Squint a little and Sonora Grill, a new food stand in the Midtown Global Market, could be the next Chipotle. It's a better concept, arguably, than most of those that competed on America's Next Great Restaurant, and has already kept its doors open longer than the show's winner, Soul Daddy. Perhaps Steve Ellis has a few more burrito bucks burning a hole in his pocket?
Sonora is the brainchild of Alejandro Castillon, who previously cooked at Solera, Barrio, and, most recently, Bar La Grassa. Castillon's business partner is Conrado Badilla, a friend from Sonora, Mexico, with whom he had moved to Minnesota about 10 years ago. Castillon does the cooking with the help of his cousin,Fernando Arnanda, while Badilla runs the register and helps customers. The Global Market already counts several Mexican restaurants as tenants, but Sonora Grill distinguishes itself by adding influences from Spain and South Americaand submitting traditional dishes to a gourmet chef's makeover.The restaurant, if you can call it that, is little more than a facade to an open kitchen and a small seating area. But Sonora is a lean, mean, three-man operation with good cooking and slick branding. Its contemporary color palette and smart logo make the place look franchise-ready.
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