Guerrilla Street Food announced a first look at the menu for the upcoming Grove location. The modern Filipino-American concept is slated to open their fourth location inside the frozen cocktail bar, Tropical Liqueurs, later this month/early May.
Each location has its own signature menu so guests can expect creative handhelds and craveable late night dishes in The Grove, in addition to the concept’s signature “Old School” menu like the Flying Pig. Nowell Gata serves as executive chef and worked closely with Chef/Owner Brian Hardesty to develop the menu.
“The Grove screams fun so we’re embracing that mentality with the menu,” Hardesty says. “We’re located inside of Trops so the menu reflects bold flavors in approachable dishes like wings and sandwiches that will appeal to the guests.”
Gata met co-owners Joel Crespo and Brian Hardesty at the Guerrilla Alliance pop-ups last April, and joined the group this fall. Born in Manila, Philippines, Gata holds on to his Filipino roots while creating new, innovative takes on dishes that he grew up eating. He says, “The new Grove menu exhibits what Guerrilla Street is known for: a sensible take on Filipino food with an incredible ability to adapt to new environments and create something truly unique.”
Gata and Hardesty’s “Merienda” menu takes everyday dishes and infuses Filipino flavor profiles. For example, the Salted Duck Egg Popcorn features a local, housemade kettle corn topped with the very popular Filipino flavor of salted duck egg. The Patis Chicken Wings showcase the classic Filipino flavor balance of sweet and briny notes with fish sauce, calamansi and chilis. Mung Bean Hummus uses the traditional Filipino legume instead of chickpeas to be served with pickled vegetables, and jerky goes Filipino with the housemade Chicken Adobe Jerky.
The “New School” dishes evoke a similar sense of fun. For example, the Filipino Crunchwrap is a take on a fast food favorite made with pork shoulder chorizo, refried mung beans, fried wonton, mung bean sprouts, calamansi crème, labuyo hot sauce, chicharrón and green onion grilled in a flour tortilla. Sandwiches include: the Bagnet Kare Kare Po’boy with crispy pork belly, chile peanut sauce, shredded lettuce, chile mayo and pickled green tomato; a Grilled Pimento Cheese; and Patistrami, a fish sauce-cured pastrami with atchara, gruyere, black pepper mayo and Union Loafers bread. Another dish, Pancit Carbonara, is a Filipino/Italian culture clash with pancit noodles, fried oyster and chicharrón.
“My parents used to make Pancit Carbonara for us when we were kids to help us assimilate to ‘Western foods’,” Gata says. “I love Italian food, and there are a lot of similar sensibilities in Filipino pancit dishes. I think this dish showcases that.”
