Photo credit: Lin Smithwick

Sarello’s: Tenth Anniversary Year

By Nikki Berglund
Staff Writer

This year marks the tenth anniversary of one of the most outstanding fine dining restaurants the Fargo/Moorhead area has to offer. Sarello’s in downtown Moorhead has always been our family’s go-to place for any celebration or special occasion. A group of six of our friends recently went there for our friend Eric Baker’s birthday dinner and as has been the case every other time I dined there, the experience was worth talking about!

Not only are the husband and wife owners, Tony and Sarah Nasello, the most personable and accommodating hosts you’ll ever meet, but their staff, many of whom have been with them for years, are nothing short of exceptional. It amazes me when I run into someone who appreciates fine dining yet has never made it to Sarello’s! If you are one of these poor lost souls, I highly suggest you pop on over and have yourself a dinner you will not soon forget!

Tony and Sarah met while working in the cruise ship business in the 1990’s. Sarah (nee Anstett) is a native of Fargo, while Tony grew up in Toronto, Canada. Lucky for us, the Nasellos chose to make a family and a name for themselves here. Their concept was to take what they learned from working on cruise ships, mainly amazing food, partnered with the highest level of service for their guests.

Their menu is Italian-inspired and changes with the seasons, leading to a daily menu full of fresh, simple, and always creative dishes that are unique to the F/M area.
Before you take your seat in the restaurant, I recommend you first experience the cozy and inviting wine lounge. This is a great place to come and hang out even if you don’t want to stay for dinner. I personally like to start my evening at Sarello’s with a nice split (375ML) of Zardetto Prosecco.

When you first sit down at your table, you are almost immediately presented with a warm overflowing basket of some of the yummiest rolls you have ever imagined. The variety of rolls at your fingertips foreshadows a diverse menu that promises something for practically everyone.

Given the generous portion sizes of the entrees, I don’t usually order an appetizer, but luckily the birthday boy wanted one and it quickly became one of my new favorite dishes! The Red Curry Scallops ($14) with carrots, mushrooms, sugar snap peas, and basil were absolutely to die for!

If you don’t like spicy you may want to stay away from these bad boys, but luckily for me this was no problem. I see these scallops in my dreams!

The salads are all delicious so it is always a struggle to pick which one I want. My husband Paul usually goes for the Insalata Caprese ($9) which is the best version in town and pays proper homage to Tony’s Italian roots.

Since we have been making quite a few of these at home using our own garden ingredients (for recipe, visit http://tinyurl.com/272gsxz), I chose to go with the Insalata all’ Arancia ($9) instead and was so happy I did. This salad of mixed greens with an orange balsamic vinaigrette, dried cranberries, candied walnuts, orange sections, and gorgonzola paired marvelously with my Prosecco.

Back in the days before I ate beef (special thanks to my husband for getting me over that crazy phase!), one of my very favorite entrees was the Signature Sea Bass ($36.) Not only is this dish scrumptious but it might just be one of the healthier options on the menu—and after you’ve gorged yourself on rolls, you may feel like you need it.

The sea bass is oven broiled with a citrus beurre blanc sauce (I said healthIER), wild rice pilaf, and seasonal vegetables. The sauce really makes this dish and a light Pinot Noir is always a nice compliment. Even though the wine list changes frequently, you can count on these guys to always have something to go great with any dish.

Nowadays, no matter what the entrée special might be, and there are some incredibly tasty ones, I most always stay loyal to the Classic Filet Mignon ($32). I have yet to have a steak here that was not cooked to perfection. Besides the perfectly cooked meat, it is the Zinfandel Demi-glace that really seals the deal for me! It was here that I first had my life altering experience with steak and Molly Dooker’s exceptional wine, The Boxer.

So accommodating and detail orientated are the staff of Sarello’s that our wonderful waiter Steve, actually remembered how much we loved this wine and set the last bottle aside that night in case we wanted it…we did! Since this wine is heavy, it may not have paired as well with the fish entrees at the table, but for those of us having beef, it was a religious experience.

For those with the lighter entrees, we also had a bottle of a delicious wine I hadn’t tried before, the Tommasi Bussola Ca del Laito Valpolicella.

One of my very favorite things about Sarello’s, besides the staff and the food and the service, is the extensive and ever-changing wine list. When I want to try new things that I can’t necessarily get on the North Dakota side, I go to Sarello’s. They manage to keep it fresh and unique and always have something wonderful in every price range. Just because you don’t want to spend a ton on a bottle here does not mean that you are going to have to settle for some cheap crappy wine to go with your beautiful entree.

Tony and Sarah have also proven themselves to be advocates of the F/M fine dining culture in general and can be spotted checking out the action around town. They are exactly the type of restaurant owners we need around here to help the F/M area’s restaurant scene thrive.

As with any fine dining restaurant in the area, when you dine at Sarello’s, you should definitely be prepared to fork out some cash. Due to the generous portions though, you will not be going home hungry and most likely will find it necessary to take home a doggie bag, which if you ask nicely, will be fashioned into your favorite animal.

If you want to get to know Tony and Sarah a little better, and believe me, you do, they also host a radio program called “LIVE with the Lost Italian” on Saturdays from 2-4pm on AM 1100 “The Flag.” Also check out their website at http://www.sarellos.com, complete with their food and wine menus, weekly specials, and various other tidbits about the restaurant and the Nasello family.

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What: Sarello’s Restaurant and Wine Lounge
Where: 28 Center Mall Ave, Moorhead
When: Tu-Sa, 5pm-close (depends on traffic), lunch on Fridays, 11-1:30
Info: 218.287.0238