Patio Dining, Curbside Pickup at Baci’s Kitchen

As normalcy slowly returns to our region, Baci’s Kitchen is making 14 tables available for patio dining. Each table seats up to five people and it’s a good idea to reserve one in advance, says Nikko Castrogiovanni, owner.

“Our 6 and 7 p.m. time slots for tonight are already reserved,” he said last Friday morning. But with meals served daily and all day long, you’ll be able to secure a table with a little advanced planning.

“I’ve updated our menu with items like new calzones, pizzas, protein bowls and breakfast sandwiches,” he says. The new menu is posted at baciskitchen.com. Children 12 and younger eat free for breakfast or lunch Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Baci’s has done a brisk curbside pickup service throughout the shutdown and will continue to offer it. You’ll receive a 15 percent discount when you ask for it while ordering a curbside pickup lunch. Try a $10 bottle of house wine or a $12 6-pack of beer. Receive 25 percent off all specialty bottles with pickup orders. Specialty coffees and smoothies are available curbside, too.

Local restaurant owners hope to see indoor dining resume by the end of June, says Castrogiovanni.
“It won’t be exactly like before because we’ll have guidelines for less density,” he says.

Baci means “kiss” in Italian. Castrogiovanni opened his spacious and bright, contemporary restaurant in 2016, after learning the restaurant business from his father, Nick, and working in Las Vegas professional kitchens, where he reveled in the creativity of cooking.

Weekly specials include a 14 oz. New York strip steak topped with garlic herb butter and served with mashed potatoes and gravy or mostaccioli for $19; Halibut, grilled and topped with mango salsa and served with broccoli, zucchini and carrots, for $27; and Chicken Florentine, grilled chicken topped with mushroom sauce and spinach, served on fettuccine with garlic olive oil, for $14.95.

Baci’s Kitchen is back to its normal hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Call (815) 329-6922 to reserve a table on the patio or to order curbside pickup. Find the menu at baciskitchen.com. ❚