D’Amico Disappearing, But For How Long?
The big news is D’Amico Cucina closing. If you haven’t heard, yes, it’s true. The restaurant that more or less invented contemporary fine dining in this town is dimming the lights. Their last night will be Saturday, June 27.
This is especially sad news for a few reasons. First, this is the restaurant that launched an empire (all the D’Amico and Sons, as well as Masa, Café and Bar Lurcat, and Campiello), not to mention half the chefs working in independent restaurants in town (Tim McKee, Doug Flicker, Isaac Becker), and even if all the little acorns have grown into strong trees, it’s still upsetting to see the mighty oak fall.
Second, D’Amico’s closing is sad because I thought they were doing very strong work lately. In fact, I called them the best Italian restaurant in the city recently. I was particularly impressed with chef John Occhiato’s ability to use local farm ingredients to make D’Amico’s haute Italian more relevant, fresher, and lighter than it had been in years. He seemed to have a very graceful understanding of what ingredient-driven Italian food meant in a way that was meaningful in the Midwest.
There is, however, good news—good news that the gossip mills are spinning in a very interesting way. Chef Occhiato will be staying in town as part of the D’Amico empire, as will many of the servers, many of whom are the best in town. The plan, Richard D’Amico told me, is to open a new Italian restaurant in Minneapolis with Occhiato as head chef, and, in the mean time, to shift the servers to Masa and Lurcat until that restaurant opens.
“Business is actually as good as it’s been for a while,” he told me, “but the kind of fine dining we were doing—180 seats—maybe you can support that in London, New York, or Paris, but not here. Today fine dining is 80 seats, more atmospheric, less formal. After 9/11 we lost 45 percent of our sales, and they just never came back. We’ve been supporting it for the last couple years, and we just didn’t see a major turnaround coming, so here we are. It’s hard to close it, it’s like our baby.”
So, that would date D’Amico’s heyday from 1987, when they opened, through 9/11, which marks a particular era in Minneapolis history. Cucina was one of the last remnants of the Minneapolis that existed before I-394, the municipal parking garages, Target Center, Block-E, and all the sports bars, one of the last holdouts of a warehouse district that was all art-galleries and fine or artsy restaurants (the New French Café, Chez Bananas, Faegere’s). D’Amico told me that the restaurant also never really recovered from the change in business meal deductions. (In 1986 business meal tax deductions changed from 100% to 80%, and in 1993 to 50%. Curse you Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton!)
D’Amico wouldn’t spill any more information about the new restaurant, though I did ask, “Northern Italian?” To which he said: “Italian.”
I’ll decode that for you. In restaurant-speak, “Northern Italian” means “fancy and expensive,” Southern Italian means “cheap, possibly hipster-ish.” (The southernmost parts of the Italian boot are very hip in restaurant circles right now, as led by restaurants like San Francisco’s A16.) And plain old Italian means “popular, likable by many.”
Now, here’s where that skeleton of on-the-record truth gets very interesting. I talked to three local power players in the past couple days, all of whom are saying that this new, popular Italian D’Amico restaurant will be going in to the Chambers and replacing the Jean Georges restaurant.
This sounds likely to me because:
• The D’Amicos are keeping the whole Cucina kitchen staff on payroll, with benefits, which isn’t cheap.
• The D’Amicos are not afraid of downtown; witness the success of Masa.
• Ralph Burnet has seen mega-success moving a landmark Minneapolis restaurant, namely, Manny’s, into a hotel—The W at the Foshay—so why not do it a second time?
• As an inside Baby Boomer power-player to Baby Boomer power-player move, it just makes sense.
On the other hand, it sounds unlikely because:
• It almost makes too much sense. It could be one of those scenarios in which deductive logic—plus a desire for a locally-liked bunch of people to triumph over coastal bigwigs—might trump the truth.
Still, enough high-level people have told me it’s a done deal (and would happen in the fall) for it to pass my smell test, for which I’m willing to go out on a limb and publish a retraction if need be.
Of course, I did go to Richard D’Amico for confirmation or denial, but really got neither. “All I can say is we’re working on a downtown project, at this point nothing is done,” he said.
Have you talked to [Ralph] Burnet about this? I asked. “I talk to so many people. During the whole history of our company, we’ve had an Italian restaurant downtown, and we would like to continue to have an Italian restaurant downtown.”
It doesn’t sound like just rumors to me, I countered. “I’ve heard rumors that we’re going into the Ivy too,” he said, meaning that they would replace Porter & Frye.
“Are you?” I asked.
