Amore. Love.
Passione. Passion.
Could a more noble cause exist? These two words are the constant motivation behind Paletti owner Dario’s every move. As success is sizzling in their kitchen, I went to catch up with Dario and pick his brain on his journey from his mother’s kitchen in Puglia, to owning a restaurant in Maastricht’s Jekerkwartier.
How did you come up with the name Paletti?
The name Paletti was something very fortuitous. Joeri (my Dutch business partner) and I wanted to find a name that would represent both of our cultures (Southern Dutch and Southern Italian), but were left with absolutely nothing in mind… So around less than a month before opening, we were sitting here at the restaurant going over a few things, and a friend of Joeri’s comes in and says “alles Paletti junge?”. As soon as I heard that, I asked who this Paletti guy is because I don’t know him, but it turns out that here, in the local dialect, “alles Paletti” means “everything good”. This word seems like an Italian family name but is actually a Limburg’s saying, so it perfectly combines both our worlds in one word.
When asked about Joeri, the sweetness was overwhelming. More than just business partners, there is a 9-year friendship, the kind that supports each other and celebrates each other. The words “extraordinary person” and “couldn’t have found a better partner” were not sparsely used. They were each other’s saving grace when Covid hit, both sacrificing a lot in order to keep Paletti up and running and the bond this has created reflects in their joint love for their restaurant.
So, how was Paletti created?
We had been working together for about 5 years and throughout all that time we kept finding ideas and ways to improve the places we were working at. Then one day, while we were chatting, we found out that Joeri had never been to Puglia, so of course, we had to fix this. We bought the tickets and went on holiday there. Being from Puglia, I immediately got to work, making him try out all our specialities: the Burrata, the Focaccia Barese, etc. and I remember Joeri telling me: “listen Dario, if we bring this to my hometown, to Maastricht, we will blow people’s minds!” And from there on, the idea of opening our own place was born. Then as chance would have it, during that same holiday, I met up with some old friends who told me that they had just opened a wholesale of Italian products, so it all seemed like destiny! One year later we found this place here in Maastricht, spent 9-10 months renovating it, (doing a lot of the renovations ourselves to save costs) and we opened up in March 2019.
More than a childhood dream, Dario found himself where he is now as a “natural evolution” of things. Having done every possible job in a restaurant since the age of 13, he has earned practical knowledge in all aspects of it, but despite this extensive experience, he remains extremely humble, always open to learning new things and bettering his craft and restaurant. He takes on board feedback from friends, colleagues, clients and just about anyone who will talk to him, all whilst keeping in touch with his original concept.
What is the concept behind Paletti?
Our concept is focused on taking care of our clients. Our biggest goal is to make people feel like they are eating at the house of a friend or family. So, they eat really well without having to do the dishes. Food-wise, the concept is quite traditional. We don’t want to be a Michelin-star restaurant. We don’t want to do over-complicated things because we want to stay at reasonable prices for our clients that vary from students to older people. We focus on quality and the simplicity of our dishes (our dishes usually don’t have more that 3-4 ingredients). The attention goes to the quality of the base product, rather than the working of the sauces and spices. We elevate and value the taste of each product, just as we do in Puglia.
What is your favourite thing about being in the room with your customers?
I love to engage with and teach our customers all about the food they are eating. I had many of our regulars asking me why we have the black bubbles on the crust of our pizza and explained to them that it’s a result of our woodfire pizza oven, the very high temperatures involved and the way we work the dough. I love teaching them what it means to have a real and authentic product and how to best enjoy it. I also really love talking about how the dishes they have selected are made because like that, they can go home and try to cook it themselves. I have to say though, we are so lucky with our customers, they really are wonderful, and this makes it so fun for us. I feel like I can really be 100% myself with our clients and this is why I would never want a Michelin-star restaurant. I like to sometimes pull up a chair and join a customer, or joke with them…this feeling that you are with family, you are home, it doesn’t feel like a job to me, I just feel at home and want all of our clients to feel like this too.
How do you source these good quality products?
There is a big Italian community in Belgium, so I can find some good products there. Then, for more typical and local products, I have my friend in Puglia from whom I get products every week. There are some small things (food products) that hold such a big importance to me. It’s all linked to nostalgia and the memories from my childhood, but it’s incredibly inspiring, and I try to bring this story to my dishes.
