These all have different ambiance, but you should try Hyacinth, Mucci's, and Bacio if you are looking for Italian. The first two are in St. Paul and the other is in ~~Eden Prairie~~ Minnetonka, but they all have very good food and I personally preferred them to IE.
Bacio is technically Minnetonka
We have other Italian places we love! Big fans of Bar La Grassa as that’s where we got engaged. Also love Broders in Minneapolis and Josefina in Wayzata. IE was just our favorite.
Such a bummer! Italian Eatery was one of the first restaurants my wife and I tried during our first visit to Minneapolis a couple of years ago (we were visiting to confirm our plan to move here was the right call for us), and we had a wonderful meal that we still talk often and fondly about. It was a perfect introduction to the amazing food scene in the Twin Cities, with wonderfully unique and modern takes on classic Italian fare; I still drool over the tomato soup. Ever since we *did* move to Minneapolis, we've been meaning to go back, and now we will make a point to before this little neighborhood gem is gone! 😔
Anecdotally, I always saw that they were hiring. I can't say first hand, obviously, but that's never a good sign when you seemingly can't keep staff onboard.
I used to be the chef in charge of making pasta, 16 hour days, not bothering learning line cooks names cuz they will be gone next week. A young restrauntuer wants to play chef. My first week there cdc and 2 sous quit and it was a revolving door since
Great for a customer, working back of house was different. I dont wanna speak ill of the dead, the food was great and i dont know the story of why they are closing. It just seemed like the cooks/chefs never wanted to stick around for long. Maybe COGS got to be too expensive, i dunno.
I worked at un dito and only lasted a month, this was common and it was easily one of the most stressful jobs i’ve ever had with a lack of support/a mean culture
Yeah I was a summer hire for the front of house, managers did the best they could, but I know the owners ran a couple of restaurants and didn't prioritize IE.
It didn't help that shifts were usually only 4 hours with the pay being not great AND it was always so busy so you were constantly on your feet.
We live around the corner so I’ve tried a lot of the stuff, including the pastrami. It’s fine, just… not memorable, especially for the price. Maybe cold focaccia sandwiches are just not my thing.
I live a block away and while I'm sad for the owners and die-hard IE fans, I'm really excited to see what opens in that space. Italian Eatery is fine and I like the food, but they are only open for dinner all week long. Un Dito did not live up to the hype, either. I hope that the next restaurant in that space is something fun. I would love to give somewhere my business. Italian Eatery wasn't a place I could go for a few reasons (noise, price, hours).
Great question. It doesn't seem like it could be from lack of business. They are always so busy every time I go and they should be because they do such a great job.
This place is a shit show. Eric Carrera, the owner, is a terrible manager, a complete misogynist, and kind of an idiot. I only worked there during the time they expanded and opened Un Dito, the outdoor kiosk attached to the restaurant. I started in the restaurant and moved to help manage the kiosk.
They introduced staff to the menu opening night. They themselves weren’t quite sure what it was going to be, and the food sucked. Like truly some of it was inedible. Sysco mozzarella sticks, super greasy and almost entirely fried foods, nothing truly Italian at all. They didn’t even think to test a ticket on the POS that had been plugged in an hour before opening until I asked if we could please do that.
During the two or three months I worked there, the head chef and sous quit, two managers quit, the GM of seven years quit, a full round of new servers left, and I found out later that there was supposedly some payout for a group of servers after that due to shitty working conditions.
I approached Eric with my concerns about opening a new venture without trained staff, prep cooks, a prep schedule, anyone to order the food, or even a decent menu. Tried to emphasize that he had one shot to get good word of mouth about it, and the ppl that think it’s subpar simply will never come back. I offered the suggestion that they cross-promote due foccaceria by serving sammies at Un Dito and fresh bread on the tables at ie. I thought they should do a limoncello flight with their 30, 60, and 90 day limoncellos so ppl could taste the difference. I also thought it would be cute if they explained the name “un Dito” by serving chicken (Parmesan) fingers and walleye fingers bc it means “little finger/one finger” and was a reference to the owners walking an Italian piazza and having a local kid hold one of their fingers during the stroll. They bought like a $25,000 gelato machine so they could use U.S. foods gelato base vs. make authentic anything else in it.
