We welcome Prof. Paolo Scartoni as lecture of Italian at Washington University in St Louis. Paolo Scartoni’s research focuses on the relationship between music and language in medieval Italian literature. He earned his Ph.D. in Italian Studies from Rutgers University (2024) where he defended a dissertation entitled The Sound of Morals: Figures of Grammar and Music in Dante.

Before joining the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at Washington University in St Louis, Scartoni designed and taught courses on Italian language and culture at Rutgers University and Vassar College. He is Chief Associate Editor and Encoder at Petrarchive, the first born-digital edition of Petrarch’s Songbook.

Scartoni holds a Diploma in Piano from the Conservatory of Siena and a Master of Music in Fortepiano and Historical Piano from the Conservatory of Perugia.

Traveling to Italy this year? Want to brush up on your Italian skills? Michael Cross, Adjunct Professor of Italian at St Louis Community College is offering two in-person classes for the Spring 2025 Semester that you don't want to miss: Italian for Travelers (A1 level beginner class) and Italian Conversation (A2 level beginner class). These classes are an addition to the St Louis Italian Language Program. For more information or to enroll in one of the classes, send an email to: [email protected]

​The Italian Community of St Louis is proud to partner exclusively with Italian Citizenship Assistance (ICA) for persons interested in obtaining or re-obtaining Italian citizenship and for those who may have questions regarding dual citizenship. We thank them for the opportunity to partner with them and for their continued sponsorship. During the last four years of our partnership, ICA has helped hundreds of St Louisans of Italian descent obtain their Italian citizenship. ICA offers free consultations and clients are only obliged to pay if they decide to pursue the process for Italian dual citizenship.

​We are very proud to name ICA as sponsor of the year for 2024. We thank our friend Mr. Marco Permunian and his team for providing our community with great service and we thank ICA for continuing to donate generously to the Italian Community of St Louis.

Carissimi amici,

Il Natale porta con sé uno dei periodi più incantevoli dell’anno. Questo messaggio augurale vorrei che fosse un'iniezione di fiducia e di speranza. Ed è proprio in quest’ottica di sguardo fiducioso al futuro che mi auguro che il Natale possa dare a tutti la serenità di avviarsi verso il nuovo anno. Ringrazio tutti coloro i quali si sono relazionati con noi con atteggiamento collaborativo e produttivo. Auguri a tutte le persone che compongono la nostra Comunità e che si adoperano per renderla migliore. Auguri a coloro i quali sono in difficoltà e a tutti quelli che vivono in solitudine. Buon Natale ai nostri Bambini che sono una grande ricchezza, affinché possano accogliere solo gli esempi positivi per il loro futuro. Buon Natale ai nostri Anziani, custodi di una memoria storica che ci ha preceduti e generati. A nome mio e di tutta l’Amministrazione Vi auguro un sereno Natale e un Felice Anno Nuovo.
​
Michael Cross
Presidente

Una serata meravigliosa! Il concerto di natale del St Louis - Bologna Sister Cities non è stato solo un evento musicale, ma un'esperienza che ha unito la comunità attraverso la potenza dell'arte. Ha dimostrato che la musica, con la sua capacità di unire, incantare e ispirare, rimane un ponte tra le persone, superando le barriere linguistiche e culturali. Le voci dei nostri bambini hanno illuminato la serata con la purezza e la gioia tipica di questo periodo speciale. Che lo spirito del Natale ci accompagni ogni giorno! 
​
On Friday, December 13, 2024, over 300 people joined us for the St Louis - Bologna Sister Cities 6th annual Italian Christmas Concert starring mezzosoprano and Bologna native Benedetta Orsi, Grammy Award-winning American soprano Christine Brewer, the IMI Chamber Players, and the Crescendo Children's Choir. Please enjoy photos courtesy of Danny Reise.

In September 2024, Michael Cross made his first tour with his newly formed travel touring company Vacanze Italiane - Italian Holidays, LLC. One of the tour members, Joe Johnson, a recent graduate of Webster University's film department, made this beautiful video of memories from the September 2024 Tour of Venice and Northeastern Italy. Enjoy! 

