Revival Of The Classic Cocktail In Belmont Center

Passionate, creator, openness, and life.

Those are the words that came to my mind when I try to convey why I am fascinated with the bar manager at , Diana Morell (pronounced dee-anna).

I first met her in December during my search for a Belmont bartender to talk about holiday drinks. As our conversation progressed and I heard her speak about the bar, not so much as a place to just grab a drink before dinner, but as a space where people come to socialize, mingle and, in a way, an essential piece of the fabric of a person’s life, I understood that her work was not a duty but a love. I realized that I found a gem.

Fast forward to mid-January and I am at the bar again seated next to one of the patrons that frequents the spot and relies on Morell to compose his afterwork cocktails. I, of course, was introduced to him by her and was sipping a cocktail out of a retro martini glass that she created on the spot.

She and I both are explaining to him how we view food and how we were brought up in families that relied on themselves for it. We reminisced of the days when people, my family and hers included, (sometimes raised) killed, skinned and then prepped their meats from chickens to lamb.  

Morell first came to the States from her hometown Manizales Caldas, Colombia when she was about 16 years old and later returning to witness a change in people’s food preferences.

“People are getting to know the other cultures and they are opening up,” she said, explaining that the Boston food scene is more diverse compared to 15 years ago.

That leads her to talk about the cocktail, and how it spread from its birthplace in the United States to infect the world with its debonair style and spiritedness.

Morell is bringing back the glory of the cocktail bar. Growing up, she worked in her family’s restaurant.  Working in all aspects of the business, she found her place in the bar. Before Il Casale, she worked at Posto in Somerville. She has never studied food; she lived it.  

Gathering around the bar

“That is the beauty of the bar. You are eating a plate of pasta and the person next to you decides what to eat. And they will all end up ordering the same. It is contagious,” she said.

She recalled how bars in Colombia served as a gathering spot for residents of the town or neighborhood. She runs Il Casale's bar with that philosophy, making it an infectious place where people share their food, drink and lives and are open to new experiences via a cocktail.

She said that she was sad to see the concept of bars seen only from a drinking perspective rather than a social angle in the States.  

“I am here to break that down. The world is about sharing having fun, making friends, and getting excited about life,” she said.  

At the marble topped bar, she invites a couple that is about to call it quits for the night to try a classy drink made with overholt rye and the Italian herbal digestivo Averna. She describes the taste, the process and the herbs used in the liqueur. They eagerly accept her invite to indulge in something new.

Her knowledge of drinks and mixing is embedded. She does not write down any recipes. And the “Natalie” she made me, she will remember it when mixing it next time I ask for it.

Morell recalls several times she construed a new cocktail for someone who didn’t quite know what they wanted to drink.

Drinks in the clouds

“So then they come back or their friend comes back and says 'make me that drink again,' and I visualize how I made it. That’s how you build relationships. It’s very personal,” she said.   

She also includes the staff and chefs for their opinion on new drinks, and also to create adorations for the liquid formulas.

“She comes to us with ideas and then we all collaborate,” said Sous Chef Jim Booth. He has made crystallized pear slices, mango chips and a deconstructed Manhattan that sounded so out-of-the-box with a cherry wrapped in speck and deep fried that it would spark the curiosity of any daring food lover.  

“Whatever is in her brain” said Booth who tries to make her vision an edible accompaniment to her cocktail creations.  

Only people that have a deep knowledge of foods and flavors can work on a whim in the restaurant business. They must know how different perfumes, textures, colors, herbs will enhance or deaden the other flavors of the ingredients in the mix.

“She is the last breed of knowledgeable bartenders,” said a frequent customer that also works in the field of spirits.

He explained that having a locale like this in Belmont and with Morell’s presence adds vibrancy to the Center. The retro martini glasses and dedication to mixing true cocktails and making guests feel welcome are slight distinctions that she has brought to the restaurant.