Q&A with Rune Restaurant
This month, we’re partnering with Rune Restaurant to bring all paid subscribers to The Local a special buy-one, get-one free deal on all regularly priced pasta entrees for dine-in (excluding Pasta Hour) from July 8-Aug. 8.
We sat down with Rune’s Chef Sean Richardson for a few quick questions.
Give us a quick update on Rune. How are things going since you opened? How has the business/concept evolved?
SR: The first year of business offered us opportunities to learn and grow. And, while we’d love to see a full dining room every night, we are encouraged by the amount of regular guests we have already come to know. We have seen a real interest in our “pasta hour” and plan to continue to do events and different specials to see what people are interested in. The focus and goal is the same as ever – to offer technique and high-quality responsibly sourced food that guests can feel good eating and supporting in a neighborhood haunt.
You have weekly Pasta Nights. What makes pasta a special dish to you and what makes Rune's pasta unique?
SR: I have rarely had a bad experience eating pasta. It is typically always served as a more family-style meal and most always delicious. I am typically drinking and eating with friends around the bowl of noodles. Pasta is comfort food, but also shows incredible technique. We make all of our pasta in the restaurant. We try to have at least one extruded shape, such as a rigatoni or shell, and one stuffed shape, such as agnolotti.
What is the most popular pasta on your menu, and what is your personal favorite pasta?
SR: We change our pasta selections about every 2-3 months. One of my favorites was an agnolotti, which is essentially like a half ravioli, that we stuffed with caramelized cabbage, braised short rib, and goat cheese. The sauce was a reduction of a beef demi-glace and dry apple cider. It was a lot of labor, but truly delicious and warming for the winter months it was being served. In July, we're featuring a uniquely shaped pasta called scarpinocc with ricotta, ajo blanco, cherry tomatoes, fennel and smoked tomato oil.
Rune has great drinks, as well. What would you pair with the pasta?
SR: Our wine menu is incredibly thoughtful. We only buy from producers that are recommended to us by people we trust. They are typically small producers who are going against old-school wine norms, while being a bit rebellious in how they are growing their grapes and making their wines. Depending on what kind of sauce is on the pasta, we will have a wine that will complement it wonderfully. If wine is not the move, our cocktails are creative, original, delicious, and refreshing. Cocktails are a can’t-go-wrong situation at Rune. Just trust in our beverage director, Mae, and you will be in good hands.
Any other recommendations or "pro tips" for guests at Rune?
SR: Guests should come in looking to be taken care of and to feel comfortable enough to give up a bit of control. It will be best if you take a good look at the menu, order 2-3 items per person, and let our team do the rest. Try things that you may be unfamiliar with and know that the number one most important thing to us is that everything we are giving you is to our standard of excellence and is DELICIOUS!
Last, but not least: Along with The Local's deal, Rune is doing a fundraiser for the Center for Nonviolence in July. Tell us more about that.
SR: Now through July 18, in the spirit of honoring our lgbtq+ community (during Pride Month in Fort Wayne), we are serving the "pansy" cocktail as our classic feature. This cocktail has queer origins and would have been served in the 1920s and 30s in speakeasies, which are intended to have an “all are welcome” style of serving their communities. We love that, and we're thrilled to be donating $2 from each sale to the Center for Nonviolence in Fort Wayne. During Happy Hour (Tues-Saturday, 5-6 p.m.) you can try it for $8, and during regular service it's $13.
The pansy is made with supergay gin, schisandra berry grenadine, angostura bitters and orange blossom water. If you want to learn more about this cocktail, check out the recent episode from "How to drink" on YouTube called "Sex, Lies, and Censorship: the conspiracy from the 30s to erase gay people." It is really cool and informative and is a great reminder that queer people have always existed in our country and aren’t going anywhere.