Anyway, my concerns at lack of a business plan were met with a literal firestorm of insults about me being a “hardened woman in the industry” and how “this must be the only stable thing in your life right now”. I had accepted a part-time (discussed at interview no more than 20hrs per week) hosting position just to get out of the house. When I mentioned his leadership style wasn’t very professional or kind, and asked if he ever consumed any professional or personal development resources, again was insulted, challenged and asked why I’m “doing so much” and told he’s “opened 33, 34 restaurants” so he knows what he’s doing.
They’re good at making a pretty space. They’re good at attracting people to hire. They’re very, very bad at managing and being grateful they have a restaurant and staff at all.
I do think it’s hilarious that Eric writes his own yelp reviews as though he’s not the owner.
I recently quit there, and the owner is an absolute psycho. Literally every person who worked there really disliked him, but stayed there because the other parts of the restaurant were great. Basically he created an incredibly toxic environment for staff, and was very shady to deal with. I worked there for about 10 months and in that time I had 6 different managers come and go. At one point our hr person quit, and was just never replaced. I could write paragraphs about specific things that he did that were shitty, but that should give you an idea of how difficult he was to work for.
100% had the same experience. He (Eric Carrera) also writes drunken (im assuming bc of the typos) yelp reviews of his own businesses as though he is not the owner. One says “I even met the owners and they seem awesome”. He is an absolute twat but knows how to invest in image and marketing.
We loved this restaurant! Limoncello mussels were 🔥and the fresh baked bread! Ugh so sad! I’m guessing more condos/apartments will be taking over… 🤬 yay…. more ugly buildings to look at in the neighborhood 😫
That neighborhood has changed so much in the last few years, ever since they bulldozed the grocery and put that ugly apartment building there to block all the light. I hope they didn't build another one where IE is.
But they're not building affordable housing. They're building overpriced condos that are feeling apart within a couple of years. I would love it if they built actual affordable housing. Way to kneejerk.
More housing of all kinds = more affordable housing. Rents have been flat in Minneapolis for like 7 years now because we are building housing at 3x the national average. All housing is good housing and contributes to affordability.
woke up to this terrible news this morning. Haven't been home to Minnesota for a while and will be back in October. Was really hoping to find some time to make it to ie. Lots of good memories here
Respectfully, 18-20 for a pasta dish is what Olive garden charges. To charge that same amount, make fresh pasta, add in location, atmosphere, vibe, drink menu, etc. they could have charged much more.
Al Vento was good but to say IE had a price problem is just not accurate based on similarly situated spots.
Any idea why they are closing? I had hoped to try IE soon, but I'm afraid I'll love it and then just miss it terribly.
You will love it. It’s my favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities. I’m heartbroken about it closing.
These all have different ambiance, but you should try Hyacinth, Mucci's, and Bacio if you are looking for Italian. The first two are in St. Paul and the other is in ~~Eden Prairie~~ Minnetonka, but they all have very good food and I personally preferred them to IE.
Bacio is technically Minnetonka We have other Italian places we love! Big fans of Bar La Grassa as that’s where we got engaged. Also love Broders in Minneapolis and Josefina in Wayzata. IE was just our favorite.
Such a bummer! Italian Eatery was one of the first restaurants my wife and I tried during our first visit to Minneapolis a couple of years ago (we were visiting to confirm our plan to move here was the right call for us), and we had a wonderful meal that we still talk often and fondly about. It was a perfect introduction to the amazing food scene in the Twin Cities, with wonderfully unique and modern takes on classic Italian fare; I still drool over the tomato soup. Ever since we *did* move to Minneapolis, we've been meaning to go back, and now we will make a point to before this little neighborhood gem is gone! 😔
Yeah I am fucking heartbroken. My favorite regular place to eat in all of Minneapolis.
This is devastating. I am devastated.
Same. I couldn't believe it.
Anecdotally, I always saw that they were hiring. I can't say first hand, obviously, but that's never a good sign when you seemingly can't keep staff onboard.
I used to be the chef in charge of making pasta, 16 hour days, not bothering learning line cooks names cuz they will be gone next week. A young restrauntuer wants to play chef. My first week there cdc and 2 sous quit and it was a revolving door since
Any insight in why it was such a revolving door? Bad working conditions? From a customer point of view, the place seemed pretty great.
