Boise restaurant opens ‘next level’ location in ‘eager’ Meridian: ‘It’s gonna be intense’

If Grant Rosendahl had any lingering doubts about Meridian residents clamoring for a taste of his seven housemade sauces, they’ve vanished.

Confused wannabe customers have appeared outside his unopened restaurant, il Sugo, after reserving seats on OpenTable ... at the original downtown Boise location.

“They thought it’s their reservation out there,” says Rosendahl, the chef and owner, “but we’re not open yet.”

“We’ve gotten so many calls,” he adds. “... It’s kind of crazy.”

If you’re wandering around the parking lot at 1407 W. McMillan Road, here’s good news: Meridian’s own il Sugo Italian Kitchen opens Aug. 23 for dine-in and takeout.

“It’s gonna be awesome,” Rosendahl says. “People already love our food. We call it Idaho Italian comfort food.”

Saucy menu

Since launching in 2019, the Boise location at 904 W. Main St. has grown from an experiment to a success story. Sharing space with Main Street Deli, il Sugo carved out its own clientele as an evening alter ego to Rosendahl’s lunch destination.

Duplicating the menu, the Meridian strip-mall restaurant follows il Sugo’s straightforward philosophy: “Choose your pasta. Choose your sauce.” Since il Sugo’s inception, Rosendahl has added specialty items to the arsenal, too. “We’re doing a chicken parmesan. We’re doing a new risotto,” he says. “We’re doing some fun stuff that’s kind of unique, all around that pasta house concept.

“We’re not the place that’s going to be doing things outside of what we do,” he adds. “At some point, we may do a steak or two. But right now, we’re sticking to our pastas.”

If you are craving red meat? There’s a filet mignon pasta ($19.95). “It’s delicious,” Rosendahl says. “It’s one of our top sellers.” Another popular entree is the aforementioned chicken parmesan ($18.95).

Enjoy customizing? Have fun choosing while your mouth waters. In a 2019 Idaho Statesman restaurant review, it was hard not to notice the appetite-sating quality of the namesake il Sugo sauce ($16.95; “il sugo” is Italian for ‘the sauce”). Made up of slow-roasted pork in cream sauce, pork jus, mushrooms and sage, “it’s so substantial that it could probably double as the filling in a pulled pork sandwich,” the reviewer marveled.

Expanding to Meridian

The Meridian restaurant will seat around 80 to 100 customers. It also will have a small outdoor patio. Rosendahl hopes to position il Sugo as the “date night” destination near the corner of Linder and McMillan roads, he says. It won’t be a white-linen restaurant, but diners will find preset wine glasses when they take their seats.

“Our restaurant’s very intimate. It’s low lights. We’re going to have candles on the tables,” he says. “We want it to be the next level. With the ambiance, with the liquor license.”

Liquor is something the Boise location doesn’t have. In Meridian, il Sugo’s beverage options will include not just Italian wines, but also Italian-influenced cocktails.

Like its Boise inspiration, the Meridian il Sugo will be open during the evenings. Eventually, it will add lunch, Rosendahl says, “maybe next year.”

While staff focuses on opening the Meridian eatery, Main Street Deli and il Sugo in Boise will temporarily shutter. The Deli already has closed — for a couple of weeks. The Italian eatery will go dark after Aug. 20, possibly for up to a month, Rosendahl says.

Right now, it’s all about getting that red carpet rolled out for hungry residents of western Ada County.

“They’re eager for a new restaurant out there,” Rosendahl says. “There’s seriously thousands of homes within a one-mile vicinity. It’s gonna be pretty intense.”

This story was originally published August 19, 2021 at 4:00 AM.