Dario Now Open in the North Loop
Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at 3:30AM
Find Dario in the T3 building, 323 N Washington Avenue
Two Minneapolis Restaurant Veterans Open Their First Concept In The North Loop
First time restaurateurs Chef Joe Rolle and Bartender Stephen Rowe open the highly anticipated Dario, an Italian restaurant with global influences located in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis.
Joe Rolle spent his career working in top kitchens in Minneapolis starting at the Dakota Jazz Club with his mentor, the late Jack Riebel, before moving onto the esteemed kitchens at Borough, Il Foro and Martina. Stephen Rowe, who also started his career at Dakota Jazz Club, made his way behind the bar and worked for a decade at the award-winning Marvel Bar, a pioneer in the craft cocktail scene in Minneapolis. Joe and Stephen’s experience working in the top places in Minneapolis positioned them to embark on their first solo project, Dario.
A true reflection of Joe’s family background, diverse cooking experience and travels, the menu at Dario is rooted in Italian yet influences are seen from France, Asia and other parts of the world.
The menu is separated into five sections with the idea that every section stands on its own. A section of Raw items includes Oysters Dario, a dish inspired by a local Thai spot Rolle used to frequent. In this dish, Rolle serves a half dozen East Coast oysters topped with a Thai-style beef tartare and a spherification of lime juice. Also in this section is the Hiramasa Crudo with Calamansi ponzu, gooseberry, Yuzu Kosho, and avocado.
Vegetables are celebrated at Dario and showcase the many different cuisines that influence Rolle. Examples include the Flowering Cauliflower, a Silician-inspired dish served with brown butter bagna cauda, capers and fried sourdough; a French-style salad of Red Endive with Roquefort cheese, candied walnuts, dates and poached Asian pear; and a Greek Cucumber Salad served with whipped feta tzatziki and covered with trout roe, sesame seeds and dill.
Rolle became known for his pasta and Dario’s menu has something for everyone. Short rib Agnolotti is a love letter to Northern Italy with red wine jus, bacon, and gorgonzola. Piccino Paccheri Verde is Rolle’s homage to bolognese served with spinach pasta and a 24-month parmesan fonduta and Doppio Ravioli is a double-sided stuffed pasta with ricotta on one side and caramelized sunchokes on the other, served with honey, hazelnuts and rosemary.
The Fish & Meat section includes favorites from the land and sea. Sauteed Trout is complemented with saffron mussel emulsion and a salsa verde while Brick Chicken is deboned and served with brown butter piccata sauce. The section's nod to Asia is the Skate Wing with honeynut squash curry as well as the Char Siu Belly with fermented black bean clam sauce. There also is a choice between two peppercorn crusted steaks, Prime Hanger Steak and a Niman Ranch Prime New York Strip, both with a veal peppercorn jus.
For sweets, opt for the Cake & Ice Cream, a chocolate ricotta cake with gianduja cremeux, vanilla ice cream, and a pizzelle, the Pineapple & Passionfruit, pineapple sorbet layered with macadamia nut brittle, passionfruit granita and whipped coconut cream or the Affogato with vanilla bean ice cream and butterscotch.
A robust beverage program includes craft cocktails created by Rowe. While there is a selection of classics or what he is calling house cocktails, Rowe’s goal with Dario’s original cocktails is to have the drinks be memorable with strong flavors that do not necessarily translate to high alcohol. Examples include Future Dancer made with Destilerias Acha Axtra Dry Vermouth, lime, and Maleza Hierbas bitters and Synclaire After Hours, a mix of Dimmi, Maify Aranciata, hibiscus tea, and sparkling water. Additionally, there is a large selection of non-alcoholic cocktails including Agatha 2.0 made with Shiitake tea, cherry, prune, cranberry and elderberry tea and Is It Juice with coconut, orange juice, pineapple juice, and rooibos chia. The wine list leans towards Italy but also includes bottles from Spain, France and America. The drink menu also features local and Italian beers.
Designed by Wittkamper Studio, the space has a feminine, punk rock feel with notes of pink, fuzzy iridescent teal velvet and an articulate lattice of white-washed millwork. Floor-to-ceiling windows line the space with banquette seating throughout the dining area. A glass-enclosed pasta room transitions from a work space by day to a dining area by night providing guests with an “eat-in-the-kitchen” vibe.
Dario is open for dinner Sunday to Thursday from 5pm-10pm and Friday and Saturday from 5pm-11pm. It is located at 323 N Washington Avenue and reservations can be made at www.dariorestaurant.com.