Video made by Joe Johnson for Vacanze Italiane - Italian Holidays, LLC

On Monday, October 14, 2024, the Chamber Music Society of St. Louis in partnership with the St Louis - Bologna Sister Cities presented an intimate evening of Italian music with “Musica Italiana,” a program of classical music recognizing the legacy of Italy’s musical compositions. Please enjoy the photos from the concert. 

Una bellissima serata con il Chamber Music Society of St. Louis e St Louis - Bologna Sister Cities. Ringraziamo tutti quelli che sono venuti per l'aperitivo e il concerto.

“Negli ultimi vent’anni gli italiani all’estero sono raddoppiati. Nel 2006 erano 3 milioni 100 mila, oggi hanno superato la soglia dei 6 milioni. Dall’inizio di questo nuovo millennio è ripartito il fenomeno migratorio italiano: la metà di quei 6 milioni risulta all’estero proprio per espatrio. Gli altri sono soprattutto italo-discendenti, nipoti e pronipoti di italiani emigrati nel secolo scorso, che hanno diritto di farsi riconoscere la cittadinanza ovunque vivano nel mondo”.

“Adesso – scrive L’Espresso – non li chiamiamo più emigranti, ma expat; niente più valigie di cartone e zii d’America; grazie alle nuove tecnologie e ai voli low cost, anche quando si sceglie di andar via è possibile conservare facilmente i rapporti con l’Italia, vivere la lontananza in maniera più lieve. Ma il concetto resta quello: si va a (ri)costruire la propria vita altrove”.

​La meta preferita in assoluto degli espatriati di oggi, sottolinea il settimanale, è il Regno Unito, che ormai è arrivato a contare tra i suoi residenti quasi mezzo milione di cittadini italiani (molti di quelli partiti anni fa, nel frattempo, hanno ottenuto anche la cittadinanza britannica). E poi Germania, Francia, Svizzera, Brasile, Spagna, Stati Uniti e Belgio. E ancora Paesi Bassi, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Portogallo e Canada: in questi quattordici Paesi si è concentrato l’82% degli 82 mila expat che hanno lasciato l’Italia nel 2022.

“Il fatto che alcuni molti decidono di trasferirsi altrove è, a livello sociale e collettivo, una perdita di capitale umano. L’Italia solo tra il 2020 e il 2023 ha perso oltre 790 mila residenti. Un po’ per le emigrazioni, certo, e un po’ per il rallentamento dell’immigrazione, ma soprattutto per la denatalità: il tasso di fecondità è ormai a 1,2 figli per donna.

Ma gli italiani all’estero sono più felici? Ognuno ha una sua risposta – si legge -, però espatriare non è mai una passeggiata. Anche quando si sceglie di rimanere all’estero c’è sempre, piccolo o grande, uno sforzo costantemente necessario per adattarsi a culture, lingue, tradizioni diverse dalle nostre”.

​"Take the Road Less Traveled. ​Explore Italy's Hidden Gems" is the theme of the new travel tour company founded by Michael Cross, a native of St Louis. The Italian Community of St Louis partners exclusively with Vacanze Italiane - Italian Holidays, LLC for tours throughout Italy and the Mediterranean. Their Italy tours are guided by a bilingual and experienced tour guide, Michael Cross, who showcases particular regions throughout Italy. The first tour will be held in September 2024 to the region of Venice and Northeastern Italy and will also feature two days in Istria. 

Upcoming trips for 2025
Rome & Tuscany: May 20 - 29, 2025
The Italian Riviera & Cinque Terre: September 5 - 14, 2025

For more information, please email: [email protected]

​We thank our major sponsors for the event.

Arteco Global, provider of Video Management Software, headquartered in Faenza, Italy and with its North American headquarters in St Louis. Arteco’s CEO is Italian entrepreneur Giorgio Bucci, who lives in Town & Country with his family and has been a major donor of the Italian Community for the past seven years.

