Ciao Vino to become Bacaro after ownership change

Big changes are in store for an Old Town wine bar.

Ciao Vino reworked its menu earlier this year and soon plans to officially change its name to Bacaro, marking a new chapter for the business after the departure of its former chef and part owner, Antonio Race.

Race left Fort Collins in February to care for his aging mother in Italy, he told the Coloradoan over email this spring.

He officially sold his share of the business to its majority owner, Meer Kasim, on Monday, citing his desire to stay with his mother as her health continues to decline, Race said in a statement to the Coloradoan on Tuesday.

Ciao Vino dates back to 2000, when it opened for a four-year stint on West Mountain Avenue. Race, one of Ciao Vino's original co-owners, helped revive the wine bar in summer 2021, opening the new Ciao Vino at 255 Linden St.

Race previously owned Pulcinella Ristorante with his former wife, Mary. The Italian eatery, which was located at 2100 W. Drake Road, left Fort Collins in 2006, according to Coloradoan archives. Mary Race still owns and operates Fort Collins' two Pulcinella Pizzerias.

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"Despite the difficulties that Ciao Vino encountered, such as COVID and the construction of Linden Street, Ciao Vino was a success," Antonio Race wrote in his statement.

"I want to thank all my clients for giving me a wonderful experience that lasted almost three years. I want to thank the team that believed in me and invested in Ciao Vino when it was only an idea and an empty building," he added, referring to his partners in the venture, including Kasim.

Race said he hopes to return to Fort Collins to reopen Pulcinella Ristorante.

What about Ciao Vino's successor, Bacaro?

While the wine bar's name change is not yet official — Kasim said he is in the process of filing paperwork with the Colorado Secretary of State's Office and Fort Collins liquor licensing authority — the food offerings there have already changed, according to general manager Panayotis Tzinis.

The bar and restaurant has been leaning more into fine dining with its new menu, which Tzinis describes as comfortable, elevated fare and Mediterranean "haute cuisine," which combinines fresh, locally sourced ingredients with authentic Mediterranean and Italian recipes and techniques. It also boasts a new array of exclusive wines, Tzinis said.

Appropriately, Bacaro gets its forthcoming new name from Venetian bacaros — or wine bars — that are known for their varied small plates of food, or "cicchetti," and broad range of dishes.

Tzinis said Bacaro plans to host a soft launch Aug. 2 featuring a special fixed menu and champagne pairings.

Under its new concept, Tzinis said the bar and restaurant also plans to close to the public on Sundays, using that day to host its special wine or kitchen labs, with special wine dinners, wine workshops and cooking classes. Those will start next month, with details published on the restaurant's website.

The wine bar and restaurant is serving dinner this summer, with new hours from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. It will begin offering lunch again this October, according to Tzinis.

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This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins restaurant Ciao Vino announces new menu, name change