For area residents who have been waiting for another Italian dining option to come to Newton, their wait may soon be over. A New York man who has followed his sons to the area for college is planning on giving residents a fresh dining experience in the near future.
Joe Dika was originally from the suburbs of New York City, but he followed his sons to Iowa last year when they started college at Iowa State University. Since that time, Dika has opened a restaurant in Marshalltown and plans on opening Joe’s Italian Grill in Newton on Aug. 2, if all goes according to plan.
Dika has leased the dining area, bar and kitchen at the former Newton Country Club, now operating as Cardinal Hills golf and swimming pool. Dika says he plans to offer a variety of Italian dishes.
“It will be homestyle Italian,” Dika said. “We’ll have fresh ingredients, and all my sauces are made on the spot.”
The restaurant will feature a variety of pasta dishes, including spaghetti, ziti, angel hair pasta, lasagna, cannelloni, as well as a full liquor bar. Dika said he will serve as one of four cooks at the new restaurant.
“I’ll be a cook and also my son and two others,” he said. “We have our restaurant in Marshalltown as well, and we’re well-established there. We have customers from Des Moines, and now we’ll give Newton a shot.”
In addition to the restaurant, Dika said he will offer a catering service, and can handle receptions, meetings, etc. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner during the golf season, then just dinner after the golf season is over.
He anticipates a state inspection on Friday, then open for lunch on Tuesday, Aug. 2. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends, with the restaurant closed on Mondays.
Dika said he is still looking for some wait and kitchen staff to help out in the restaurant.