Nooter/Eriksen, a thermal engineering company and the world's leading specialist in Sustainable Energy Management with offices in Milan, Italy and headquartered in St Louis. The company’s CEO, Piero Scapini is a major donor of the Italian Community of St Louis.

Renewal by Andersen of St. Louis is an independently owned and operated Renewal by Andersen retailer specializing in top quality replacement windows and patio doors. Owner Paul Birner is an avid supporter of small non-profits in St Louis and his company is proud to be a new donor of the Italian community.

​We also thank our partners and all those who supported us with in-kind donations. 

MARCO BALLICO 
Il Piccolo 

Dagli Stati Uniti all’Albania e di nuovo agli Stati Uniti, nello specifico il Missouri, Midwest. La giunta Fedriga prosegue nel percorso delle relazioni internazionali mirate a presentare le opportunità di investimento in Friuli Venezia Giulia. Reduce dalla due giorni di Tirana, occasione per un confronto anche sulle sinergie possibili in materia di turismo, energia e cultura, il presidente della Regione ha incontrato ieri a Roma una nutrita rappresentanza del Missouri, guidata dal governatore Michael Parson. La premessa sono le precedenti iniziative per mettere in vetrina il nostro territorio negli Stati Uniti. Nell’aprile scorso, in particolare, Fedriga si era tra l’altro seduto al tavolo con il Gruppo esponenti italiani, il sodalizio americano del quale fanno parte alcuni tra i più rilevanti imprenditori e professionisti di nazionalità italiana residenti a New York.

Alle spalle anche la sottoscrizione dell’Accordo di collaborazione tra le Regioni italiane e la National italian american foundation (Niaf), la partnership economica sul versante atlantico. Il nuovo passo è direzione Missouri, con il dialogo aperto nella sede della Regione a Roma. A fianco del presidente Fvg, gli assessori alle Attività produttive e turismo Sergio Bini, al Lavoro, formazione e ricerca Alessia Rosolen, alle Infrastrutture e territorio Cristina Amirante, nonché numerosi esponenti del mondo
produttivo e accademico: il presidente di Confindustria Fvg Pierluigi Zamò, il presidente di Confindustria Friuli Venezia Giulia e Alto Adriatico Michelangelo Agrusti, il vicepresidente di Confindustria Udine Piero Petrucco, il vicepresidente della Camera di Commercio Venezia Giulia Massimiliano Ciarrocchi, il segretario generale della Camera di Commercio di Pordenone-Udine Maria Lucia Pilutti, il rettore dell’Università di Udine Roberto Pinton e il direttore della Sissa Andrea Romanino.

Necessaria la reciproca conoscenza tra le due realtà. Ad animare la sessione successiva alla parte istituzionale sono così state le presentazioni ad opera dell’Agenzia Lavoro e SviluppoImpresa e di Missouri Partnership. Per la delegazione regionale è stata l’opportunità di venire informati su uno Stato che rappresenta uno snodo fondamentale per le rotte commerciali – a metà strada tra l’Oceano atlantico e le Rocky Mountains, attraversato dai fiumi Mississippi e Missouri – al punto da essere soprannominato “Gateway to the West”. Significativo, inoltre, l’incremento dell’import dall’Italia che, rispetto al 2022, ha segnato l’anno scorso un +53% complessivo, per un totale di  680 milioni di dollari: un interscambio commerciale che ha interessato soprattutto la componentistica legata ai trasporti (+2.600%), gli equipaggiamenti elettrici e gli elettrodomestici (+53%), la siderurgia (+50%) e l’elettronica (+29%). Segnali di forte sviluppo che devono tradursi in opportunità per le imprese, ha sottolineato Fedriga nel ribadire che la «vicinanza tra Fvg e Stati Uniti fa leva non solo sull’attrattività di un territorio, quello regionale, che intende sfruttare appieno sui mercati esteri le proprie potenzialità di cerniera tra il Mediterraneo e l’Europa continentale e balcanica, ma che rappresenta al contempo in modo esplicito la volontà dell’amministrazione di alimentare, attraverso partnership strategiche, quel dialogo tra realtà democratiche la cui indifferibilità, alla luce del difficile contesto geopolitico, appare evidente».

