Max Balliet, the owner of Holy Molé taco truck, is planning to open Lupo, a casual Italian restaurant that will boast a wood-fired pizza oven, at 1540 Frankfort Ave. on the edge of Butchertown.
Balliet is partnering with two members of the band Murder By Death, his sister Sarah and brother-in-law, Adam Turla. The Ferrari red imported pizza oven has already been installed in the brick shotgun that will house the restaurant, on which further renovation continues. Balliet hopes to open later in the spring.
Balliet started his restaurant career in Italian food, working at Primo, one of Bim Dietrich’s restaurants that was in the Market St. space that is now Wild Rita’s. According to a story in the Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com/story/entertainment/dining/restaurant/2017/03/24/tacos-pizza-holy-mol-owner-opening-italian-joint-butchertown/99409530/ that is where Balliet became fascinated with high-temperature wood-burning pizza ovens, and now can complete his dream of cooking on one of his own. In addition to pizza, Lupo will offer a variety of pastas.
Although the new restaurant will be his major interest, Balliet plans to continue working with his Holy Molé taco truck as much as he can, too.
