BelAir to Open Madison Location this Summer

BelAir Cantina, a Mexican-fusion restaurant famous for its tacos, tequila and fresh ingredients, announced on Wednesday it will open its first Madison location this summer. The restaurant will be just east of the Capitol Square at 111 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in the space formerly occupied by Francesca’s al Lago.

BelAir Cantina has four locations in the Milwaukee area with a fifth restaurant opening in Brookfield this spring. BelAir 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 for almost a year,” Montemurro said. “We have a lot of respect for Madison restauranteurs and their commitment to innovation and using the freshest ingredients in their menus. This approach is right in line with our way of doing things. We’re excited to introduce our concept to the market.”

“BelAir Cantina definitely has 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.

Plans for the new location include an area for outdoor seating, a fun and relaxed environment with a California-inspired décor and menu.

BelAir Cantina is committed to every community in which they operate and through a program called “Powered by Tacos,” makes a sizeable donation to a local charity as part of grand opening festivities, as well as proceeds from a specialty taco on every seasonal menu. Montemurro said the restaurant is looking forward to working with nonprofits in the Madison area.