The story behind Oliver & Bonacini’s restaurant Leña begins with Anthony Walsh, who was inspired by his Argentinian mother-in-law, Elena, and their shared passion for South American cuisine. Anthony, the corporate executive chef of Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants, and Julie Marteleira, executive chef, worked together to develop a concept around the Argentinian style of cooking, which is deeply rooted in family and food. “The style of cooking is not fancy,” Julie insists. “It’s simple. It’s what we grew up with, cooking with our mother or grandmother.”
South American cuisine is typically thought of as grilled meats with some chimichurri, but Anthony and Julie wanted to do more at Leñato showcase the strong Spanish and Italian influences that are prevalent in Argentinian cuisine.
“I think when we first opened people thought the menu might be all about meat,” Julie remembers. “Not really. That’s what people know of Argentinian food, but we wanted to delve a little deeper, while still making it accessible.” And while it's not surprising for customers to say, “‘Oh wow I didn’t know this was South American!’” Julie says they often eventually see the connection.