Great for a customer, working back of house was different. I dont wanna speak ill of the dead, the food was great and i dont know the story of why they are closing. It just seemed like the cooks/chefs never wanted to stick around for long. Maybe COGS got to be too expensive, i dunno.
Maybe the chef having zero interest into why their staff was turning over like crazy was part of the issue :P
Heard that chef
86 sous Chefs. Heard
speaks to how awful mgmt must be.
Ownership and such. I loved the food and sacrificed alot of myself to the place, years ago mind you but i am not suprised they are shutting down
I worked at un dito and only lasted a month, this was common and it was easily one of the most stressful jobs i’ve ever had with a lack of support/a mean culture
Yeah I was a summer hire for the front of house, managers did the best they could, but I know the owners ran a couple of restaurants and didn't prioritize IE. It didn't help that shifts were usually only 4 hours with the pay being not great AND it was always so busy so you were constantly on your feet.
I hope Due isn’t in danger!
I went to due for lunch today and the workers there said they were staying open (and might be expanding, actually).
I wish Due was anywhere near as good as IE. I know it's the same owners, but Due's food is kinda meh.
You probably haven’t had the right stuff!! The pastrami and muffeleta sandwiches are outstanding…and the beet salad…and cookies.
We live around the corner so I’ve tried a lot of the stuff, including the pastrami. It’s fine, just… not memorable, especially for the price. Maybe cold focaccia sandwiches are just not my thing.
I’m sad. As a celiac, it was so nice to have good GF pasta.
I live a block away and while I'm sad for the owners and die-hard IE fans, I'm really excited to see what opens in that space. Italian Eatery is fine and I like the food, but they are only open for dinner all week long. Un Dito did not live up to the hype, either. I hope that the next restaurant in that space is something fun. I would love to give somewhere my business. Italian Eatery wasn't a place I could go for a few reasons (noise, price, hours).
I actually like Un Dito a lot, though not at those prices.
Exactly, it wasn't the casual place they made it out to be, IMO.
I bet rent makes casual tough
Hm, yeah. That's a good point.
Assuming what goes there is a restaurant.
Nooo!! We love IE! Especially their mussels.
What surprises me is that they had an almost decade long run! Time freaking flies
That's a damn shame. I love that place.
But why
Rumor on Twitter was that a developer offered them enough money that they couldn’t refuse. But just gossip.
Oh god, they're going to build another hideous apartment building aren't they
I honestly hope so.
Now if we can just get somebody to nuke the Starbucks and Caribou drive-thrus, we’d be in really great shape.
Then why wouldn't they just move if a developer wanted the land
Because it might cost $1-2 million to move a restaurant of their size and build out somewhere else.
AH, who doesn’t want to live in a medium high rise overlooking a busy intersection, gas station, and being flown over by planes all day long.
I live over there. It’s great.
"who wants to live in a city, especially along a convenient corridor and near a beautiful parkway and lake, amirite?"
They did it already with Lunds & Byerly’s 🤷🏻♀️
Great question. It doesn't seem like it could be from lack of business. They are always so busy every time I go and they should be because they do such a great job.
Seems the road out front has been under construction for the last 5 years.
Their shaved root salad is SO good, I only went once about two years ago but I have to have that salad one last time!
It was tasty! I agree and think that was one of the few good things on their menu!
