As it prepares to celebrate its 15th anniversary, Bacchus – A Bartolotta Restaurant is going to make some changes to its menu and decor.
The restaurant, on the main floor of Cudahy Tower, will close temporarily beginning July 22, "for a series of planned upgrades and renovations to ... enhance the restaurant’s features, creating a more vibrant dining experience for the Milwaukee community," according to a press release.
"As part of our commitment to our employees, our guests, and the community, we are injecting new energy when our restaurants reach certain milestones," said The Bartolotta Restaurants Co-Founder and Owner, Chef Paul Bartolotta in a news release. "This is an opportunity to demonstrate that commitment, refresh and revitalize Bacchus, and showcase the talent of Executive Chef Nick Wirth and his incredible team.
"My brother (the late Joe Bartolotta) envisioned a beautiful space and he was very excited about re-energizing the overall restaurant experience. Completing the renovations and reopening Bacchus will bring his ideas to life and ensure that his legacy will live on for decades to come."
After the makeover – designed by Amber MacCracken of Kahler Slater, in partnership with Bartolotta’s – which is expected to, "transform the dining room and bar into a brighter and more lively space," and convert the Lakeview Dining Room into a new tasting room, the restaurant will reopen by Sept. 16.
"We want this stage for Chef Wirth, who has been with Bacchus since 2009 and who I consider to be a chef worthy of national recognition," Bartolotta said in today’s statement.
"Chef Wirth and the culinary team will evolve the menu while remaining true to Bacchus’ reputation for modern cooking using seasonal ingredients, complemented by the city’s most extensive wine program, stewarded by General Manager and Sommelier Patrick Erdman and Restaurant Wine Manager and Certified Sommelier Joe Kane."
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
