Fresh spin to an old favorite
Restauracja Bacio ul. Wilcza 43Telephone 0-501-373-185
Hours: Noon-last guest
Credit cards and reservations accepted
Something strange is going on in Warsaw. It's as if supernatural powers had colluded and deemed that the lower blocks around ulica Marszalkowska should be the next big thing in terms of culinary pursuits that is.
While downtown has its KFC, McDonald's and (fast-disappearing) Vietnamese cubicles, and the streets around ulica Nowy Swiat have clearly won the nightlife crown, the BAKs of Warsaw that's the Blocks Around Konstytucji are coming into their own.
Last week's review was of Tonic Caffe, which sits on the corner of ulica Wilcza and ulica Marszalkowska. Opposite Tonic is the new sandwich shop, Bistro Panini, located underneath the club and bar, Szara Strefa. A few doors down Wilcza, the lads that brought you the Warsaw Tortilla Factory are hammering away in preparation for the July opening for their second restaurant.
Add to the list a new kebab joint, trendy interior design shops and other nearby dining establishments such as Jazz Bistro, Dyspensa, Adler, Cafe 6/12, and Warsaw's hippest cafe, Mala Czarna. Far Eastern supplies abound at Asian House on ulica Poznanska, just across the road from Kosmiczny Krab and a quick walk from Warsaw's best Thai at Suparom Thai.
And if all this food gets too much, then indulge in a bit of clothes shopping on ulica Mokotowska.
The newest addition in this neck of the woods is ulica Wilcza's Restauracja Bacio. I liked it even before I'd set eyes on it simply because Bacio is such a cute name. Apart from being Italian for kisses, it also shares the moniker of my favorite chocolate, Baci.
Opened in April, Bacio is owned by a mother-and-daughter duo, Irena and Anna Przykaza. If their name doesn't sound familiar, their food will: They were part of the team that tickled your taste buds at Warsaw's Roma restaurant. But they have pulled up sticks and gone solo with Bacio.
Irena was eagerly greeting guests at the door the night we dined there. It took her nine months of searching to find this location, which was formerly two shops: a "very bad Polish restaurant," says Irena, and a photo shop. The moment you set foot in Bacio, you can see it's Irena's pride and joy: chintz galore with floral tablecloths, potted plants, blooming flowers and plastic grapevines. There are trompe l'oeil on the walls, gold stars on the ceiling and little feather butterflies everywhere even on the loo floor, so watch your step.
The lighting is candle lux and outside, under the cool shade of a tree, are two more dining tables and I could think of no finer place to spend a summer's evening.
Self-taught chef Irena her true calling is hairdressing! has brought her recipes with her from Roma. She honed them over the two years she cooked there and many of them, she says, were specially created for her regular guests, and have now made their way onto her permanent, handwritten menus, which are in English and Polish.
Before we'd even had a chance to open the menu, we were served complimentary olives and a plate of bruschetta topped with tomatoes, pesto, cheese and, strangely, tzatziki, which although tasty (if a little overzealously flavored with garlic) was perhaps a bit over the top. Just a few mouthfuls managed to take the edge off my appetite.
Thankfully my starter, a zucchini platter, was nice and light: grilled slices of zucchini, topped with a little pesto, fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, delicious, warm, baked tomatoes, and another dollop of that out-of-place tzatziki.
David's bowl of spaghetti carbonara was just as tempting: the pasta al dente and the sauce, subtly flavored and dry enough to cling to the spaghetti. There is nothing worse than a bowl of spaghetti that is drowning in a great puddle of cream.
By the time our mains arrived, despite having left both the bruschetta and our starters unfinished, we were feeling a tad overindulged. But my beef tenderloin with tomato, eggplant and basil compote earned a flavorful seal of approval.
The beef was meltingly tender and the chargrilled vegetables were the perfect accompaniment as were the sinfully crispy fried slices of new potato although I'm still not sure where the compote reference comes from.
David was just as impressed with his main course chicken baked with mozzarella and tomato. The chicken was juicy and topped with just a small amount of cheese and a rich, tasty tomato sauce. It came with sweet baked carrots and some more of those yummy potatoes.
After such a large dinner, dessert was out of the question. But just for the record, it had what is clearly becoming Italy's national dessert tiramisu on the menu, along with fried bananas with cinnamon and brandy, and a tempting creation called Dessert Bacio: pears in hot chocolate ladled with alcohol, and served with mascarpone cheese or ice cream.
Bacio clearly brings a delicious little slice of Italy to this end of Warsaw and it has been lovingly, and unpretentiously, homemade by Irena and Anna. But there's just one word of warning: Make sure you bring your appetite with you the portions are enormous.
Dinner for two, including drinks, came to zl. 167 ($41.75).
On the menu:
Zucchini platter zl.14
Spaghetti carbonara zl.19
New Zealand mussels in cream and tomato sauce zl.27
Pasta con broccoli zl.19
Tortellini with wild mushrooms zl.20
Beef tenderloin with tomato, eggplant and basil compote zl.41
Chicken baked with mozzarella and tomato zl.29
Tiramisu zl.16
Dessert bacio zl.19