Seasonal Menu
It’s important to use ingredients that are fresh and as local as possible. The whole concept of the food at Paletti is that it’s simple cooking, not too many spices or preparation, so if the product isn’t good, you can feel it. I’ve had customers ask me for a risotto with seafood, but I don’t want to do that because the seafood you would find here would be frozen and not of good quality. I would never want to succumb to the client’s request just to satisfy them and sacrifice my vision of quality. I would feel like I am using them or betraying them. And that’s not love.
We also want to stay active and excite our customers. We have many regular customers, so, thanks to our special’s menu and now, our seasonal menu, we can keep them engaged and curious. This wonderful idea came from one of our clients, so it’s so important to always listen to our customers and keep an open mind, welcoming change when it aligns with our vision.
During the summer, Dario went on a tour around Puglia and Ischia, re-discovering all the local cuisine and letting the Southern Italian charm inspire his tastebuds. He focused mainly on dishes that contained fresh ingredients that could be found locally in the Netherlands in order not to sacrifice the quality of the product. Further demonstrating his love for Paletti, he brought back some handmade napkin holders from Ischia as a “souvenir for the restaurant”.
What brought you here?
My dad wanted me to work with him in his company, but I wanted to go and see the world. When I was 18, I told him that I wanted to take a gap year and go exploring. I’ve always loved languages and wanted to go and learn a few. I went to Munich (wasn’t such a fan of the energy there) and then Amsterdam. What I’ve always loved about The Netherlands (especially compared to Italy) is that there is meritocracy. For anyone who has a will to work and a certain know-how, this country opens its doors to you and welcomes you. I see it a bit as the “America of Europe”.
Who, or what, were your biggest influences food-wise?
In the south, kids grow up following the “mamma” around the house and on Saturdays and Sundays, when we would have our family gatherings, I would always be in the kitchen helping my mum and grandmother to cook. So, I grew up with a traditional, culinary home-schooling! Another important factor that I hold dear to me is that in Italy, we associate food with love. When you really love someone, you cook for them, you prepare something for them. Giving someone food is a symbol of love, it’s our love language.
At this point, we were interrupted by a little old man asking if he could use the bathroom. Without a second’s hesitation, Dario pointed him the way to the bathroom with a welcoming smile. Everyone is welcome here, and this is what struck me the most, seeing how human Dario is, and just how much love he has for people in general, no matter whether they are paying customers or stray old men.
What is the future of Paletti?
In the near future, I would love to have enough staff to be able to make our own fresh pasta. Maybe with a table in the room so that the customers can see how we make it, I asked my grandma if she wanted to come, but she thinks it’s too cold here…And I can’t say anything against that, she’s right!
We are currently open five days a week, hopefully by mid-November we will be open six days a week, and eventually seven days a week! This is an important request that we keep receiving from our customers. First though, we need to find the staff because I don’t want to put this weight on my colleagues. It’s important that they all get two days in a row to relax, the first to be able to rest and disconnect, the next to be able to fully enjoy.
Playing with the beads of his bracelet, Dario lets out a laugh as he tells me how hopeless he is with social media. He’s very lucky that so far, his restaurant has been a huge success thanks to word-of-mouth, but recognises that he will need to dedicate a little more time and energy into developing some marketing tactics.
What would you say to someone who wants to open their own restaurant?
I’ve thought long and hard about this one… Fundamentally, the thing I would say to anyone is: You really need to love this job. Because you can forget about getting rich. So, it really must be something you are passionate about. During all the holidays and events that your friends and family will be celebrating, you will be working. You will need to be in contact with people who can sometimes be difficult, and you will be working long hours. It is quite a demanding life and comes with some sacrifices, but at the end of the day, seeing the smile on a customer’s face after having eaten, well, it’s all worth it.
Full of energy, full of life, Dario is a whirlwind of energy, passion and endless love for his customers. Always focused on his clients’ experience, making them feel at home and part of the “Paletti Family” he is exceptionally humble and deeply grateful for the customers, for Joeri, his family, his colleagues, anyone who loves food, for life and the energy he has that keeps him going, an energy constantly supplied by: Amore and Passione.
So, be sure to follow them on social media (@ristopubpaletti, Instagram and Facebook) to catch the nights with live music, but don’t forget to book a table! He has stolen the heart of the locals, opening his arms to welcome them and take them on a journey to his country, fuelled by a culinary love language.