If pasta was a food group then chef Pete McTiernan of Dio Mio would be at the top of the pyramid, and so would diners. The hip Rino spot has been churning out excellent Italian and globally-influenced dishes for eight years, and McTiernan has been executive chef there for two of them.
On Thursday, March 13, follow along as the chef shows us what a day in his life looks. The takeover will happen in our Instagram stories. Until then, read about McTiernan and his restaurant and get inspired.
The Restaurant
Chefs Alex Figura and Spencer White opened Dio Mio in November, 2016 along with Lulu Claire, director of operations. They chose a cute, deep-set space in RiNo to launch the casual, pasta-forward Italian concept.
From the get go the ingredients have been well-sourced and fresh. Dishes have run the gamut from comforting to unexpected, meeting the need of the neighborhood for good, easy going meals at a decent cost. The only lack was found in seating, and sometimes the line to order at the counter lingered too long.
But then things changed. At the beginning of 2024 the restaurant closed for a refresh, and reopened in February. Now diners have more tables to choose from. More room too as the cash register shifted so a small line doesn’t block foot traffic. The service remains the same fast-casual style, delivering your order to the numbered tables. Drinks can be ordered at the counter as well. Pro tip, if you keep your tab open it’s easy to grab a Negroni ($12) or Italian beer ($9) quickly.
As for the kitchen, chef Pete McTiernan has been overseeing it the last couple of years. During that time has built the new menu and manages staff. His goal, he said, is to give employees the time off they need, and a supportive place to work in. That way, he added, it imparts the same respect for the food, the meal, and the paying customers.
“I want to create a place that encourages individuals and creates an environment that people want to be in,” said McTiernan. “It makes a world of difference and the work environment is much more fun and healthy. I’m here 12 to 15 hours a day, I can’t be miserable.”
He’s not, he added, he loves everything about Dio Mio.
The Chef at Dio Mio
Though McTiernan started working in Upstate New York kitchens at around 14 years old, he didn’t think the job would eventually lead to his successful career in Denver. But after a friend came to Boulder to play football for Colorado University and ended up busting his knee, McTiernan found himself here in 2018. Once he landed in the Mile High City, he never left.
Food wasn’t originally what he gravitated toward. The first job McTiernan took in Denver was washing dishes at Uchi. He took the position because he needed money to live in Denver. Little did he know it would change the trajectory of his life, molding the talented cook he is today.
“They started me as a dishwasher, but I had never been in a nice kitchen like that,” said the chef, who stayed there over three years and worked his way up to lead line cook. “It was a culture shock, and it’s where I realized I wanted to do food for a living.”
Being in a kitchen was far from novel for McTiernan. After that first foray into the restaurant world he continued in the hospitality industry all around Upstate New York. From banquet halls to full-service kitchens to pizza joints, including the famed Nirchi’s Pizza, it’s the style of life he enjoyed. In fact, said the chef, he worked at 11 pizzerias over his career. In Denver he sliced pies at Blue Pan Pizza. Later, he helped open Redeemer Pizza, also owned by the Dio Mio team.
McTiernan came to Dio Mio after a position for sous chef opened up. At the time he worked as assistant pastry chef at The Museum of Nature and Science. He took the job and a couple months later they promoted him to executive chef.
“That was two years ago and I have made lifelong friends and love my community, this town, and restaurants in general,” said the chef over the phone. “They say if you do anything for 10,000 hours you are a master of it. I’m not quite there, but on my way.”
One thing Uchi taught him aside from how to make sushi is the idea of kaizen, the Japanese philosophy based on continuous improvement in quality and efficiency. Basically, he said, you don’t strive for perfection because you can always be better. Instead, you strive to constantly learn and grow. Kaizen mimics the way Dio Mio has evolved as well, constantly shifting and always offering a new dish and fresh take on dining out.
The Food
The menu comprises four food sections including small plates, pasta, to share, and dessert. Luckily no one will come over to the table to tell you how to order, the staff assumes you can choose your own adventure. Of course if you need guidance, they’re more than happy to oblige.
Some highlights from our last meal started with the House Focaccia with whipped black butter ($5). It’s good on its own, but paired with Dio Mio’s stracciatella ($7) it becomes a downright indulgence. The Artichokes ($11) also proved addictive, singing with black butter marinated oranges, olive sauce, and croutons. Maybe it’s the black butter in each of these dishes that hooks us, either way, it’s worth testing that theory.
Off the pasta menu one can go as simple and comforting as Spaghetti ($17) with red sauce. Add on meatballs for $8 and channel dinner at Noona’s house. The Radiatori ($20) starts taking the diner on a different path, using pistachio pesto, fresh mozzarella, and furikake to season the fresh pasta. Then for a trip down the pasta rabbit hole, the whimsical Garganelli ($20) excites with kimchi alla vodka sauce, pork fat bread crumbs, and bacon lardon.
Don’t skip the shared plates either. The Lasagna ($44) with braised beef cheek ragu is a work of art and can easily feed two to four people depending on hunger levels and what else you order. We also can’t get enough of the Chicken Parm for Two ($35), which might be the best deal for dinner in town. It comes with a heaping pile of spaghetti too, so in theory you don’t need to order anything else (though we dare you not to).
Prices were one thing McTiernan wanted to make sure remained as affordable for guests as possible. That way, he said, more people can enjoy the art of dining out.
“I grew up extremely poor and we didn’t go out to restaurants,” said McTiernan, adding his family always loved to eat, though they always did it at home. “You don’t know how much it means to the [diners], you don’t know what they make. In the end, every ticket is an opportunity to celebrate that person.”
A big part of how it’s possible to serve really good food for less than the average sit-down restaurant comes from a hybrid service model, the chef said.
“People wonder why we have the hybrid service model, and we think it’s important to provide a cheap, high-quality meal,” he said, adding he thinks it’s the highest quality of pastas you will get for the price point here in Denver. “Yeah, you don’t get the best service, but the food you are getting is at a price more accessible to a lot of people.”
The Dio Mio Takeover
Join McTiernan as he showcases a day in the life of Dio Mio and himself, from pasta making to bread baking to prepping food for the evening service. He might even show us how he makes the luscious lasagna noodles.
If anything, the chef wants to inspire and bring out the good restaurants.
“Kitchens helped me get out of a dark place,” he said. “If I can do that for one person, it’s a success.”
Follow along on Thursday, March 12 in the @diningoutmagazine stories as the chef showcases a day in his life. Like, share, and follow DiningOut Magazine and DioMio for a chance to win a $100 gift card to the restaurant.
Visit Dio Mio Sunday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. 3264 Larimer St., Denver, diomiopasta.com
