Beetcafe.com
rockford illinois entertainment guide
Date: 03/16/2003
Bacchus; a Wine Bar Worthy of the Gods
by Patrick McDonough
patrick@beetcafe.com
Named after the Greek god of wine and revelry, Bacchus Wine bar and Restaurant is truly a gem amongst Rockford dining venues. With its cozy wine bar, unique dining room, outdoor courtyard and 120-year-old cellar it is more than just a dining experience. It is an environment that stimulates more than your sense of taste.

I recently had the pleasure to meet with Bacchus General Manager, Damien Hunter, and briefly with Head Chef, Paul Kapala, to gain an insight into the history, elegance and essence of that which is Bacchus.

HISTORY OF BACCHUS
Owners, Chandler Anderson and Michelle Jushka, opened the first phase of Bacchus in 1996 as a wine bar after the conversion of a building that once housed a grocery store/deli then a bookstore/coffee shop. According to Hunter, "they had a thought that they wanted to start a bar, so they did." It wasn't until 1999 that they added the restaurant and the new bathrooms and courtyard making Bacchus what it is today.

THE WINE BAR
Even before you enter under the green awning at 515 East State Street, the pleasant aroma emanating from the hickory wood grill will greet you. Once inside you will notice that the room that you are standing in is the wine bar. This is a long room with an open expanse of windows facing State Street on one end, and a large stone fireplace on the other. The room is elegantly decorated with a mix of hardwoods, stone and metalwork that together create a sense of old-world warmth combined with a chic contemporary feel. The light is low and warm. The furnishings range from tall backed wooden chairs at the large L-shaped stone bar to low tables with similarly styled chairs. There are also soft comfortable couches positioned near the windows where you can relax with a glass of wine before your meal.

The bar's wine list is a rather large and diverse collection. Hunter stated that, "We strive to have as many world regions of wine makers on our list." Jushka will make trips into Chicago to sample wines from around the world at different tastings. The bar also offer a number of different top shelf liquors and import and micro-brewed beers.

THE DINING ROOM
The entrance to the dining room is at the far end of the bar to the left of the fireplace. Once around the corner the first thing you may notice, other than the hustle of the wait staff as they pass by clad in all black, is the center piece of the restaurant. It is a large, beautiful, but oddly shaped mirror that was custom made by metal artist Anton Korbenez specifically for the restaurant. The dining room itself is a low-lit room with a curvy dark blue swatch of light painting the ceiling. There are a number of large rounded booths along the walls with a few tables near the opposite end of the dining room. The tables are covered with white linen cloths and the chairs are handmade metal-backed seats with padded cushions. Adding to the ambience are the hand made cone-shaped light sconces protruding from the walls, and the strips of gray fabric above the booths and half walls that help to breakup the long room.

THE OUTDOOR COURTYARD
The outdoor courtyard is perfect for early evening meals or enjoying a late night appetizer and drink under the stars. There are strings of twinkling white lights running across the open expanse of the outdoor room. Small flowing fish ponds, and an abundance of flowers and plants around the exterior of the area make for a rather peaceful setting.

THE BATHROOMS
On the way to the courtyard is a hallway in which the bathrooms are located. Now I wouldn't normally talk about bathrooms in this manner, but according to Hunter, "There have been times when people bring their friends in just to see the bathrooms." There is an angel on the women's door and a devil on the men's door. The men's room is lit with only a few small red lights while the women's room is lit with blue lights that help to continue the theme of devils and angels. The sinks, mirrors and even towel dispensers are hand made from cut and forged steel. I'll admit when bringing friends to Bacchus for the first time, I make sure they see the bathrooms before we leave. In fact, if you haven't already done so then I urge you to see them for yourself.

THE CELLAR
The cellar is a unique stone walled room located directly below the dining room. As a point of interest, it has been rumored to have been a booze storage area during the days of prohibition. Now it has become a showplace for local artists and musicians, and a banquet facility for all kinds of group events from private parties to class reunions. They recently started having bands on a full-time basis. It is also being used as a gallery for fine artists to show their work. There is a lot of character in this room with its low ceiling and limestone walls.

THE FOOD
Bacchus's menu is a "global fusion" of entrees. Chef Kapala stated that, "we do a little of everything." The menu has a number of entrées that remain the same year round but the selections change depending on the season. Everything they make is from scratch and prepared fresh daily. For specialty produce they shop at 320 in Rockford, and for meats, seafood and speciality game (ostrich or rare fish) they shop at Plitt and Nessvig or Chicago Game.

One way they keep things new and interesting is by offering new entrées as specials to see if they are popular enough to put on the menu. They also offer specialty dinners such as a harvest dinner in the fall, Beaujolais dinners, wine dinners - wine distributors pair wine with different aspects of a 5-7 course meal, and every 2nd Tuesday and 3rd Friday they have wine tastings with a distributor or representative from the wineries to discuss the wines.

Examples of their current entrees are: Cornmeal Crusted Norwegian Salmon - with sweet corn salsa, dirty rice, and a tequila cream and cilantro infused oil sauce.

Frenched Ribeye - 20oz hickory grilled ribeye steak served with sautéed onions and mushrooms, a Roquefort fondue and herbed new potatoes.

So the next time you are in need of an elegant dining experience that is certain to tantalize all of your senses try Bacchus, the wine bar and restaurant worthy of the gods.

SPECIAL EVENTS
PUB QUIZ - It is a time-honored tradition in England and Ireland and a fast-growing phenomenon here in the states. Teams contend over several rounds of trivia to answer questions that tickle and annoy the senses in the name of fun. Subjects range from geography, history, entertainment, science and current events. After the fun is over, answers are tallied and the winners collect the pot after 20% has been subtracted and donated to a local charity.

Bacchus hosts Pub quiz every wednesday night at 8pm. $5 a person, up to 4 people per team.

Come see what all the fun is about...
Contact Information
Chandler Anderson and Michelle Jushka
Bacchus Wine Bar and Restaurant
515 East State St.
Rockford, IL 61104
815.968.9463
Hours
Tues-Thurs: Dinner 5-9
Fri-Sat: 5-10:30
*bar menu until midnight Fri + Sat
Cost
Entrees range from $16-$32
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