The Walker Art Center and D’Amico & Partners announced today that D’Amico & Partners will become the Walker Art Center’s new food service provider, effective April 18, 2011. D’Amico & Partners has created an entirely new restaurant for the Walker, featuring locally-sourced, globally-inspired modern American cuisine.

1. NEWS
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WALKER ART CE N T ER AN N OU N CE S A N E W CULIN ARY P ALE T T E
FOR IT S GU E S T S , CURAT E D BY D ’A MICO’S FIN E S T CHEF S
NEW REST A URAN T, GA T H ER : FEATURING GLOBALLY-INSPIRED AMERICAN CUISINE
NEW C A T ERING CONCEP T, MODERN EVEN T S BY D’AMI CO : FEATURING UNIQUE, WALKER-
EXCLUSIVE AND A LA CARTE CATERING EVENTS
NEW EVEN T SERIES CE LEBRA T ING LOC A L C H E F S: MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL GUEST CHEFS
“CURATE” A MONTHLY BAR MENU, GIVE COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS, AND SERVE COMPLIMENTARY
SAMPLERS
M inneapolis, MN – (February 17, 2011) – The Walker Art Center and D’Amico & Partners announced
today that D’Amico & Partners will become the Walker Art Center’s ne w food service provider,
effective April 18, 2011.
“We are ecstatic to be working with the Walker Art Center. It’s a world class organization, and
without a doubt, one of the most cutting edge arts institutions in the world. We’ve developed
restaurant, bar and catering concepts to complement the e xtraordinary creativity that is the
Walker trademark,” said Richard D’Amico, president of D’Amico & Partners. “We wanted to create a
dining experience that truly reflects ho w the Walker brings visitors together, by providing a casual
and inspiring setting with exceptional food,” said D’Amico.
“Richard and Larry D’Amico have made huge culinary contributions to the Minneapolis St. Paul
community,” said Walker Executive Director Olga Viso. “ Many of the best chefs in the region have
been mentored by Jay Sparks in D’Amico kitchens. The Walker was at the forefront of the T win
Cities’ chef-driven restaurant concepts six years ago and we’re thrilled to partner in this latest
innovation in local dining. Having the D’Amico team create a ne w restaurant, a ne w bar menu
featuring local chefs, and a ne w type of private event space is incredibly exciting.”
Gather: An Elegant and Relaxed Lunchtime Destination
• D’Amico & Partners has created an entirely ne w restaurant for the Walker, featuring locally-
sourced, globally-inspired modern American cuisine.
WALKER FOOD SERVICE UPDATE NO. 110 1

2. • Gather will offer a casual and convivial dining experience, with the look, feel and flavor of a
w orld class restaurant. The restaurant’s breathtaking vie w of do wnto wn Minneapolis will be
complemented by a culinary punch.
• The redesigned restaurant, with furnishings by some of today’s most innovative designers, will
be an ideal setting for lunch, Thursday night bar service, and evening events.
• Gather will be open for lunch six days a week (11 am–3 pm) and Thursday evenings (5 pm–
10 pm).
• Further menu, décor and opening details will be released closer to the spring 2011 opening.
Gather: Guest Chefs Curate A Thursday Night Bar Scene
Every month, D’Amico and the Walker will partner with a local guest chef who will “curate” a
grouping of small plates that will be featured the entire month. “I’m e xtremely e xcited to be
involved in this ne w culinary concept,” said Larry D’Amico. “The Walker has long inspired me as an
arts patron and I will no w take this inspiration into the kitchen to develop uniquely Walker
creations.”
The guest chefs (six drawn from D’Amico restaurants and six celebrating Minneapolis-St. Paul
restaurants), will be on site at the Walker for the first Target Free Thursday Night of each month,
providing cooking demonstrations and a special complimentary sampler plate for Walker members.
“The opportunity to present food as art and to feature so many talented chefs—12 annually—is
something I’m e xtremely e xcited about. Much like the Walker’s artist-in-residence programs, this
exciting series will bring chefs-in-residence to the Walker,” said Viso. “It’s a chance for our audiences
to experience some of the finest culinary artists the T win Cities have to offer.”
Gather: An Innovative Private Event Destination Featuring Modern Events by D’Amico
On most evenings, Gather will be transformed into one of Minneapolis-St. Paul’s finest event spaces,
featuring the ability to host private catered events from a la carte, restaurant-style menus. It will
offer unrivaled opportunities for both intimate and large-scale staged events. “The opportunity to
provide dinner-style a la carte service for private catered events is something that isn’t available
any where else in the T win Cities’ catering scene,” said Larry D’Amico. “We’re excited to bring this
quality of service to the Walker.”
Modern Events by D’Amico, will also be the Walker’s ne w e xclusive caterer, providing food service
for all Walker events—both Walker-sponsored and private. Featuring entirely ne w, Walker-specific
menus, as well as ne w servicing details, Modern Events by D’Amico will bring a ne w level of
D’Amico catering to the community.
And More…
D’Amico & Partners is also crafting special menus for the Walker’s Garden Café and seasonal
Garden Grill (located on the Walker plaza across from the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden). Each will
feature seasonal selections of salads, sandwiches, soups, and summer grill items in addition to a
variety of local beers and wine.
WALKER FOOD SERVICE UPDATE NO. 110 2

3. Who’s Cooking?
D’Amico Catering Executive Chef Mike Sneen w ill oversee development of the lunch and catering
menus along with D’Amico rising star Chefs Josh Bro wn (lunch service) and Ryan Haas (Modern
Events), both moving from D’Amico Catering to the Walker. D’Amico Executive Chef Jay Sparks will
serve as a featured guest chef at the Walker and will be available to create menus as part of
Modern Events by D’Amico.
What’s Changing?
Follo wing a successful six years of critical and public success, during which 20.21 Restaurant and Bar
became a local favorite, the Walker and Wolfgang Puck are amiably parting ways. “We have
immensely enjoyed our partnership with Wolfgang and will miss his passion for both fine culinary
experiences and the art that inspires him,” said Viso. “Ho wever, the Minneapolis-St. Paul restaurant
and dining landscape has changed dramatically over the past six years. As part of our ongoing
mission to provide ne w e xperiences and to actively engage and better serve our audiences, we
felt the time was right to chart a ne w direction for the food service program at the Walker.”
About D’Amico & Partners
D’Amico & Partners, one of the nation’s preeminent restaurant and catering developers, o wns and
manages 24 restaurants in Minneapolis and Florida. Their properties include: D’Amico Kitchen, Parma
8200, Campiello (2) Café and Bar Lurcat (2), D’Amico & Sons (12) and MASA—featuring upscale,
contemporary M e xican cuisine. The Wall S t ree t Journal hailed MASA as one of the United States’
“top 10 most anticipated restaurant openings…” when it opened.
About Walker Art Center
The Walker Art Center is a catalyst for the creative expression of artists and the active engagement
of audiences. Focusing on the visual, performing, and media arts of our time, the Walker takes a
global, multidisciplinary, and diverse approach to the creation, presentation, interpretation,
collection, and preservation of art. Walker programs examine the questions that shape and inspire
us as individuals, cultures, and communities.
WALKER FOOD SERVICE UPDATE NO. 110 3