Ahead of Bacchus’ last big anniversary – its 15th birthday in 2019 – co-founder Paul Bartolotta completed a remodel that brightened and softened the restaurant’s heavier, more formal vibe. It was the last project Bartolotta’s late brother, Joe, took on before his passing. Joe had wanted Bacchus to be the spot for every occasion, not just special ones, Paul said at the time.
Then, 2020 happened – enough said. When Bacchus opened back up, it was with a prix fixe menu that continued exclusively until it (belatedly) went into 20th anniversary mode earlier this year. The return of a la carte – plus a new bar menu featuring a burger and fried cheese curds – is truly cause for celebration. And a perfect time to return for a review.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
With just four starters, four middles and five entrées, I was able to order a majority of the menu – conceived by longtime executive chef Nick Wirth and chef de cuisine Brent Davis – in two visits. Aside from one failure, most everything was quite good.
One of my visits was a Saturday shortly after the menu rollout. It was busy, and people seemed really happy to be there. I know I was. The meal was lovely overall, starting with the charred Spanish octopus ($22) and Pekin duck dumplings ($19). The nicely charred, tender octopus was less the star than a contributing player in its warm, soothing and light Mediterranean mélange. But the duck dumplings were the standout by far.
The firm half-moon pockets of tender, confit-like meat came inside a little bowl of clarified duck broth. Both were delicious. Of the mains, the crusty, tender filet mignon ($59), draped over a luxurious mattress of mousseline potatoes, was classic, and excellent, steakhouse fare. My skin-on black cod ($46) – rich, with an oiliness that bordered on buttery – was also flawless, balanced by a citrusy couscous pilaf, a silky dill beurre blanc and sweet yellow carrots.
On my subsequent visit, the standouts were the yellowfin tuna crudo ($20) and Berkshire pork Bolognese ($20). The former matched pristine sushi-grade tuna with crispy shoyu-marinated jicama, radish, sweet peppadew pepper chutney, citrusy basil verjus and puffed rice.
The pasta combined a rich, wonderful pork-tomato sauce with springy, al dente handmade tagliatelle and a deep current of floral fresh oregano. On the downside, I don’t know what happened to the sea scallops with fried black rice in red coconut curry broth ($50), but I could smell them before they came to the table. Not only fishy smelling, they were fishy tasting.
And the red curry broth was too spicy to enjoy it. But the other entrée was really good. If you didn’t know, foie gras is trending. Here, it drove in on top of a seared venison medallion ($62). The leanness and assertive flavor of the meat was leveled out by the mild, creamy foie. My favorite parts, though, were the sautéed mushrooms and nutty, smoky Madeira wine sauce.
Something Paul Bartolotta echoed in a recent phone conversation is Bacchus’ commitment to offering an experience that’s “approachable and inviting.” Barring a few uneven dishes, my visits overall were that. Cheers to 20 years, Bacchus.
Bacchus: A Bartolotta Restaurant
Address: 925 E. Wells St.,
Phone: 414-765-1166
Hours: Mon-Sat 5-9 p.m.
Prices: Starters $19-$32; middle courses $14-$22; main courses $46-$79
Service: Mostly attentive and knowledgeable; a little too green on my second visit
Reservations: Recommended
