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Denese Jokela
is the owner
and Italian-
trained chef at
Necce’s Italiano
Ristorante
in Park
Rapids, Minn.
(Submitted
photo)
Italian restaurant in Park Rapids
is a hidden gem
BY SUE WEBBER • CONTRIBUTING WRITER
North
minnes ota
DINING
N
ecce’s Italiano Ristorante in Park Rapids, Minn., could be called
a hidden gem, but in reality, it has been in plain sight for the
last eight years.
“My mom was a gourmet cook,” owner Denese Jokela says. “My parents
traveled, and they took us with them. Their hobby was eating out. My
mom liked to re-create recipes. My dad was an attorney who loved to
fish, and he bought a place in Park Rapids.”
So in addition to visiting the Park Rapids cabin, Denese, who went to
college at the University of Kansas, was a ballet dancer, and worked as
a court reporter. She found her way to Minnesota permanently after
marrying a Montana native who was an auctioneer and rodeo manager.
20 destinationupnorth.com