Leluia Hall, At Last

In early May, Jamie Brown and Jeff Tonidandel hosted a media preview at Leluia Hall, the church-turned-restaurant that had been under construction for almost three years and whose opening was scheduled, then rescheduled, and rescheduled again. The couple greeted their guests as they settled into the renovated dining room with Spring Fever cocktails in hand. One food blogger joked about how many times they’d delayed the grand opening. Jeff and Jamie smiled; it was nothing they hadn’t heard before. The spouses and business partners were keenly aware of the time and effort this project required.

After 32 months of surprises and setbacks, they were elated to change their “coming soon” status to “now open” and welcome diners into their steak-and-seafood restaurant in historic Dilworth. They fine-tuned every detail, from the hand-chiseled Moroccan tiles to the mouthfeel of the Masa & Cheese (more on that later). Jeff and his construction crew installed the millwork and built the wood dining tables. “They have custom inlays and table runners,” he says. “When someone posts a picture of our tabletops, we know it’s ours.” Jamie selected every design element, like the crane wallpaper in the bathrooms, the pink ceramic planters, and the four skyscraper lights that were original to the building. 

The 6,000-square-foot space has a main dining room, private dining room, and downstairs wine cellar.

When they purchased Bonterra from the late restaurateur J.D. Duncan in early 2022, Jeff and Jamie planned to reopen as Leluia Hall within a year. But opening a restaurant in a historic church is a huge undertaking, even for these two, who did it four years ago with Supperland. As they began demolition, they discovered the 110-year-old building was caving in. One year of construction turned into two. Then three. But that hardly matters now.

The restaurant’s name is a play on the word “Hallelujah” and a nod to the building’s history, which Jamie has committed to memory. The 6,000-square-foot space has a main dining area, a private dining room and wine cellar downstairs, and a mezzanine with its own bar. Executive chef Chris Rogienski and chef de cuisine Cristian Medrano created the menu, and sommelier Michael Klinger curated a list of more than 200 wines.

Mixologists Colleen Hughes and Rhea Buck make tropics-inspired cocktails.

Beverage director and 2025 James Beard semifinalist Colleen Hughes leads the cocktail program, which is full of tropical influence and heavy on rum and pisco. The Spring Fever ($18) is an agave-based drink with a splash of ginger beer and hints of lime, cilantro, and jalapeño. Rock You Like A ($24) combines the rich flavors of rum with the brightness of lemon and bergamot juice. The Tropical Highball ($16) is a fresh take on a classic highball with Japanese whisky, pineapple rum, and yuzu liqueur.

The raw bar has Sea Bass Ceviche ($23), Shrimp Cocktail ($21), and Raw Oysters (market price). You can also opt for Intermezzo Service, which gets you a Cucumber-Lime-Mint Popsicle ($3 each) to cleanse your palate before you move through the rest of the menu.

Sea Bass Ceviche

Dishes are shareable and served family-style. Yellowtail Tacos ($10) come two to an order and served in masa shells. The Fish Sticks ($19) are stuffed with black cod, shrimp, and lobster mouse and fried with a crispy panko crust. The Crab Louie Board ($32) brims with lump crab, hard-boiled eggs, and “fresh fixings” like asparagus, lettuce, radishes, red onion, and cherry tomatoes. 

All five steaks are sugar-cured, which involves coating the steak in a sugar-and- salt mixture to deepen the flavor and give it a caramelized crust. Highlights include 16-ounce Wagyu Ribeye ($130), 10-ounce Prime Filet ($79), and the 16-ounce Wagyu Picanha ($85), also known as a sirloin cap, and popular in Brazilian steakhouses. Upgrade with toppers like Black Garlic Oscar ($23), Bone Marrow & Shrimp ($16), or Nduja Butter ($6), a spicy, spreadable salami paste made from pork and Calabrian chili peppers.

Wagyu Picanha topped with lump crab meat, asparagus, and herb butter.

If you came for the surf, choose from Lobster Thermidor ($76), Chilean Sea Bass ($56), or Pan-Seared Black Cod ($47). Leluia Hall has plenty of vegetarian items, too, like Stuffed Roasted Onions ($30) filled with rice and cotija cheese. The kitchen even has a dedicated gluten-free fryer where corn- and rice-based items like the tortilla chips, plantain chips, and taco shells are cooked separately.

Sides include Lemon Risotto ($15), Fried Mushrooms ($13), and Brussels Almondine ($15). Masa & Cheese ($16) is what Jamie calls a “mac and cheese replacement dish.” Instead of noodles, this iteration has masa dumplings that taste like gnocchi, and it’s served elote-style with cotija cheese, roasted corn, and popped corn. “(Chris) made it about 50 times until we got the mouthfeel right,” she says. (Yes, chef!)

Pastry Chef Savannah Foltz’s Island Cake

Pastry chef Savannah Foltz slays the dessert menu. The Avocado Lime Pie ($12) is a wedge of avocado lime mousse with a tiger nut crust, garnished with whipped coconut cream, mango gel and kiwi gelée. The Fudge Cake ($13) is topped with chocolate milk crumble, triple-toasted vanilla ice cream, and hot fudge. The Island Cake ($12) is 12 (twelve!) layers of guava cake stacked with orange mousse and passion fruit buttercream.

It’s perfectly okay—encouraged, even—to take your time and savor each bite. Quick table turns aren’t the goal here. Rushing things has never been their style.