WEST FARGO - Get ready to be bowled over by Stone Town Grill’s saucy take on world flavors.
The latest restaurant along the bustling Veterans Boulevard corridor is slated to open Monday, Nov. 30, co-owner Jessica Larghe said.
“It’s finally starting to look like a restaurant,” Larghe said during a recent tour. “We just entered the very hectic stage of things.”
Larghe and her husband, Marty, saw the wildfire growth of West Fargo and southwest Fargo as a ripe opportunity. They settled on 705 32nd Ave. as the site of their new eatery, just west of the intersection of 32nd Avenue South and Veterans Boulevard. With Sanford Hospital and lots of businesses nearby, along with scores of apartment buildings and hundreds of homes going up in the area, they felt it was the place to be.
“The way that we looked at it, this strip is right on the edge of where it’s growing,” Larghe said. “We felt it was going to be busy for a while to come.”
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The restaurant concept is centered around “build your own bowl.” Customers move down a buffet line to fill a large bowl, starting with pasta, rice, quinoa, or salad, then adding any combination of more than 20 vegetables and meat or plant-based proteins.
Diners then move on to another buffet stop, with a dozen different sauces featuring flavor profiles from around the world, including China, Korea, Thailand, India, Africa, the Mediterranean (Italy, Greece), Mexico, Jamaica, Tex-Mex, and sweet and smoky American barbecue.
“We wanted to take some world flavors and make it approachable for people,” said Larghe, who has tinkered with the sauce recipes for years.
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From there, the bowls are dropped off at one of four grills, where cooks can add shrimp, bacon, avocado or fried egg for an extra charge.
Customers then return to their tables or booths and the finished bowls are delivered to them, Larghe said. Each bowl of food is $13.79 apiece, according to the restaurant’s website.
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Larghe said their brand is a marriage of the spices and adventurous flavors that they’ve enjoyed from around the world, plus the healthy mix of foods they make a point of eating at their own home.
There’s plenty of room in the 6,000-square-foot building to social distance.
Lots of windows lend an airy feel not only to the dining and serving areas, but to the kitchen, too. The floors are polished concrete; with the walls a mix of brick and a warm, welcoming, pastel orange paint.
The tables and roomy booths have butcher block tops. And the high ceilings marry the industrial look of exposed ductwork with sound-deadening panels to eliminate echos.
Jessica worked in Fargo area restaurants about 10 years, including five years at Doolittle’s. Marty worked with HuHot restaurants for a number of years. Together they have nearly 50 years of experience in the restaurant business, she said.
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The Larghes began to think about opening their own restaurant about eight years ago.
They traveled to Tanzania in 2012 and visited the archipelago of Zanzibar, sampling the food and savoring the spices
“We just enjoyed that trip. It was very unique,” Larghe said.
On trips elsewhere around the world, they also tried plenty of local cuisine. When they returned to the United States, Larghe would try to duplicate what they had enjoyed.
Stone Town Grill is one of several bars, restaurants and other businesses that have opened in West Fargo this year, despite the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
West Fargo Mayor Bernie Dardis said it’s a sign of confidence in the local economy.
“I think it’s terrific that the business community continues to plan for the future,” Dardis said Monday, Nov. 23. “It just goes to support, I think, that the economy in Cass County and Fargo-West Fargo has great opportunities and the business community recognizes that and continues to move forward.”
It’s also an indicator of solid community support.
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“I think it’s terrific. Anytime you can give the populace an opportunity for different types of cuisine it lends itself to a great business environment,” Dardis said. “The population in Cass County has always been extremely generous. When a new venue opens up, they try it.”
In addition to its signature bowls, Stone Town Grill serves seven soups, locally made desserts, and beer and wine.
Restaurant hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.
A meeting room is available with a normal seating capacity of 20-24. There is also an outdoor patio for use in milder weather.
