Italian restaurants are some of the most popular dining options in the country, and now one of Central Minnesota's newest Italian restaurants is Ciao Thyme Woodfire Kitchen in Little Falls.
Ciao Thyme, which opened last November, was the brainchild of Phil and Susie Prosapio, a couple who wanted to open a restaurant next to Little Falls' landmark Falls Theatre after renovating it.
“We've lived in Little Falls for 33 years, and we always thought there was room for another great restaurant here,” Phil Prosapio said, “So when we bought the theater, the building we're in now is adjacent to the theater and it was empty, so when we renovated it, we decided to build an Italian-American restaurant.”
Italian culture and cuisine go hand in hand, and Ciao Thyme Executive Chef Scotti Stocco wanted to serve food that was true to his roots.
“Our meatballs and red sauce are something I learned about from when I was a little girl,” Stocco said. “When I would go to my aunt's and uncle's and grandfather's house on Christmas afternoon and smell the sauce being made, it was like that's what I wanted here. So every time I make meatballs or red sauce, I get a little taste of that.”
Ciao Thyme's menu changes quarterly and is relatively small, but in Chef Scotty's eyes, a small, simple menu is an opportunity to play to the kitchen's strengths.
“The smaller we are, the more focused our offerings can be,” Scott explains, “because if we're too big, we spread ourselves too thin.”
When the Prosapios renovated the Falls Theatre and opened Ciao Time, their goal wasn't to make a big buck, but to help revitalize downtown Little Falls.
“You come here on a Friday night and the arts center is bustling, the restaurants across the street are bustling, the bars are bustling, so people are starting to say, 'Little Falls has something to do,'” Phil Prosapio added. “So if you come downtown, now you have different options. You can spend the night here, see a movie, go to a concert, go to a restaurant. So it's good for the area.”
Ciao Thyme is open for dinner from 4pm to 9pm, Monday to Saturday. Starting last Saturday, the restaurant also started opening for lunch, serving lunch on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11am to 2.30pm.
