Baci serves it up right in Vallejo

T he newly renovated and recently reopened Empress Theatre is next door, and the farmers market is a block away, but even if neither of these entities existed, a trip to both the Baci Ristorante Lounge and its neighboring Caffé would be more than worth the trip to Vallejo from just about anywhere in the North Bay or beyond.
    The Caffé is the all-day spot for coffee, freshly made pastries such as muffins and scones, a morning bun or a ham-and-cheese croissant. Take it to go, have it outdoors at one of the cast-iron café tables (almost in the shadow of the theater marquee) or settle inside by the fireplace on one of the overstuffed loveseats.

Baci's Caesar salad

    Next door is the restaurant itself. A polished bar, big mirrors, wood floors, lots of vibrant art and high (very high) ceilings make up the first half of the restaurant space, and the second half is the place for live jazz every Friday and Saturday evening. Diners can also have lunch or dinner at the bar, which is always a plus, whether dining solo or with a friend or two.
    During my visits, service in each part of Baci is always the same: friendly, efficient and accommodating. Refreshingly, if someone doesn’t know the answer to a question, he or she will go and find out. Would it be that this was true at every restaurant!
    So how, then, is the food? In many cases very, very good; in all cases, dishes are generous, enjoyable and well-constructed, prepared with fresh ingredients and a great deal of care. The Caesar salad is first-rate and a perennial favorite. The romaine and classic dressing, thin, toasted slice of herbed bread and baby white anchovy wrapped around a cherry tomato (perfect for those who like anchovies and those who do not) make this salad a refreshing starter. Add shrimp, salmon or chicken and make it an entrée.
    At lunch the panini are certainly filling, particularly when accompanied by signature Baci fries, which are finished with modest amounts of garlic and flecked with chopped parsley. The Poplette Parmigiano is a long Italian roll filled with four large meatballs and topped with mozzarella.
    I have also enjoyed the Florentine-style Strozzapreti, which are house-made spinach and ricotta gnocchi with vegetables in a toasted walnut-sage cream sauce. For carnivores, the 14-ounce rib-eye (Bistecca di Manzo) with a red wine demi-glacé is my first choice, though the Milanese version of the Osso Bucco and the hefty Porterhouse-cut pork chop would not be far behind.
    Desserts, at least those sampled thus far, can be heartily recommended. My favorite is the simplest—a trio of house-made gelati served with biscotti.
    The wine list is thoughtfully constructed and, like the food, the selections are reasonably priced. They are served in appropriate stemware, and the pours are liberal. There is also a full bar with a long list of house specialty cocktails, some of them traditional, many of them fanciful (the White Chocolate Martini comes to mind) and made to appeal to a younger crowd. There is also a nice list of dessert wines and after-dinner libations.
    Look for Baci’s popular food and wine pairings held throughout the year.
 
Baci Ristorante Lounge and Caffé, 324-326 Virginia St., Vallejo (707) 552-4888; bacicaffe.com. Open for lunch weekdays, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and for Sunday brunch, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner is served daily, 4-10 p.m. The Caffé opens on weekdays at 7 a.m. and on weekends at 8 a.m., and remains open every day until 10 p.m.
 

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