The chef Joe Rolle had been working in Minneapolis restaurants for 18 years when he decided to open his own place. He asked his former co-worker, the bartender Stephen Rowe — who refined his cocktail-making skills at the city’s now-closed Marvel Bar, known for its experimental drinks — to be his partner. At the end of January, the pair opened Dario, an Italian-leaning restaurant in the city’s North Loop neighbourhood. One star of the menu is Rolle’s Doppio Ravioli, filled with half sunchoke purée and half whipped ricotta, served with brown butter, honey, fried rosemary and hazelnuts. To accompany the dish, Rowe created the Bad Apple, a cocktail featuring vermouth and Calvados. Dario’s pastas are made by hand daily in a room at the back of the restaurant. In the evening, that space, with its 14-foot butcher block table, becomes a communal dining area. In the main dining room, the interiors are textured and summery: Potted plants fill the corners, banquettes are upholstered in teal velvet and an oceanic grey-blue and, at the bar, custom-made pink stools line up like flamingos. dariorestaurant.com.