After partnering with The Magic House for the year-long Ciao Bambini exhibit, the Italian Community of St Louis is partnering with another major cultural institution in St Louis, the Missouri History Museum for an event called Italian American STL as part of the museum's Summer Family Fun Series. The event takes place Wednesday, June 12, 2024 from 10am-1pm and is geared towards families and children 12 and under. 

The resounding success of Ciao Bambini, which opened September 2023, was of major importance to the growth of the Italian Community of St Louis, an organization which represents not only Italian expats but also Americans of Italian descent and simply anyone who appreciates the Italian language and culture. 

The event at the Missouri History Museum is free and open to the public and is centered around families and children 12 years old and under. Activities include Italian Storytime with Italian teachers Giovanna Leopardi and Cettina Gabriele of the St Louis Italian Language Program, touch table items invented by Italians and Italian-Americans, an arts and crafts table, opportunities for children to make pasta and pizza, as well as a St Louis - Bologna Sister Cities table created by Elizabeth Bernhardt, a professor of Italian at Washington University who has lived in Bologna for 20 years. 

The Hill neighborhood will be represented by the Italia-America Bocce Club, which will be present at the event with volunteer members teaching children how to play this historic game which has its origins in Northern Italy. 

Kids will be able to meet and play soccer with Simone Valentino, star forward for the Truman State Bulldogs. Simone is the son of Alessandro & Tiziana Valentino, longtime residents of St Louis who came from Italy in the early 2000s. The Valentino family has been very active in the Italian community since it was founded in 2017.

The event has Italian moms and dads from the St Louis area volunteering to help organize the event. Thanks to the following volunteers:

Federica Bertolini                              Francesca Fontana                                   Carlo Sanfilippo
Giovanna Leopardi                      Paolo & Concetta Gabriele                   Elizabeth Bernhardt
Maria Clea Annecchiarico                Michael Cross                                        Adriana Hermida 
Dan Drago                                                  Tom Bottini                                            Simone Valentino

For more information on the event or to assist in volunteering, please send an inquiry to Michael Cross: [email protected]

Bacaro, the new cicchetti and aperitivo bar from the team behind the ever-popular Noto Italian Restaurant, a Sauce Best New Restaurant of 2020, is set to officially open on Wednesday, March 6, after a soft opening last weekend. Bacaro is in the same building as Noto at 5105 Westwood Drive in St. Peters, just downstairs and toward the back of the main restaurant.

The upscale space is decked out with Italian marble, beautiful stone-topped tables, warm lighting and enough space for 75 inside, with an upcoming patio that should have room for an additional 25 guests. Their vision was to create a Venetian-inspired aperitivo bar — people sipping on spritzes and Amari and snacking on cicchetti, or snacks.

The beverage portion of the menu was executed by bar manager Travis Shook, who took inspiration from co-owners Kendele and Wayne Sieve’s vision for Bacaro. The cocktail list has a range of approachable drinks like the blackberry bellini with blackberry puree, Amara, spiced simple syrup and prosecco. (An off-menu white peach version is also always available.) There’s also a creative Caprese martini with sun-dried tomato-infused vodka, bianco vermouth, radicchio-basil-balsamic shrub and saline for a more savory option. The Venetian comes with a mix of Contratto red bitter, Antica Rosso vermouth, Contratto Rosso vermouth and Bordiga gin.

“It’s like a more bitter and intense Negroni. It’s popular in Venice; we discovered that every hotel and little place had their version of this, vermouth or vermouths and bitter liqueur, and we added gin for taste,” Kendele Sieve says.

Of course, there are spritzes, and you can even create your own spritz by selecting from a list of aperitivos like Aperol, Pilla Select (similar to Campari) or Italicus (flavored with bergamot), to name a few.

