A Boise staple for 20 years, this downtown restaurant will be closed and turned to ‘dust’

A familiar, Italian-inspired restaurant on Main Street will be closed after two decades — and turned to “dust.”

Asiago’s, 1002 W. Main St., will shutter at the end of 2022, according to a media release. It will be replaced by a new restaurant, Stardust.

The building and restaurant were sold in July, according to the release.

Stardust will have a “glamorous, mid-century modern” interior design, it adds.

“The name Stardust is an ode to the 1950s casino in Las Vegas by the same name and also an ode to the late singer David Bowie. ... The mid-century modern theme is being carried through to the design of the cuisine. Chef Rick Valenzuela has created a neo-classic-style menu that is a modern take on what fine dining was like in the late 1950s and early 1960s.”

Stardust, which will offer an “immense” wine list, is slated to be open for lunch, dinner, brunch and after hours.

Want to enjoy a last taste of Asiago chicken and a glass of wine? You still have a couple of months. Calling Asiago’s a “staple in the Treasure Valley,” the release says that the longtime restaurant and wine bar will close Dec. 31.

Following renovation, Stardust is slated to roll out the red carpet in early February.

Asiago’s opened its Main Street location in March 2002, according to previous Statesman reporting. Asiago’s Downtown, as it was called originally, was an expansion of the original Asiago’s Ristorante, which opened at 3423 N. Cole Road in 1997. That restaurant closed a decade later after its owners were unable to negotiate a new lease agreement. At around the same time, the downtown Asiago’s expanded, more than tripling its seating capacity.

This story was originally published October 20, 2022 at 4:26 PM.