Never fear, Nana’s here!
Well, nearly here. In less than one week on Jan. 31, James Beard-nominated chef Carlos Raba will host the grand opening of his new Towson restaurant, Nana. Raba will open the doors at noon for lunch for diners to get their first look at his casual-dining concept, specializing in the “savory fire-roasted delicacies and sweet treats of his Sinaloan hometown of Culiacán,” reads the press release announcing the opening.
The restaurant is three years in the making, with Raba having to navigate the challenges of gutting and rebuilding a space for the new restaurant during the height of COVID-19, while managing his hugely successful restaurant in Charles Village, Clavel.
Nana will specialize in whole rotisserie chickens (prepared hourly in its Rotisol oven), pork al pastor (shaved from the vertical roasting spit), Sinaloa-style hot dogs (wrapped in bacon, smothered in toppings), seasonal vegetables and other regional specialties and treats. Tacos and quesadillas on handmade tortillas and “drowned” torta sandwiches will also feature prominently. There will also be entire roasted cauliflowers, baked slowly in vegetarian-friendly marinade.
“Nana is named in honor of my grandmother” says Chef Raba. “It is a celebration of family tradition, and I welcome the entire community to celebrate with me.”
The restaurant will have 15 seats for in-house dining, and provide many options for taking meals home, including meal packages to feed the whole family. Diners and those waiting for take-out will be able to see Nana’s taqueros preparing their meals in the open kitchen, adding to the restaurant’s bright, joyful atmosphere.
At first, Nana will be open for lunch and dinner, six days per week. Raba expects to expand hours and add delivery options in the spring, including a weekend brunch with breakfast tacos and specialty coffee.
When Raba spoke to Fishbowl about Nana in December, he explained his vision for the restaurant, and what it represents for him. “I want the neighborhood kids to say, ‘Dad, I’m gonna go and ride my bike and have adobo.’ ‘Hey, Dad, I’m gonna go and ride and have three tacos.’ ‘Hey, do you want to pick up chicken from Nana and you don’t cook today?’ ‘Hey, don’t worry about dinner. I’m gonna go and get a whole chicken and Nana before dinner and you come here.’”
With Nana, Raba is channeling his childhood, and what he wants for his own child and the kids in the neighborhoods around him. He said everything about his cooking and businesses is based on things he loves and feels passionately about.
Nana is located at 6901 York Road, Towson, MD. It is in the historic Stoneleigh Community Building, where the former Purdum Pharmacy once was.
Sinaloan???? Do you mean Sinaloa?