​For riffs on classic cocktails, look for a vanilla-infused Knob Creek 9-year whiskey paired with a 25-year-old balsamic in their Italian Old-Fashioned, which gets topped with Frizzante club soda, orange bitters and Demerara brown sugar syrup. The Bacaro Negroni comes with espresso bean-infused gin, Pilla Select apertivo, antica rosso vermouth and nocino liqueur, which is made from green walnut and orange bitters.

Shook, who started at Noto just four months ago, wanted to help launch Bacaro particularly due to his interest in making amari — like his Robarbaro, featuring a Chinese rhubarb that carries a smoky note, plus other ingredients like toasted white oak, cherry bark, cinnamon, elderberry, elderflower and other light florals, for a total of 19 ingredients. Another housemade option on the list that he helped create is the Felsina, which is made with apricot, honey and bitter orange peel for a more citrus-forward profile. He also worked on a house red bitter, similar to an Aperol but without any artificial coloring, just spirits, roots and sugar for a more pared down mix. Also, look for familiar bottled options of amari like Amaro Nonio, Strega, Vecchio Del Capo and new-to-market products like Centum Herbis, an herbaceous, mint-forward amaro on the shelf.

Rounding out the beverage menu are Italian sodas like an Italian cola, which comes in a beautiful glass bottle, as well as other flavors like lemon and blood orange. A trio of NA cocktails are available, including the Danielle, with Lyre’s Dry London spirit non-alcoholic gin that they infuse with rosemary then mix with lime, cinnamon simple syrup and New Orleans bitters, which carries notes of star anise, wild cherry and hibiscus — all garnished with a sprig of rosemary. A selection of Italian beers like Birria Morretti and Poretti lager are also on the menu. 

The food menu focuses mainly on cicchetti, snack-style small plates, and was a collaborative effort between Wayne and Noto executive chef Justin McMillen, who joined the team early this year. Here, similar to Noto, which is certified by the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana in Naples, commitment to sourcing unique and special ingredients both domestically and from Italy is on full display.

This commitment is evident in the Armatore brown anchovies that come delicately draped atop hard-boiled eggs and an herbed aioli; these egg bites taste like a Caesar salad with anchovies caught in the Tyrrhenian Sea just off Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Look for more eggs on the menu in the ouvo cicchetti section, including a version topped with caviar or salted cod. Another specialty from the Armatore brand is the wild-caught blue fin tuna, which gets folded with a dill-caper aioli and topped with fresh arugula and sliced, boiled egg, served on white Pullman loaf in the tuna tramezzini sandwich.

​You’ll also find a selection of dips, including the whipped ricotta dip that’s topped with extra virgin olive oil, cracked black pepper, marinated olives and fresh herbs like chive, dill and parsley; or the verdura dip with sun-dried tomato and cannellini bean hummus, a fiery orange base that’s topped with a roasted and marinated mixture of vegetables and garnished with herbs. Both are served with crostini and are substantial snacks. Light snacks like the adorable spritz setup comes with potato chips, marinated olives and Taralli or round breadsticks, which is the perfect trio when sipping on a classic Aperol spritz. 

“We’re tapped into resources so we can buy more unique things,” Wayne Sieve says. Their mortadella is one such find, a domestic version made by an Italian family in New York that is served on a crostini with whipped ricotta and topped with toasted pistachios. The menu features cheese and charcuterie boards as well. Cheeses like a mild mountain gorgonzola from the Alps, a Toma riserva, Ciresa fontina and meats like Coppa, porchetta, mortadella or bresola are also offered.

Whether you’re popping in for drinks ahead of a Noto reservation or going to Bacaro just for spritzes and snacks, it is sure to be a popular destination as it brings a unique, Venetian-inspired experience like nowhere else in the St. Louis area.

Bacaro is open 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and does not take reservations.

