Bites Nearby: Bacaro in Providence

Bacaro restaurant in Providence is an Italian restaurant offering an experience like nothing I’ve ever had before - and that’s really saying something. When someone says the two words "Italian" and  "dining" in Rhode Island, something very specific comes to mind. I think dark eclectic lighting, quiet atmosphere, and a cross section of pizza, pasta, proteins that varies little from place to place. I understand this is a generalization, but the point is that Bacaro is nothing like it. It is bright and energetic, and the hustle and bustle of the team of servers offers a much different atmosphere than Italian dining elsewhere. This night Amy and I dined with a friend who had been there once before. We were fortunate to have someone who was familiar with the menu to offer some personal recommendations and guide us. 

Bacaro is located on South Water Street overlooking the Providence River. Upon entering, the first floor of the restaurant houses the bar, a few tables, and Salumeria. You may be thinking, “What is a Salumeria?” Before dining at Bacaro, I wouldn’t have had any idea. Salumeria is derived from the word it looks like, salami. It is a big cooler with various meats and cheeses that has its own chef. Upstairs is the larger portion of the dining area, and the open kitchen. It is a very nice visual contrast to traditional Rhode Island Italian dining. We liked having a bright atmosphere, the ability to watch the Salumeria counter or the kitchen depending which floor you are on, and the view of the water and downtown. We had a table on the second floor right against the window, and we caught a great sunset over the city. 

Selections from the Salumeria are available on the part of the menu that is best described as similar to a sushi menu. You’re given two sheets printed front and back and a little pencil to mark which items you want. On this menu is a huge selection of Italian meats, olives, cheeses, tapas style dishes, oysters, and chocolates. There were so many options to choose from, and all of them sounded so good. There was a whole page of simple sliced meats alone!

In browsing the traditional menu and the Salumeria/tapas menu, we decided to start with a grilled pizza. The Pizza Salumi was fantastic. It was thin, cheesy, crispy, oily, a little spicy, and all delicious. From here, we ditched the traditional menu, and selected from the Salumeria/tapas menu till we couldn’t take any more. It was a great move because we got to experience and share so much more variety than we could have ordering just entrees. One would be easily tempted to order one of everything, but some of the items immediately rose to the top of our list.

The crispy glazed pork belly was one of our immediate selections, and also one our favorite in taste. Taleggio in “Carozza” was cheese wrapped with meat and pan fried that was recommended by our friend, and was also at the top of the favorite list. Fried risotto balls and a pan-seared sausage trio rounded out our tapas selections. Everything was so good. I try not to go overboard on positive praise, but I could eat here three nights in a row and still find new and interesting things on the menu to try. In a Bites Nearby first, we actually ordered a desert. Usually, I’m so stuffed I have no interest, but the home churned swiss chocolate almond ice cream sold me. It was a great closer to the meal.

Three to four people is a perfect party size at Bacaro. It allows for much more sampling and sharing than a party of two, and many of the dishes were a perfect size to divide between three to four people. If you have a party much larger than that, don’t expect the tapas to make it all the way around. Do not be shy to double up on something, especially if it’s the glazed pork belly or the Taleggio in Carozza. As you can probably imagine, this isn’t the cheapest meal featured in Bites Nearby. Our dinner for three added up quick. The meal for three came out to just over $170 which includes a couple drinks each, but not tip. If its in your budget, make Bacaro a stop on your list sometime soon. If it's not, keep it at the top of the list for a special occasion.