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Bacaro
Rating Details »
Categories: American (New), Italian, Lounges [Edit]
113 N Walnut StChampaign, IL 61820
(217) 398-6982
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Wed, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
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19 reviews for Bacaro
I have had more consistently amazing and memorable meals at Bacaro than any other restaurant in Illinois. Bacaro continues to define the Italian aesthetic of minimalism while utilizing local fresh farm products with a midwestern voice that speaks of regional agricultural values more than any other modern middle American restaurant.
Bacaro has been a pioneer of local cooking in Illinois for nine years and has also supported local farmers long before farmers market culture was cool and "local" was a marketing term and Chili's featured "organic" produce.
One might be inclined to draw similarities between Bacaro in Champaign and regional French cooking in Burgundy, Basque restaurants in Northern Spain and Italian restaurants in rural Marche. What do all of these places have in common?
Each are located in rural farming communities featuring creative Chefs who are utilizing traditional techniques along with a bounty of fresh, healthy, locally available ingredients in an inspired and innovative way that showcases the soul and terrior of the region.
Bacaro may be one of the most relevant regional restaurants in the middle of America along with Michael Symon's Lola in Cleveland and Proof on Main in Louisville.
Bacaro is a restaurant that goes the extra mile for their guests utilizing locally raised organic meats, house made cured proscuitto, fruit and vegetable marmelatta, as well as a plethora of the seasonal vegetables.
The emphasis here is simple: clean, pure flavors features some of the best ingredients available in 2009. From imported fish from Browne Trading Company http://www.brownetradi... to fresh produce from Spence Farms http://www.thespencefa..., Bacaro utilizes only the finest ingredients.
Bacaro does not cut corners where quality is concerned.
The same cannot be said if most restaurants in the wolrd; especially in college towns.
I have read reviews that proclaim Bacaro to be expensive, yet I'm not sure that I understand the complaint, as I just see an amazing value in regional gastronomy amid a sea of indifference and corporate foodstuff.
Prices here are quite low compared to the same ingredients served at restaurants of the same quality just two hours North.
If you want cheap industrial food, Steak n' Shake is CU's preferred restaurant of choice and is open 24/7. Enjoy.
On to the wine, which is my favorite subject.
Along with Farren's and Timpone's, Bacaro is a pioneer in CU for quality wine presented in a smart and innovative manner.
Where else can you find a selection of quality artisan wines served in beautiful glassware in Champaign?
Bravo to Bacaro for towing the quality line with regards to beverage service and not succumbing to the pressure to dumb down their creative selection for the masses! CU deserves more than Jameson and PBR.
Some of my favorite Bacaro dishes have included fresh morels (hand foraged from woods near Springfield) with new olive oil, Sicilian sea salt and chili flakes on bruschetta; organic hangar steak with 80 year old balsamic (transcendental); and a fresh Spanish baby glass eel salad. If any of the other Yelpers out there know of any other restaurants in North America serving fresh (live) baby glass eels from Spain, please educate me.
Overall, I recommend coming to this restaurant if you are ready to have a great time and relax while celebrating the beauty of the sweet life. La Dolce Vita.
If you are a parent of a U of I student and hail from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Miami, Tokyo, Moscow, Seville, Paris or Montreal, you will feel right at home in one of the premier regional US restaurants.
Yes, you will pay for the high quality ingredients; yet one will certainly appreciate the sophistication of the presentation, sex appeal of the ambience and attention to conviviality of service as well as the value of the menu.
As a Chicago restaurateur, I can safely say that Bacaro is a culinary beacon in an otherwise dimly lit universe of Midwestern restaurants.
If you are a fan of http://www.lolabistro.com or http://www.blackbirdre... or http://www.sorellanyc.com or http://www.proofonmain..., then check out Bacaro.
If not, I recommend you head straight to http://www.steaknshake...
It is very inexpensive and has very large portions.
Enjoy!
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I am trying to think of what to add that hasn't been said...
I think this is one of the outstanding restaurants in Champaign-Urbana. I have had many meals there, most were superb, but this is reality, and once in a while I have been disappointed, as can be seen in some reviews. Overall, they rock.
This is not the typical "american-italian" restaurant. Perhaps it is more helpful to think of the Italian philosophy to place importance on food that is local, fresh, and in-season. As this would indicate, the menu changes frequently.
This is not an all-you-can eat for cheap place. Portions are human-sized, and thus smaller than what we have become used to having to carry out in a bag or leave on the plate. Prices reflect the cost of quality ingredients and a skilled staff.
There's a nice wine list that favors Italian varieties. The staff can make good recommendations.
One more thing that is not well-known - they are now open for lunch Tuesday-Friday.
And why do I compliment highly, acknowledging it is far above others in the region, yet gave 4/5 stars? I have to save a star; there are better restaurants in the world.
