The new owners of ‘Intalia’ at the former Santaniello location on Glenlord Road are sharing their plans for a new and unique restaurant that balances the best of Italian and Indian food to offer something for a wide range of customer tastes.
Aravind Ale and his wife Kavita sat down with MoodyOnTheMarket.com for an extensive discussion about their plans, formulated over many months as they untangled legal and financial challenges that flowed from the untimely demise of the restaurant in 2022. Now, the final big challenge is obtaining the last ‘green light’ from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission for beer, wine and liquor sales.
When that happens, Ale says they will be ready to open the doors to a concept that is new to this region but has been successful elsewhere in the Midwest: a menu that features both Italian and Indian specialty items.
“I’m gonna make sure that the Italian side of the restaurant will be as authentic as it was before. We are working hard to keep that cuisine as the main thing. That’s why we named it ‘Intalia’. But we know there’s a lot of demand for Indian food in and around St. Joe, especially for a dine-in restaurant. So we’re gonna add some Indian to the main menu and special dishes. We’re gonna serve both Indian and Italian here, and be as authentic as possible!”
Ale’s vision for his new double-barreled menu extends across the kitchen to the pizza oven:
“We’re gonna have some real authentic Italian pizzas comparable to the good ones around in town. But we also have like four or five specialty pizzas which will be made based on the Indian sauces and Indian toppings which are popular among many people around here.”
Ale told us he’s counting on the Italian side of the menu to bring in many longtime customers who frequented the heritage location. Once they’re inside he’ll gently challenge them to try something new:
“I’m gonna accommodate every kind of people. But the core food we’re going to serve is Indian and Italian. As far as people who don’t have exposure to the Indian food, I’m very willing to offer some tastings and some samples. Maybe we’ll do a Costco kind of thing– have two, three stations, and give some samples. People who want to try it can try it and if they like it, they always can order. But at least they will get exposure to what kind of food it is, whether it is something they would like to try.”
Aravind and Kavita understand their new restaurant will automatically be compared to the memorable tastes and recipes of Santaniello’s. They make it clear that they are NOT trying to imitate or duplicate, however they deeply respect the long heritage of the halls in which they walk… and the kitchen in which they cook.
“I’m gonna try to make the tastiest Italian food I can. That is my primary goal. Unfortunately, I was not able to get the recipes. And, anyway, every chef has his own style of cooking. Even if I got the recipes, I don’t know how it would have been. But I tried my best, especially for the focaccia bread and some of the pastas and the sauces they had. Unfortunately I was not able to get the recipes. So, I’m going to just do my best!”
Who can ask for a more straightforward pledge from a chef and a restaurant?
Ale brings restaurant experience from earlier in his life in Australia and India. For more than 15 years until recently, he has been part of the Engineering Team at Whirlpool Corporation. Kavita is the Director of Rehabilitation at Royalton Manor, a senior living facility. They will be the ‘hands on’ management team at Intalia, with Aravind serving as General Manager and Executive Chef and Kavita taking the role of Director of Operations.
As they wait for the MLCC to approve their liquor license, they are turning their attention to recruiting experienced staff to allow them to open the restaurant at ‘full speed.’
“Right now, I’m hoping my liquor license will be coming through this month. With luck, the plan is to open sometime in August. We are pretty much ready. I just need to hire some people. I’m going to hire some managers, some chefs and line cooks. I’m going to hire some bartenders, servers, people in the kitchen,”
Ale said he would be delighted if there were applicants who worked in the facility in the past, saying they could learn from each other.
While preparations continue for the opening, Ale points out that the big banquet hall, the party room at the back of the 10,000 square foot facility is ready for rental use right now. There is no alcohol service available currently, however the catering kitchen is fully operational, and he is willing to offer special rates over the next few weeks for last-minute bookings.
Reach Aravind Ale at 269-470-2716 or AravindAle@gmail.com
Headline photo: Kavita & Aravind Ale at Intalia
Photos courtesy of Intalia
By Gayle Olson, MOTM Contributor
Paneer Tikka Pizza
Aravind’s Focaccia Bread
Intalia Banquet Hall, ‘ready to rent’
