FARGO — When you get down to it, it’s simply a move from one end of the block to the other.
But with popular Italian eatery Spaghetti Western’s relocation from 524 Broadway to 402 Broadway, owners Brighid Maguire and Fabrizio Di Gianni hope to make a giant leap in kitchen efficiency, bar offerings and customer accessibility.
While the couple loved the original setting in the snug venue best known as Josie’s Corner, it was an ongoing Tetris challenge to produce their from-scratch pastas, sauces and sausage in the tiny kitchen.
“Our kitchen over there was a sardine can and I think everyone working in the back felt like sardines,” Di Gianni said, taking a few moments to visit before their first dinner service in their new space Oct. 23.
They also grew tired of turning away potential guests. But they sometimes had to, due to the petite size of their original place.
“Because on weekends and lately, even during the week, we just got tired of saying no, we cannot accommodate you,” Di Gianni said.
The former location's tin-covered ceiling and close quarters also made the space incredibly noisy, they added.
So when the owners of Nova approached them about taking over the space after the supper club closed, “it was a no-brainer,” he added.
Their new location — formerly home to Nova Supper Club and, before that, Bernbaum’s — offers space for 20 to 25 more patrons.
Unlike their former restaurant, it will also feature full bar-service to tables, although no bar seating. And, as everyone adjusts to the new layout and more spacious size, the couple would like to add more staff and more items to their Northern Italian menu.
But as of last Friday’s soft opening, they were still limiting guest numbers as staff adjusted to the not-yet-familiar surroundings. Maguire said the plan that first night was to serve 100 guests and to not do Door Dash take-out/delivery orders right away.
“We want everyone to have a good time and make sure that we can handle it,” Maguire says.
A trattoria/Victorian/Sergio Leone vibe
The vibe before their first service was reminiscent of the first big dinner party given by newlyweds. Both were constantly on the move. De Gianni could be heard giving instructions from the kitchen and later paced outside on a cell phone to take care of last-minute business. Maguire jumped from giving instructions to a bartender and doing last-minute paint touch-ups to hanging the 1960s spaghetti western movie posters that helped inspire the restaurant’s name.
The newly refreshed 402 Broadway space is reminiscent of their first space: The walls are painted a warm cream, highlighted by Old World-style damask-style wallpaper boasting an oversized, painterly floral pattern.
The booths, repurposed from Nova, have been painted dark brown and cushioned in a grey-green hue that matches the wallpaper.
Besides rustic touches like antlers, the space is sprinkled with family heirlooms: a painting of Maguire’s mother’s childhood horse, King Charles, a portrait of her great-great grandmother Mary White and even her grandmother’s table.
“We kind of ran out of options for tables,” Maguire says. “We just couldn't find the right ones. And I had this in my garage, and I said, ‘You know what? Let's just put that in there.’”
The end result is a little bit of everything: trattoria meets Victorian elegance meets Gold Rush meets the gritty splendor of Sergio Leone.
“We wanted to transfer that same charm and feel because there is a continuity between the two spaces,” Di Gianni says.
“Right. It still feels like us,” Maguire adds.
Simple food, made the right way
Regulars of the popular restaurant will be happy to know that all the favorites will remain, from the pillowy gnocchi in a decadent sauce of imported cheeses to Di Gianni’s grandmother’s meat sauce, made with local Nohava Ranch beef.
Originally from Northern Italy, Di Gianni earned his culinary stripes by working as a boutique butcher in Italy. Before that, he absorbed much knowledge by observing and cooking alongside family cooks like his grandmother. Even after he moved overseas, Maguire says her partner routinely called his grandmother to find out precisely how she made this type of sauce or that style of sausage.
In America, he also worked as head server for Gordon Ramsey Hell’s Kitchen restaurant in Stateline, Nevada, and used his sommelier skills to train others about wine at a Lake Tahoe resort-area restaurant.
Now he’s back to what he knows best: Italian cuisine. Food from Northern Italy tends to be quite simple, Maguire explains, but is always made with the freshest ingredients and cooked with fastidious care.
For instance, the Caprese features red, flavorful tomatoes with the best mozzarella they could find and a drizzle of basil oil, which they make fresh every day.
And now they have a venue where more people can enjoy it.
“We love downtown,” Maguire says. “None of us are getting rich. But all of these businesses — we’re all supportive of one another. I always give good recommendations for other restaurants when we are full and (other downtown restaurants) do the same for us. We’re all just like this cute little community.”
Visit Spaghetti Western on Facebook for updates on their hours and specials.