I don't see what all the fuss is about. I lived in Chicago for many years so maybe I'm spoiled. I don't mind paying $27 for a steak but the steak I had was average at best and one of my friends had a rabbit dish that was just okay. Third friend had a seafood risotto that was the best of the three entrees. The entree selections were very limited and tried too hard to be different or unusual.
Waiter was nice but new I would guess because he seemed nervous.
Not rushing back any time soon.
I can't help but feel this Restaurant has fooled many.
While I've read the food described as "Authentic Italian," I felt it was anything but. I've been to Italy, and this ISN'T Italian...
I suppose the entire visit was lackluster. The decor had a lot to be desired, but the wait staff were great.
However, once we ordered wine (and, by the old menu at least, were supposed to receive the standard 4oz glass) things went downhill. While we were savoring the tiny portion in our glasses, the bartender was doing his best to overfill the glasses of the pretty girls at the bar. When questioned, we were told "they asked for doubles." Who orders a double Merlot?
We chose what appeared to be a special at the time: a smoked duck panini.
What arrived at the table was a glorified ham and cheese sandwich. No, I'm not complaining about the sandwich itself, but they had substituted ham instead of smoked duck, then claimed that I wouldn't know the difference.
I'm not sure if it was just this visit or the one that followed that biased me, but I'll never return.
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Who would have thought that I'd pick a place in Champaign for my 600th review!... Well, Bacaro certainly deserves it: I finally went there for dinner last night (after wanting to go for several months), and I was wowed. I'm still salivating thinking about it.
I went there with pretty high expectations (I'd heard great things about it from several friends and coworkers): that's usually not a good thing as it makes it easier to be disappointed, but Bacaro did not disappoint. In fact, I'm happy to say that my dinner there was on a par with my best dining experiences in NYC.
First and foremost: the food. My boyfriend and I decided to share a bunch of dishes. For appetizers, we ordered the fresh mozzarella with heirloom tomatoes and pesto, as well as the roasted suckling pig with homemade sauerkraut: they were both absolutely delicious (don't miss the suckling pig!). We then shared one entree: we got the braised pork shank, which came with sauteed spinach, mushrooms, bacon, and fig sauce: soooo good! The portions are not huge, but two appetizers and one entree turned out to be enough food. For dessert, we got the panna cotta with fresh fruit: simple but just as outstanding. That was some seriously great food!!
As Bacaro is also a wine lounge, their wine selection is quite extensive. We got a sampler of three wines by the glass for $14, all of which were pretty good. Not to forget the 10yo port we got with our dessert (very generous pour...), which was good also.
Service was great, ambiance was great (although it's a shame that the place was so empty)... it was really a great dinner (sure, it was not cheap, but entirely worth it!). By far the restaurant in Champaign, in my opinion. I'll definitely be back.
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3 1/2 stars. I used to think it was 5.
The ambience is ultra-glam, the waitstaff are gorgeous and the concept and menu are great. The Lounge side rocks, and is a great hide-out on a busy weekend night if you want a quiet date or conversation.
However, the last couple of times we have eaten there (check about $150 for 2) I have been really disappointed. I ordered Duck, which arrived totally well done (SO bizarre). When I complained about it, NOTHING was done. I was horrified.
I guess my three stars are because I think it could be 5, but I am so pissed about how the food has turned out for the price. Seriously...
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Decent food, but not spectacular. The grilled watermelon salad sounded better than it actually was -- it was drenched with vinaigrette... Anyway, I had the scallop dish, which was cooked nicely... but slightly bland.
I think the wine here is better. had a really awesome special pinot grigio with literally peaches floating around!!! It was so great. I have to come back here to try more of their wines. I think it's probably better to come here just for wine than for dinner
And like what everyone else said, the service was great!
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I have NEVER ever had a bad dish here. The service was always so spot on, but then again that might just be because they know me.
I am always impressed with the ideas Thad's crew thinks of...and I am such a fan of ANYTHING the dessert Chef Allison makes, that girl is incredible!
Sure it is pricey, but it is mostly local products, which makes me more than happy to fork over more. They seem to be particular to detail, which is a plus to me!
The wine is top notch too.
Honestly, anyone who finds Bacaro pretentious must be insecure, or needs to be more social. Good Lord, fine dining people!! You pay for what you get.
ALSO!! Thad has also mentioned to me how he likes his business to have less seating so its about quality, and not quantity. RESPECT that!!
I think I need to save to go there again, so worth it!!
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What one would consider fine dining - especially considering the fact we're talking about Champaign - Bacaro's boasts of an extensive wine selection and the best of traditional Italian cuisine. We ordered the smoked salmon appetizer, and, because I wasn't feeling very adventurous, chose the oven roasted chicken as my entre. Overall, I found both these dishes a little too salty (maybe the chef was just having an off night?). The portions are modest, but you would probably expect a little more for the price you're paying. They did have a decent cheesecake and the check came out with a couple yummy chocolate chip meringues, but overall I guess I was a little disappointed.
