Bellisio’s

The Science of Success

Robert Lillegard

The Bellisio’s experience starts at the front door, where you’re greeted by polite servers in white dress shirts and black pants. After hanging up your jacket, they guide you to the cozy, dimly-lit dining room. White linen tablecloths, carefully painted murals, and hundreds of bottles of wine on the walls provide an atmosphere equal parts soothing and elegant. According to Brian Daugherty, the president of Grandma’s Restaurant Company, that’s not an accident. From the size of the forks to the fonts on the menus, every detail was carefully planned.

“We are definitely in the people-pleasing business,” Daugherty says. “I can tell you two things: please the customer and follow the brand.”

This singular focus has led to success. The Grandma’s Restaurant Company is a homegrown giant, with a catering division, a wholesaler, and eight restaurants. After Grandma’s Saloon and Grill became profitable, founders Andy Borg and Mick Paulucci started opening up additional restaurants.

“The need to expand was really driven by popularity,” Daugherty said. “Everything we opened seemed to work marvelously.”

In the mid-90s, Borg and Paulucci started to think seriously about opening up an ethnic alternative to their American restaurants. Italian food seemed like the perfect fit. Bellisio’s, which is named after the ancestral home of the Paulucci family, opened in December of 1998. With its comfortable menu and classy atmosphere, it’s both an elegant wine bar and a cozy celebration of Italian heritage.

Part of that celebration is the food. I’m from an Italian family, and I was pleased with what I saw. Toasty bruschetta, chewy calamari, and steamed mussels are there, along with risottos, spicy pork and chicken dishes, and a modest dessert menu. Unsurprisingly, pasta is king. Thick linguine is dolled up with white wine, garlic, and seafood, and raviolis are stuffed with lobster or meat. There’s creamy fettuccini alfredo, buttery shrimp scampi, and even puttanesca, that salty combination of capers, anchovies, and kalamata olives. If the food tastes authentic, that’s because it is. Many ingredients come straight from Italy, and the others are chosen to fit the restaurant’s image.

“We like to use fresh ingredients,” manager Angela Dormanen says, “Always the freshest.”

The flat bread, which covers the cheese plate, is like a glorified cracker, crunchy and nutty. The St. Andre cheese was a delightful three-part blend, where cold, pure sweet cream balances the twin flavors of Brie and sour cream. A sheepsmilk cheese from Tuscany and a sharp Spanish blue cheese rounded things out.

The celebrated Tuscan Salad is like a dinner party in a bowl. A citrus vinaigrette coats a thick blend of peppers, tomatoes, and lettuce. With smoky toasted pine nuts, jammy currants, and briny capers, the salad is heavy and hearty.

Some unexpected stars were the side dishes. The potatoes were grainy, creamy, and redolent of nutty Reggiano. And the vegetables? They were transcendent. Bright and crisp, with a buttery hint of lemon, they left me with a lingering happiness. The next time I go to Bellisio’s, it may be just to order a side dish.

Of course, it wouldn’t do to forget dessert. The menu here is small, but with lava cake, ice cream, crème brulee, they cover several key bases. A truly objective food review, of course, must include lava cake. I wasn’t disappointed in the rich, smoky chocolate, and the smooth crème anglaise is a sweet backdrop.

As luxurious as Bellisio’s can be, it’s not necessarily an expensive restaurant. The huge wine inventory includes several picks in the $20 range, and by selecting lower-priced entrees, it’s possible to get relative bargains.

“If you don’t drink expensive wine, you can get in and out of here for under 25 bucks,” Daugherty says.

These value-based wines are all part of the plan. By offering reasonably priced options, Daugherty hopes to shed Bellisio’s reputation as a special-occasions only restaurant. It all goes back to following the brand.

This particular brand—efficient service, mid-priced food, and elegant atmosphere—just happens to be wildly successful in Duluth. And why not? The food is tasty, the restaurant is pretty, and the wine flows freely. Bellisio’s deserves its success—and I, for one, will go there again.

What to Know/When You Go

Bellisio’s Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar
405 Lake Avenue South, Duluth
(218)727–4921
grandmasrestaurants.com/bellisios/
Lunch Served Fr–Su 11:30–3
Dinner Served Su–Th 5–9
Fr–Sa 5–10