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“Owning hotels and restaurants was the last thing I was thinking about even when I
started to build them,” he confesses. “When I began building, it was originally a condomin-
ium project.” He found himself renting rooms, and the returns made selling the properties a
poor business decision. Soon he was operating a guest house and apartments. And as those
businesses flourished, restaurants were a logical next step.
Fast forward a few years and Allan has several restaurants perched near the top of the
majestic ManuelAntoniohills.OneofthemistheiconicElAvionwitha1950scargoplane
an integral part of the décor and attraction. It draws tourists for photo ops like humming-
birds to nectar. Similarly, El Wagon boasts an antique rail car as part of the dining experi-
ence — yet another of Allan's import-and-employ projects. The wood siding and rails be-
neath it give it a unique feel and a place to enjoy El Wagon's renowned pizza .
“This pizza place was something I've been wanting to do for a long time,” Allan says.
He had a plan to offer wood fired pizza, from a little cantina or sidewalk café. He liked the
connection it let people have with their meal, “watching the whole process, and being part
of it,” he explains. He met someone originally from Italy who he thought could help, and
once again his instincts were as sharp as a lion hunting dinner.
“He turned out to be a talented graduate from the Culinary Institute, actually a chef,”
Allan tells me. That only left the small task of building his wood fired oven to make the
