Restaurant Spotlight: Osteria I Nonni
Just outdoors of St. Paul in Lilydale, Minn., Osteria I Nonni serves authentic Italian cuisine with an intensive wine plan. The cafe was opened in 2002 by the Marchionda spouse and children now less than the leadership of owner Monthly bill Miller, it is held Wine Spectator’s Ideal of Award of Excellence considering the fact that 2019.
Supported by a partnership with regional wine retail store, Sunfish Cellars, the wine record is managed by wine director Hoyt Hill and stands at 1,200 selections. Excelling in Italian wine, the listing represents most of the country’s winegrowing locations, rounded out by choices from California and France. Masseto, Gaja and Fontodi are just a few of the massive-name producers represented in the software. Chef Gerson Gerold matches the wine with seasonal dishes motivated by Rome this kind of as cappellacci with kabocha squash, grilled pork shanks with balsamic agrodolce and an assortment of pizzas.
When Osteria I Nonni was forced to close its doors in March 2020, the group stored the local community engaged by arranging a series of weekly digital tastings with major winemakers these types of as Peter Mondavi and Christian Moreau. They even joined forces with famed chef Thomas Keller for a Zinfandel tasting. As of this month, having said that, the cafe is back again open for dine-in, in addition to curbside pickup and takeout.