A pochi chilometri dal confine italiano si sviluppa una delle terre più ricche di storia nonché piene di gemme gastronomiche. Parliamo dell’Istria, regione croata che dopo Trieste si getta nel mare Adriatico, conosciuta per le sue spiagge così come per la ricchezza paesaggistica. Durante il periodo di Pasqua l’Istria, da Parenzo a Cittanova, diventa palcoscenico di fiere di paese, eventi e tradizioni gastronomiche dal forte valore folkloristico. Come la colazione pasquale servita su grandi tavoloni nelle piazze delle cittadine costiere dove si servono le tipiche pinze istriane. Un pane dolce farcito con uvetta, con un’incisione a forma di croce in mezzo e decorata con foglie d’ulivo. Una tradizione quella della pinza che trova anche spazio a Trieste e nelle città di confine, insieme ad altre varianti.

In lingua croata si chiama pinca ed è un lievitato molto semplice a sottolineare le sue origini umili e contadine. Come tanti dolci e ricette di questo periodo, collegandosi alla simbologia cristiana e alle credenze popolari rurali, la pinza veniva sfornata proprio come buon auspicio per il raccolto. Un simbolo di rinascita, legandosi alla nuova vita e dunque alla resurrezione di Cristo. La tradizione inoltre vuole che la sua forma, rotonda, possa ricordare la spugna con cui venne costretto Cristo a bere dell’aceto durante il martirio. La pinza è una pagnotta dolce, fatta con un impasto ricco di farina, uova, zucchero, latte, burro e talvolta aromatizzata con scorza di limone, scorza d'arancia o vaniglia. L'impasto è arricchito con uvetta, scorza d'arancia candita o anche di mandorle, che gli conferiscono un sapore dolce e leggermente fruttato. Durante la mattina di Pasqua nelle cittadine istriane si organizzano tavolate dove il dolce pasquale, circondato da foglie di ulivo, viene tagliato e offerto ai passanti.

Ma la colazione di Pasqua istriana non comprende solo la pinza. Infatti molto simili, ma differenti per la forma, le jajarice ovvero delle trecce di pane sulla cui parte superiore viene inserito un uovo. Nella parte settentrionale dello Zagorje troverete invece il vrtanji, un tipo di pane salato fatto con l’acqua rimasta dalla cottura del prosciutto di Pasqua; oppure i bagel della Slavonija che sono dei semplici panini fatti solo da tre ingredienti come uova, farina e un po’ di sale. Tutte preparazioni che il giorno del venerdì santo vengono fatte benedire portandole con sé a messa.

Anche a Trieste e al confine della Venezia-Giulia si mangiano le pinze (e non solo). Non è una novità come questi due territori, l’Istria da un lato e la Venezia-Giulia dall’altro, abbiano da sempre una fortissima connessione. Non solo storica e politica ma anche gastronomica. Così le nostre pinze le ritroviamo anche a Trieste e dintorni, proprio nel periodo delle festività religiose. La preparazione è pressoché identica: una lunga lavorazione e lievitazione poi posta a cottura dopo aver inciso un taglio a croce sulla sua sommità. Nella versione triestina mancano le uvette e viene servita come antipasto da accompagnare con spalla cotta, prosciutto e cren. Da non confondere con il presnitz, che si trova anche a Gorizia: una ciambella di pasta sfoglia arrotolata ripiena di prugne, fichi, uvetta, cioccolata, aromatizzata con rum e cannella. Senza dimenticare come proprio in questo territorio si è sviluppata una primordiale forma di colomba, come abbiamo sottolineato in questo articolo, antenato del lievitato principe di queste feste.

​The team behind Noto Italian Restaurant will open Bacaro, a Venetian cicchetti bar, in early March. Bacaro will be located in the same building as Noto at 5105 Westwood Drive in St. Peters.

The restaurant borrows its name from the Venetian taverns where patrons sip on wine or aperitifs accompanied by cicchetti, which are essentially Venetian-style tapas. Indeed, it was a trip to Venice last year that inspired Noto owners Wayne Sieve and Kendele Noto Sieve to create the concept in their own little corner of the world. “We wanted to come up with a concept of an aperitivo bar where people can come and have small bites, have spritzes, have Italian wine and just casually hang out and eat,” Kendele said.