In consensus with what many others have said, service was very attentive, but I felt it was almost to the point of pretentiousness. Based on this experience alone, I would most likely not recommend Bacaro's nor dine here again, but I really don't want to dislike this establishment and would like to come back again sometime in the future and give it another chance. Until then, I say stick with Radio Maria.
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This place was a bit of a disappointment for me. I was really excited to try it since I heard the chef was an apprentice of Iron Chef Mario Batali (yes, I love the Food network).
The service wasn't great, and even though it seemed fancy, the decor wasn't all that great either.
The food is expensive (which I was expecting), but the pasta that I got was pretty bad and for some reason tasted a lot like bacon (which I wasn't expecting). Don't get me wrong, I love bacon, but not when it doesn't have bacon in it and isn't supposed to taste like that at all..
I definitely wouldn't go back here, but it was an interesting experience.
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This place is amazing. I've only been their twice since each meal costs half a months rent. It's totally worth it though. Also, the waiters are great with the wine parings, I've had some of the best wine experiences of my life here!
Very expensive and not particularly large dishes.
If you're okay with this first statement, this place is a great place. The food is really good and the interior is very stylish. Also, the service is great. This is a very professional place that you wouldn't expect to see in Champaign.
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Expensive food but quite delicious and well presented. Portions are a bit small, but if you're going with appetizers and dessert the amount of food will leave you full and happy without being too stuffed to leave your chair. The waitress made a great wine selection to go with our food. The restaurant isn't very big, the decor is modern. A good place to go on a date if you're willing to spend the $.
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Quite possibly the best food in Champaign-Urbana, though certainly not the cheapest. I can't think of anything I've had here (or that any of my companions have had) that wasn't fantastic.
The interior can feel a little cold, very... modern, but have a great bottle of wine or sit outside or at the bar with the nice bartender/waiter and it's no problem. The service is also excellent.
I had the 6 course tasting flight tonight at Bacaro and it was incredible. My friend and I ate and drank wine for 3 hours, and I felt completely taken care of but not intruded upon by our totally awesome, knowledgeable, helpful waiter the entire time.
100 thousand props to said waiter, who didn't give the check to my male dining companion just because there were two of us and my male dining companion was male.
I can't agree with the other reviewers about the portions; I was FULL by the end of the third course and still had half a meal to go. I think if I had even just ordered the linguini that was our 3rd course I still would have been full.
This is definitely a special occasion kind of restaurant, but I will certainly go back if I ever have a special enough occasion again.
Bacaro (pronounced bah-kah-roh') is a trendy little ultra-modern wine bar. The food is largely excellent, though portions are modest. Bartenders and waiters are generally quite knowledgable about the huge selection of wines they have, which is a great plus. And prices are rather reasonable, though not great.
Perching yourself at the bar for half-off wine and some dessert on Sunday night is a great way to enjoy the ambiance of this hip little place.
Maybe it was because we got the "student" prix-five, but I was not too impressed by Bacaro. The student prix-five they are offering now is $25 for a three course meal with wine pairings. The first course, a shrimp bruschetta, was amazing. It had a wonderful spicy and tangy flavor accented with some unexpected mint leaves. Unfortunately, the main course left much to be desired. My companion's lobster ravioli was well executed, but bland. However, my cavatappi was nearly inexcusable. A small dash of tomato sauce, some pasta, and a bit of sausage is a dish I make when I'm feeling lazy on a Sunday night, not something I order at a restaurant. Dessert was an ice cream sandwich made with snickerdoodle cookies. It was a little awkward having to pick something up with my hands while at a nice restaurant and overshadowed by a sickly sweet wine pairing. The bill came with some rich caramel brownies, which made the price a little less horrible.
Service was attentive, if a little pretentious. But everything was overshadowed by the cavatappi. Just because we are students doesn't mean we don't deserve good food. I've had fantastic entrees for less at other places in CU.
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Have eaten here MANY times over the years, from when it was just a panini joint to just the other day. I think this place's most inventive time was its best time, about 3 years ago, maybe a little more. Food items are less adventurous and price point has increased with time. That said, the desserts under their pastry chef of the last year or two have been TOPS. Service I have always found to be very good and knowledgeable, esp. about wine. I am curious to see how the metamorphosis of the former Persimmon Grocery into a mozzarella bar (is CU ready?)/wine lounge/private dining salon will go.
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One of the few places in Champaign to test your palette. next to cafe luna, i would say this is the perfect place to escape for excellent wine, food, and dessert. Thad is serious about his menu and you feel it when you experience his creations. Libby always recommends the absolute perfect wine for every course...don't even bother trying to compete with her pairing knowledge. The food is rather smart and inventive. the interior is very reminiscent of blackbird in chicago.
