For Riccardo Tarabelsi, the thought of a career in the restaurant industry had never crossed his mind until his wife, Marybeth, was pregnant with their first child.
“At the time, my wife was a registered nurse and had to be put on bed rest, so I was working three 12-hour shifts at Sioux Valley Hospital [now Sanford Health],” said Riccardo.
He decided it was time to acquire a second job when Marybeth suggested he work at Spezia Restaurant.
“I told her I knew nothing about restaurants, but then she replied with, ‘Well, you’re Italian,’” chuckled Riccardo. “I jokingly told her that my nationality wasn’t a prerequisite to working in an Italian restaurant, but still I went to see if there was an opportunity there.”
He continued, “The manager said, ‘Oh you’re Italian? You’re hired.’”
Riccardo began his culinary career as a server but advanced a few months later to an assistant manager role.
“I left healthcare forever, got into restaurants in 2000, managed Spezia for four years, followed it by becoming a wine sales representative, became the general manager at Westward Ho Country Club [now The Country Club of Sioux Falls], returned to Spezia’s for a short time, and then helped grow Fernson Brewing Company from scratch,” shared Riccardo
As his extensive resume of experience expanded, Riccardo wondered if he could open a restaurant for himself and his family.
Four years later, the opportunity presented itself and Riccardo and Marybeth decided it was time to open their own establishment.
“Luckily for us, Prairie Berry Winery had moved out of their building on 8th Street. We met the owners and got a deal done,” explained Riccardo. “My wife and I have always been entrepreneurial, but our first of many family-owned ventures started in 2018.”
R Wine Bar & Kitchen
The Tarabelsis introduced R Wine Bar & Kitchen to the Sioux Falls community in 2018. After five years in business, the restaurant remains a staple along the East Bank of downtown Sioux Falls.
Taking up space in the historic Franklin Building, originally built in 1900, R Wine Bar’s atmosphere warmly invites its customers into a charming oasis.
“The building is made of quartzite and has an old world feel to it,” said Riccardo. “It feels warm with large wooden beams, open rafters, and minimal artwork because the walls themselves are art.”
R Wine Bar offers an extensive wine list that spans the globe. Everyone can find something they enjoy, regardless of whether they prefer red, white, or rosé. The bar also offers a variety of local craft beers.
The bar’s extensive wine list includes everything from Italian and French classics, to lesser-known gems from different states and countries. All wine is available for purchase by the glass or by the bottle.
The staff is always happy to help customers choose the appropriate wine for their taste.
In addition to its sizeable wine list, R Wine Bar & Kitchen offers a menu of Italian classics. The fresh menu has been curated to complement the wines. In fact, the wine menu features a food pairing section.
Riccardo says their most popular dishes include Pasta Al Limone, Bistecca Gorgonzola, Chilean Sea Bass, Swordfish Steak, Ricotta, and Bruschetta.
With R Wine Bar & Kitchen and the Tarbelsi’s following ventures, their goal will remain to bring a piece of Italy to the Midwest.
Hidden Meaning
The “R” in R Wine Bar & Kitchen stands for Riccardo and Revier, Marybeth’s maiden name.
Vespa Catering
R Wine Bar & Kitchen is also home to Vespa Catering, the Tarabelsi’s second culinary endeavor.
Introduced in 2021, Vespa caters to many events in Sioux Falls and the surrounding areas.
“We’ve catered weddings, office events, birthday parties, and retirements,” shared Riccardo. “Basically if someone has a venue and needs food brought in, we can do that.”
The catering menus are entirely customizable and can easily be designed as a buffet or a plated dinner.
“We offer pasta of course, but we’ve done everything from steak, salmon, and vegetable lasagna,” said Riccardo.
He adds that Vespa Catering is equipped to serve small parties to weddings of upwards of 400 people.
At each of the Tarabelsi restaurants, they say, “Enter as friends, leave as family,” and when they cater an event, the team is dedicated to bringing the same sentiment.
“I wanted to introduce my culture and Italian heritage, but also growing up in Boston, I wanted to bring that big city feel to Sioux Falls.” -Riccardo Tarabelsi
Brix Wine Bar
Riccardo and Marybeth saw the growing success of R Wine Bar & Kitchen and made the decision to add a sister property solely dedicated to wine.
Brix Wine Bar opened in April 2022, just four years after R Wine Bar. Riccardo states that here, customers can expect the same warmth and hospitality from the Tarabelsi family and staff.
The upscale wine bar boasts an eclectic selection of domestic and international wines, a small plate menu, and a distinct wine-tasting experience.
Brix Wine Bar offers an intimate and quiet environment with one-on-one service that’s insightful and engaging.
“We offer over 50 wines by the glass and another 50 by the bottle,” said Riccardo. “Our wine cellar stores about 1,000 wines, and we also offer five to six local beers.”
The quaint establishment boasts an intimate location to relax, learn, and savor.
Through the Grapevine
At Brix Wine Bar, customers can order directly from Maribella Ristorante’s full menu.
Maribella Ristorante
In October of 2022, Riccardo and Marybeth introduced their third property, Maribella Ristorante.
The Tarabelsis welcomes an upscale Northern Italian restaurant in the heart of downtown Sioux Falls next door to Brix Wine Bar in the Washington Square building.
“The overall aesthetic is Italy,” said Riccardo. “We have a 15-foot panoramic mural of Florence–my hometown– and we had these large arches built, as they’re everywhere in Italy, and the tile throughout is Italian.”
Not only is the décor authentic to Riccardo’s culture, but the menu consists of 100% Italian dishes and liquor.
Riccardo shares that Maribella’s popular dishes include
the Nero and Bolognese pasta, the Maribella and Giacomo pizzas, the Bistecca Fiorentina entrée, and the Bongo dessert.
The delectable wine list offers 20 glasses of wine by the glass and 80 to 90 by the bottle.
Maribella Ristorante offers monthly wine dinners and tastings, says Riccardo.
“We’ve become known as a place to learn more about wine,” he added.
Cocktails are also available for order to customers, and all liquor is shipped from Italy.
“Throughout all of our businesses, our goal is to bring the most authentic Italian experience to the state,” expressed Riccardo. “That will continue to be our goal.”
Love and Wine
No, it’s not a typo. The word vineyard is pronounced vinyahd (vin-yahd) in Massachusetts, where Riccardo and Marybeth resided before moving back to South Dakota.
The popular spot for visitors and locals is Martha’s Vineyard, which is special for the couple as it’s where Riccardo proposed to Marybeth in 1996.
Collectively, R Wine Bar & Kitchen, Vespa Catering, Brix Wine Bar, and Maribella Ristorante make up the Vinyahd Restaurant Group.
According to Riccardo and Marybeth, the family aspect of their businesses makes Vinyahd unique. Whether it’s a staff member or a customer, they think of them as irreplaceable.
“That has been our motto since day one, and it continues to stem from past experiences with different companies,” shared Riccardo.
Since 2018, the Tarabelsis have grown their roots tremendously, expanding Italian culture and heritage to downtown.
“The reason we’ve tripled down with all three of our locations being downtown is that we’re huge believers in downtown Sioux Falls,” admitted Riccardo. “Not only as a destination, but there’s a destination within them that we’ve created.”
