concept that opened in April 2025.

Jones, who came to Allora from Tagliata in Baltimore, said his aim is to make food people crave, whether that means weeknight pasta, steak or a memorable night out. That approach shows up in the summer additions: spaghetti alla chitarra with clams, Calabrian chile and bottarga; green agnolotti filled with sunchoke and goat cheese; ricotta cavatelli with tomatoes and basil; and pappardelle with beef-and-local-pork ragù. The range gives Allora a clear pasta identity, moving from briny and bright to rich and slow-cooked without losing the handmade feel that has defined the restaurant since opening.

The menu also keeps Allora tied to the place it occupies. The restaurant sits at 201 Monroe Ave. NW, in the former Reserve Wine & Food space between DeVos Place and the Amway Grand Plaza. Reserve operated there for 14 years after opening in September 2010, then closed in early 2024 for a redesign and concept change. Windquest Group, the DeVos family office, is tied to the property, and Allora’s arrival marked one of downtown Grand Rapids’ more visible restaurant turnarounds.

Beyond pasta, the summer list reinforces the broader Mediterranean-coastal pitch. New entrées include grilled branzino and Berkshire pork chop, alongside seasonal dishes built around Michigan produce. Allora’s website says the menu is inspired by the heart of Italy and the bounty of West Michigan, while OpenTable describes the restaurant as seafood-forward and notes that it also serves handmade pastas, heritage chicken and steaks.

For a room that already leaned on seafood and handmade pasta, the seasonal update matters because it makes the concept more legible. The clams, bottarga and Calabrian chile point straight to the coast; the agnolotti, cavatelli and pappardelle show the kitchen is still treating pasta as the center of the plate. That is the signal summer sends at Allora now: the identity is not being reinvented, just sharpened.