Bacaro is based out of a lower level space that Kendele said is “pretty much underneath” Noto. The space was formerly used as a garage, but has been completely transformed, with an indoor patio extension and new interior features. “We made it look old, added a lot of textures, we have marble and stone and tiles, so the vibe is very rustic, but modern at the same time,” Kendele said. Bacaro will seat around 75 guests inside, and an outdoor patio will soon be added to accommodate a further 20 guests.

With the design of the space, Kendele and Wayne said they’re not trying to recreate the style of an actual bacaro in Venice. Instead, the decor pays tribute to the city itself, incorporating identifiable Venetian elements like Venetian masks, photos of Carnevale, the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark’s Square, stone walls and a graffiti wall that echo the streetscapes of Venice. “There’s definitely elements that will be very familiar,” Wayne said.

The food and drink at Bacaro will be a different matter. “We’ve matched our drink program and our food program to be exactly what you would do or what you would get out of a bacaro in Venice,” Kendele said. Wayne Sieve is developing the menu alongside Noto executive chef Justin McMillen, the former culinary director of Niche Food Group, who also operates his Elsworth Supper Club pop-up with Amelia McMillen. The menu will feature around eight crostini-style cicchetti options, small bites served in portions of three. Kendele said her personal favorite on the Bacaro menu is the mantecato, a creamy, salted cod-based cicchetti that is a staple in Venice. Another traditional Venetian option is mortadella with ricotta and pistachio garnish.

Bacaro’s menu will also feature a few tramezzini, a sub-category of cicchetti. These little triangular sandwiches are reminiscent of an afternoon tea sandwich, served on soft white bread with the crusts cut off and with a variety of fillings like Venetian-style tuna salad or prosciutto. Salads, charcuterie and a couple of desserts will also be offered on the menu, adding up to a total of around 15 to 20 items. Kendele said they’re still working out what desserts to put on the menu, but they’re not lacking options. “We might do a fragola, which is a strawberry and limoncello trifle, we’ll make our sponge cake, we’re also debating if we’re going to do panna cotta, gelato or sorbetto or maybe another pastry,” she said.

The experience at Bacaro is designed to be adaptable to what you’re in the mood for. “If you want to make it a meal, you can easily make it a meal,” Wayne said. Equally, if you want to stop in for a glass of wine and some cicchetti before or after a pizza at Noto, Bacaro’s menu is amenable to that too.

Spritzes will feature prominently at Bacaro, with eight spritzes on the menu. Travis Shook is creating the drinks, including a selection of seasonal cocktails. “It’ll be more of a mixology menu upstairs at Noto, where downstairs here at Bacaro will be more spritz, wine, Italian beer and then a small cocktail menu,” Kendele said. A sprtiz and cicchetti pairing option will also be offered. “Everything is definitely very much to be enjoyed with a spritz or amari with the cicchetti,” Wayne said. The spritzes come with an order of potato chips, another tradition in Venice and across northern and especially north-eastern Italy.

Wayne and Kendele are keen to differentiate between the northern and southern Italian culinary traditions that each of their restaurants represents. “We’re keeping the southern Italian amari upstairs, and then down here for Bacaro, it’s more northern,” Kendele said. The opening selection at Bacaro will include 10 to 12 amari, with names like Bordiga, Meletti and Amaro Montenegro represented. Shook is also working on creating Bacaro’s own amaro in-house – that won’t be ready in time for opening, but it’s in the pipeline. “I don’t know if it will be readily available all the time, but it could be something we offer once the batch is ready,” Kendele said.

As well as serving its own crowd, Bacaro will also provide a backup option for anyone who can’t get a table at Noto, which is essentially reservation-only with very limited space for walk-in guests. “We've been very fortunate with Noto, it's been successful and we couldn't be more thankful or grateful for that,” Wayne said. “We didn't intend for it to be reservation-only and that's just the way it's kind of been, it's always booked and that's a great thing. And we wanted to be able to still offer an extension, so [Bacaro] was a way for us to be able to offer walk-in guests that may not have a reservation a way to still experience what we do.”

Bacaro is aiming for an early March launch, and will be open for dinner from Wednesday to Saturday each week.