Hot and new can steal the spotlight, but what about longstanding local favorites? Each month, we’ll visit a Richmond-area restaurant that has been in business 15 years or longer.
To own a successful restaurant, you must be flexible. That’s the advice from Chris DiLauro and his partner, Nancy Fisher, who opened Bacchus in May 1999. Inspired by cozy dining experiences in New York, they set out to create that same feel in their classic shotgun building at 2 N. Meadow St. in the Fan. “We grew with the changes,” says DiLauro, who is also a partner at Galley and Little Nickel. “I realized very quickly that … within these four walls, we’re in control of our own destiny.”
Fisher says consistency is one of the keys to staying in business for three decades. “We have employees that we’ve had for years and years and years. There is definitely a commitment to the food’s consistency, and [to] the idea of seeing the same people and enjoying the familiarity and having a rapport.”
Affordable, approachable wine pairings complement the classic Italian fare and seafood dishes inspired by DiLauro’s mother, Rita, who taught him how to make marinara when he was a kid. DiLauro also draws on his Johnson & Wales culinary degree and experience working with chefs including Jay Frank and David Shannon.
Now, Isais Contreras leads the kitchen. He started as a dishwasher and came to be trusted with preparing their much-loved staples. Fisher insists customers would protest if they ever took chicken piccata off the menu. Fresh, interesting salads such as the spinach, with its legendary apple vinaigrette, and the Tuscan kale also shine. Veal scallopini with brown butter, lemon, capers and artichoke hearts; calamari; shrimp scampi with brandy and tomatoes; and mussels and clams are also customer favorites.
Dining and Cooking