Locura is part of a recent Sqirl Pop-Up initiative in Los Angeles to host chefs looking to launch their own concepts. The name translates from both Spanish and Italian as “madness,” and while the “Italian food pop-up with Latino vibes” from chef Julio Alvarenga rates pretty low on the chaos spectrum, dishes could certainly prove addictive.
Sqirl founder Jessica Koslow grants free access to her commissary kitchen and offers as much assistance as select chefs would like with menu writing, photography, design, and culinary feedback. Chefs set their own prices and Sqirl takes no commission.
Alvarenga worked at Koslow’s modern California café in 2018 as a lead line cook. She remembers him having “a kind spirit and solid technique.” They maintained a good relationship, and he decided to “go for it” with his pop-up, which is available at Sqirl through June.
“I was following Julio’s journey with his pop-up Fishscale,” Koslow says. “At the time we chatted about bringing that to Sqirl, but we also discussed how an exploration of his cooking history married with his heritage would not only be delicious but likely provide a deeper understanding of his own culinary language. Locura was born out of this reflection and it’s been a blossoming moment for Julio that I’ve been proud to witness and taste.”
Locura's Churromisu, a mix of tiramisù and churro flavors and textures.
Both of Alvarenga’s parents are from El Salvador, but he grew up in North Hollywood, surrounded by Mexican food, so, he says, “that’s just what I grew up eating.” He started his culinary career in L.A. at AOC, working for legendary Mediterranean-influenced chef Suzanne Goin. He later lived and staged in Peru and worked for chefs at several Italian restaurants, including Amis Trattoria and Vetri Cucina in Philadelphia. Most recently, Alvarenga was Union’s sous chef in Pasadena. These diverse influences all helped to inform Locura.
Alvarenga credits Amis Trattoria chef-owner Brad Spence and chef de cuisine Drew Ditomo as the people who taught him most about Italian food. “They taught me the Italian cooking philosophy of keeping things simple and making things nice,” he says. “Something as simple as flour, water, butter and good Parmigiano cheese can become an incredible pasta dish with the right care and technique.” At Locura, Alvarenga hand-rolls pastas like cavatelli and fettuccine.
“I find Julio’s cooking to be both technical and surprisingly delicate,” Koslow says. “The hand-rolled pastas are light on the palate (I cried having them after not having hand-rolled pasta for a year) and the dishes themselves are considerate of seasonality based on the relationships he’s building within the farming community.”
During a recent visit, Alvarenga was cooking a tight eight-dish menu in Sqirl’s kitchen. Customers can order at the next-door market and either grab-and-go or sit at tables lining the building’s west wall, facing increasingly trendy Virgil Avenue.
Julio Alvarenga started Locura as a pop-up at L.A.'s Sqirl.
Schiacciata ($12.25, pictured at top) is quite a tongue twister, but this starter is basically just focaccia. Alvarenga tops a soft, golden, thick slice with vivid market vegetables, including carrot purée and roasted carrots, crunchy blanched snap peas, and local mozzarella gobs marinated in mild guajillo chile oil. Torn mint and basil contribute added brightness. “The idea behind this dish was bread with antipasto, one of my favorite ways to start any meal,” he says.
Alvarenga just started his run with Locura, but he’s already developed two signature dishes. Ricotta Cavatelli with Beef “Birria” Ragù ($21) riffs on the now-ubiquitous Mexican braised beef dish birria, which fills tacos and typically comes with consommé. He slow-cooks chuck and short rib with dried chilies, onions, garlic, and spices and serves it atop supple house-made pasta cooked in butter and Parmigiano. His finishing touches involve parsley and fresh-grated Parmigiano.
For dessert, Churromisu ($9) is a catchy name for a seriously fun mash-up, a thick slab of churro-flavored tiramisù bursting with mascarpone cream, showered with cinnamon and cocoa powder, and garnished with crispy churro bits. “The ‘churromisu’ was a result of someone asking if I could make a tiramisu with churros instead of ladyfingers,” Alvarenga says. “Needless to say a light bulb went off. We make a cinnamon sponge and soak it in cafe de olla then serve it with churro bites that we fry right before service.”
Locura's Ricotta Cavatelli Beef Birria Ragù.
Alvarenga changes his menu based on farmers' market finds, so don’t assume dishes will carry over from season to season. “Sometimes we fall in love with a great local product like the Peruvian fingerlings from Weiser Farms or Milliken’s green spring garlic,” he says. Seasonality matters, but taste rules. Italian and Latin flavors also have to make sense together. He says, “I also always ask myself and my team, ‘Do we love eating this?’” So far, he’s heard many yeses.
Locura pops up on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights at Sqirl through June with a brief break in May to develop a summer menu. From there, Alvarenga would love to pop up in other cities or states, and he’d also consider opening his own restaurant. In the meantime, he and diners are enjoying his unique fusion.