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Tonalli opened along a stretch of Broadway, in Hamilton Heights, that’s one of the most heavily concentrated Kentucky/Crown Fried Chicken areas in town. Actually, the owner, Angel Tenesaca, is Ecuadorian, and owns two Mexican restaurants nearby (El Toro Partido and Picante Bar & Lounge). Ain’t that America! So why open a restaurant serving what he calls “renovated Italian” cuisine? “The neighborhood is dramatically changing,” says Tenesaca. “There are a lot of American people and students coming, and the neighborhood needs something different. Right now it’s only a choice of Latin food.” Tenesaca says he’s confident in his Italian, since his chef, Alfredo Tenesaca (who actually isn’t related to him by blood but grew up in the same town), cooked in kitchens such as Astoria’s Locale. But just for good measure, you’ll also find an Ecuadorian-style seviche on the menu (the shrimp are boiled in red onions and cilantro just a bit, then the broth is combined with ketchup and Tabasco and served with the shrimp). As for its best dish, Tenesaca reckons it’s (what else?) the burger.