Wood-fired pizzas and late-night dining will return to the high-profile Uptown Minneapolis space once filled by Figlio, which has struggled since the restaurant left in 2009.

Mpls/St. Paul Magazine reports on Parella, the Italian restaurant in the works from Michael Larson, the owner of Digby’s in Roseville, and chef Todd Macdonald. MacDonald has worked in New York at lauded restaurants like Cru and Bouley, and moved back to Minnesota about a year ago.

MacDonald is planning a “rustic, but modern” Italian menu, making good use of Figlio’s old wood-fired oven, and a crudo bar, which serves raw fish, Italian style.

Figlio lasted 25 years at Calhoun Square before one-time owner Parasole Restaurant Holdings tried to go upmarket to cope with higher rents.

The result, Il Gatto, didn’t last long; neither did PrimeBar, which moved in to replace it. Kaskaid Hospitality, meanwhile, picked up the Figlio brand to reopen a location at the West End, but that spot closed last year.

Mark Reilly manages daily and weekly coverage at the Business Journal newsroom.