BelAir's first Madison location will open on Monday

BelAir Cantina, a Mexican-fusion restaurant famous for its tacos, tequila and fresh ingredients, will open its first Madison location to the public Monday, August 28. The restaurant, located just east of the Capitol Square at 111 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., will host a grand opening celebration the following weekend on Saturday, September 2 and Sunday, September 3.

During the grand opening event, 50 percent of all food sales will benefit Clean Lakes Alliance, a Madison not-for-profit organization devoted to improving the water quality of the lakes, streams and wetlands of the Yahara River watershed.

“It’s great to see a new business come to Madison and put the lakes at the top of its priority list,” said Clean Lakes Alliance executive director James Tye. “We look forward to BelAir Cantina continuing to be a strong advocate for lake health in our community.”

Clean Lakes Alliance will use the money raised during the BelAir Cantina opening event to fund lake education and improvement projects.

This will be the sixth restaurant for BelAir Cantina which has five locations in the Milwaukee area and is part of Toro, Toro, Toro, a restaurant group owned by Wisconsin natives Leslie Montemurro, Kristyn Eitel and Scott Johnson. Eitel is from the Madison area and Montemurro is a UW-Madison graduate.

“BelAir fans have been asking us to come to Madison for a very long time, and we’ve been looking for the right space and then making it uniquely “BelAir” for more than a year,” Montemurro said. “We’re excited to be partnering with an organization like Clean Lakes Alliance.  At BelAir Cantina, we practice sustainability and have great respect for organizations that make conservation a priority.  Their values are right in line with ours.”

Plans for the new location include an area for outdoor seating, a fun and relaxed environment with a California-inspired décor and menu. The restaurant will be open during the weekdays from 11 a.m. – bar close and on weekends from 10 a.m. – bar close, with brunch served on the weekends. There will be a happy hour Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.

“BelAir Cantina is a California surf twist on traditional Mexican.  While we have old school favorites like Carne Asada, Al Pastor and Barbacoa, we also mix in taco truck style specialties like Baja Tilapia and Korean Beef, with lots of our own unique combinations. There are plenty of options for vegetarians and all our salsas and ingredients are prepared fresh daily,” said Noe Zamora, Chef and Partner.