“No,” said D’Amico.
So, on the record, D’Amico says no to replacing Porter & Frye, but doesn’t say no about replacing Jean Georges. He also says I’ll be the first to know (which I seriously doubt).
So, nothing is certain. Except that Cucina as we know it really is closing. In the conversation we had before I heard all the rumors, Richard D’Amico told me he did have some parting words for the local community: “We appreciate all the people who celebrated business deals here, wedding proposals, birthdays, who loved good Italian food for all these years. They put us on the map, they supported us for a really long time, and we’re grateful. In a way the hardest part of this is feeling like you’re letting down a big group of people that helped us get started. And to all those people, we’re really grateful.”
Cucina is also running a sort of series of best-of-all-time dinners through the 27th, if you want to sample a bit of history, now’s the time.
D’Amico Cucina
100 North 6th Street, Minneapolis
612-338-2401
damico.com
Posted on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 in Permalink
Comments may be edited for length, clarity, or appropriateness.
Reader Comments:
So long D'Amico Cucina.
I always liked the lobster gnocchi there, and ordered it every time I saw it. Super buttery, but fantastic. They kind of overdid it with the truffle oil on everything else, but that's never been my thing.
They had a good run, really. A restaurants ought to be dynamic, and there's no compelling reason why one should go on forever. Some should be put to sleep well before the average 18 months (or however long it is).
We've all been to some places that have been around for decades. This is not always a good thing. They've survived their middle period and entered into a lazy "institution" phase, like an NYC deli, or a meat place in Chicago. Not exactly 'beloved' by all, but certainly 'beliked' by tourists.
So long as the people behind the scenes, and the servers resurface in other great places, this news is probably healthy for the Cities.
But please times 1000 PLEASE don't move in to the Chambers space. That basement crematorium cafeteria the last place I think of when I think Italian, unless it's Cosa Nostra putting somebody on ice. Porter and Frye is a decent choice, but better yet is someplace not so linked to a "hipster hotel" vibe. Make it a cities place first, not a destination restaurant. The client base is already here, I think, and just wants a better and more affordable variation.
Maybe related : the Burger Jones place seems to be a phenomenon. I've heard mixed reviews, but then again, it's just a burger and fries joint and besides I've already pledged my soul to In N Out burger. I can say it was jammed to the doors last Tuesday night, with a 45 min. wait at 9 pm..., Skipped out, looking longingly at Punch. Good for Parasole though, because they obviously filled a void and in a great location. I suspect when Five Guys opens up, it will also be remiscent of the Krispy Kreme mania.
Hope their outcome is different.
Love reading your blog. It's always so informative ... I like to be "in the know" when it comes to restaurant gossip.
On an unrelated note, my friends and I have had a long-running conversation (debate?) about our Top Ten Favorite Foods. Just curious: What would you list as your own top ten?
It saddens me that a essential part of Minneapolis dining is closing.I am still in mourning of the closing of Campiello in Uptown a year ago!
I have taken numerous out of town guests, visitors, and clients to Damico Cucina and they all have walked away impressed.It has changed their perceptions of Minnesota as being a backwards-small town, close-minded state, and has made them realized that Minneapolis is very cosmopolitan. Their food and service is undeniably one of the best in the Twin Cities.
It is exciting that they are talking about reopening a new restaurant! Hopefully they don't make the mistake the Jean Georges restaurant made; focusing on being trendy and not on the food and menu. One thing Damico Cucina does brilliantly is how they constantly change their menu; creating new innovative dishes, mix ingredients that are in season, yet still keeping their signature staples on the menu. Jean Georges made the mistake of thinking that us Minnesotans would come to Chambers just because of his name, and the decor. However, what they didn't realize is the name behind the restaurant and the decor might initially get people to come, but it does not mean they will return. My fiance and I eat at Damico Cucina at least once a month because each time we go our dining experience is different. Whether its a new unique Italian wine or a new ingredient on the menu-we know we are always in for a delightful surprise. We have only been to Chambers twice since it has opened, and each experience has been the same. Good, but not great. Hopefully the new restaurant will carry on the Damico Cucina legacy.
I am still hoping that they will consider reopening a Campiello in Minneapolis. Maybe in the Tryggs place? Just a final thought.
We had dinner there recently and without me bringing up the chambers rumor, our server (who was FABULOUS! Seriously, where else can you get that good of service?!) told us about D'Amico opening in the Chambers space...August, I think. So excited!!
Maybe I should clarify...they are changing the name but I can't remember what it was!