Ally Kiel

tortellini in brodo, a radicchio salad, a bottle of Sangiovese. the bar in Bologna, twenty years later. Aperol and potato chips. tortellini in brodo, radicchio, Sangiovese, again

simple food that tastes like itself. warm, alive, a little offbeat. old rooms with character. taste is the thing a machine can't do. the pasta is boiling, come over

Ally Kiel

Food, wine & things I make

Chicago · est. Bologna 2005
Reservations by text only

the menu ↓

Regole della casa

(house rules)

Sundays are for supper.
There's always room for one more.
Greet your guests with a glass in your hand.
Linger at the table, keep the conversation going.
End the night with a passeggiata and a nightcap.

let's cook together!

Ally with an Aperol Spritz and potato chips at the bar in Bologna

ANTIPASTI

Lime Bar, Bologna2005

Tended bar in Bologna. Went back twenty years later to order a spritz from the other side. read ↗

still thinking about those potato chips

Alliance Beverage, Phoenix2006-10

Italian wine specialist. Taught Arizona to drink Italian, one region at a time.

the desert, of all places

PRIMI

Acquerello, San Francisco2010-11

A stage on the wine team. Opening thirty-year-old Barolo tableside and willing the cork not to crumble. read ↗

trying to keep my hand from shaking

Signorello Estate, Napa2011-12

Brand ambassador. One Napa winery, every market in the U.S. and Canada.

road warrior status

Trilussa, San Francisco2010

Italian importer. A small book of boutique producers and the whole Bay Area to cover, winemakers riding shotgun.

based in SF, but really I lived in my Fiat

CONTORNI

Et Al Wine Bar, manager · 2012
Biondivino · 2011-12
KEY Concierge · 2017
Resy, Austin · 2018
Cvent · 2019-20

Artichokes, red onions and greens at a market stall in Bologna — the real contorni, Bologna

Tortelloni di ricotta e prezzemolo in a Bologna shop window — fatti a mano, uno per uno

SECONDI

Chambers & Chambers2012-13

Allocations of Champagne and Burgundy for San Francisco's Michelin-starred dining rooms.

and a lot of time in the vineyards

Nespresso, fine dining partnerships2013-17

Selling espresso machines to hotels paid for the fun part: Aspen Food & Wine, Pebble Beach, James Beard, World's 50 Best the year Massimo Bottura won, and New York sommeliers on a coffee pilgrimage to Switzerland.

still miss that expense account

AMARO

NetSuite2020-25

Account manager to product companies like Jones Road and Blue Apron. President's Club in year one.

bitter, but good for digestion

CAFFÈ

Italian passport2025

Dual citizenship, celebrated at the same bar in Bologna. read ↗

Ally Kiel Consultingnow

Catering and private events. allykielconsulting.com ↗

Dolciwhat I'm making now

Aperol & Potato Chips

Starts at the bar in Bologna, a year after leaving corporate America. On Substack.

chef's favorite

The AI Scene

How ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity recommend restaurants, city by city. theaiscene.com

house specialty

Ally Recommended

An animated kitchen that changes with what's on the stove and the wine I'm opening. In the oven.

seasonal, changes daily

Spontaneous Supper Club

Interactive invites for last-minute dinners. Starts with "are you free any of these dates?" Coming soon.

for the table

Harmonica tab converter

Built for my own practice.

off the menu

Homemade tortellini

Make them at least once a year around the holidays to keep the family tradition going.

family recipe