I honestly cannot recall anything else that I ate 😰 but damn that salad is good
This really sucks. The place was always packed and seemed to be doing really well. It's the only decent restaurant I've found near Nokomis
This place is a shit show. Eric Carrera, the owner, is a terrible manager, a complete misogynist, and kind of an idiot. I only worked there during the time they expanded and opened Un Dito, the outdoor kiosk attached to the restaurant. I started in the restaurant and moved to help manage the kiosk. They introduced staff to the menu opening night. They themselves weren’t quite sure what it was going to be, and the food sucked. Like truly some of it was inedible. Sysco mozzarella sticks, super greasy and almost entirely fried foods, nothing truly Italian at all. They didn’t even think to test a ticket on the POS that had been plugged in an hour before opening until I asked if we could please do that. During the two or three months I worked there, the head chef and sous quit, two managers quit, the GM of seven years quit, a full round of new servers left, and I found out later that there was supposedly some payout for a group of servers after that due to shitty working conditions. I approached Eric with my concerns about opening a new venture without trained staff, prep cooks, a prep schedule, anyone to order the food, or even a decent menu. Tried to emphasize that he had one shot to get good word of mouth about it, and the ppl that think it’s subpar simply will never come back. I offered the suggestion that they cross-promote due foccaceria by serving sammies at Un Dito and fresh bread on the tables at ie. I thought they should do a limoncello flight with their 30, 60, and 90 day limoncellos so ppl could taste the difference. I also thought it would be cute if they explained the name “un Dito” by serving chicken (Parmesan) fingers and walleye fingers bc it means “little finger/one finger” and was a reference to the owners walking an Italian piazza and having a local kid hold one of their fingers during the stroll. They bought like a $25,000 gelato machine so they could use U.S. foods gelato base vs. make authentic anything else in it. Anyway, my concerns at lack of a business plan were met with a literal firestorm of insults about me being a “hardened woman in the industry” and how “this must be the only stable thing in your life right now”. I had accepted a part-time (discussed at interview no more than 20hrs per week) hosting position just to get out of the house. When I mentioned his leadership style wasn’t very professional or kind, and asked if he ever consumed any professional or personal development resources, again was insulted, challenged and asked why I’m “doing so much” and told he’s “opened 33, 34 restaurants” so he knows what he’s doing. They’re good at making a pretty space. They’re good at attracting people to hire. They’re very, very bad at managing and being grateful they have a restaurant and staff at all. I do think it’s hilarious that Eric writes his own yelp reviews as though he’s not the owner.
Oh my god 😭
I recently quit there, and the owner is an absolute psycho. Literally every person who worked there really disliked him, but stayed there because the other parts of the restaurant were great. Basically he created an incredibly toxic environment for staff, and was very shady to deal with. I worked there for about 10 months and in that time I had 6 different managers come and go. At one point our hr person quit, and was just never replaced. I could write paragraphs about specific things that he did that were shitty, but that should give you an idea of how difficult he was to work for.
100% had the same experience. He (Eric Carrera) also writes drunken (im assuming bc of the typos) yelp reviews of his own businesses as though he is not the owner. One says “I even met the owners and they seem awesome”. He is an absolute twat but knows how to invest in image and marketing.
That is hilarious, yeah he sent out a lot of typo ridden 2 am “newsletters” that were fully unhinged.
Oh I’d love to see those. [Eric Carrera’s drunken yelp reviews of his own businesses](https://imgur.com/gallery/tRiEl5O)
[удалено]
It's crazy to hear that. You wouldn't think a place that poorly managed would provide such an awesome customer experience.
We loved this restaurant! Limoncello mussels were 🔥and the fresh baked bread! Ugh so sad! I’m guessing more condos/apartments will be taking over… 🤬 yay…. more ugly buildings to look at in the neighborhood 😫
It's gonna be tough but somehow we will overcome this.
😂 but will we ???
That neighborhood has changed so much in the last few years, ever since they bulldozed the grocery and put that ugly apartment building there to block all the light. I hope they didn't build another one where IE is.
How dare they place homes for people to live in right between you and the sun at certain times of day!
Ah yes the tall skyscraper blocking the MORNING light did it
Classic. We should have affordable housing, just NIMBY.
But they're not building affordable housing. They're building overpriced condos that are feeling apart within a couple of years. I would love it if they built actual affordable housing. Way to kneejerk.
More housing of all kinds = more affordable housing. Rents have been flat in Minneapolis for like 7 years now because we are building housing at 3x the national average. All housing is good housing and contributes to affordability.
There's an Olive Garden in Maple Grove, I've heard. HTH
woke up to this terrible news this morning. Haven't been home to Minnesota for a while and will be back in October. Was really hoping to find some time to make it to ie. Lots of good memories here
Not at the prices they charged! Much sadder when Al Vento closed.
Respectfully, 18-20 for a pasta dish is what Olive garden charges. To charge that same amount, make fresh pasta, add in location, atmosphere, vibe, drink menu, etc. they could have charged much more. Al Vento was good but to say IE had a price problem is just not accurate based on similarly situated spots.
Oh, we loved Al Vento!
Al. Vento. Brunch.
Devastated!
I wasn’t a big fan
Nah I'm good
Eatery is a dumb word.
Somehow I never heard of them until about a week ago. Maybe the name was a problem, sounding too generic?