Originally aired on YPR’s Flavors Under the Big Sky
Kay Erickson: As 2023 comes to an end so will a European-Asian inspired restaurant that for nearly 40 year brought diners to a stable house next to a Castle. Stella Fong, host of YPR’s Flavors Under the Big Sky, brings us the history of Juliano’s Restaurant and Chef Carl Kurokawa.
Stella Fong: In 1995 Executive Chef Carl Kurokawa along with Tim Keating and Dave McCurdy opened Juliano’s Restaurant in the hospital corridor. So how did this European and Asian inspired restaurant come to be?
Chef Carl Kurokawa: Tim Keating was waiting tables at DeVerniero’s Restaurant. I never knew Dave McCurdy from nobody. They knew each other and Tim took a job with KTVQ and Dave worked upstairs at the SJL so they chatted and I was looking for an out and Tim wanted an in. I found this place so Juliano’s restaurant, talked to Mr. Keating, Mr. Keating talked to Mr. McCurdy, and we all settled to purchasing the place and doing a restaurant…