Bacaro Italian Tavern opens in Massapequa Park
White clam risotto with grilled shrimp at Bacaro Italian Tavern in Massapequa Park. Credit: Bacaro Italian Tavern
Two seasoned restaurateurs — Joseph Bonacore and Tom Soluri — have teamed up to open Bacaro Italian Tavern in Massapequa Park, which launched last week in the renovated digs of Maggie’s on Park. “I’m back in the saddle again,” said Bonacore, who recently sold his Oceanside dining spot, Lawson Pub, to Butera’s. That was back in May, when he said he needed a rest from the restaurant business. Clearly, it wasn’t a very long rest.
At their new venture, Bonacore commands the kitchen while Soluri manages the dining room. Back in the mid-1980s, the two co-owned a restaurant called Caraways in Massapequa.
On the menu at Bacaro: bruschetta with ’nduja (spreadable prosciutto), ricotta and artichoke; three kinds of “balls” (beef short rib, chicken and eggplant); a reprisal of a popular Lawson Pub sandwich, the pig’s “derrière” (the menu uses a different word) featuring roasted pork butt, three cheeses and duck sauce. There’s white clam pizza, orzo mac and cheese, and such vegetable dishes as whole roasted cauliflower and seared white kale with pignoli and Craisins. Main courses include cherry pepper spare ribs, a burrata burger and white clam risotto with grilled shrimp. Prices range from $7 for soups and vegetables to $28 for grilled rib-eye. Most dishes are priced under $20.
Bacaro Italian Tavern is at 1020 Park Blvd., Massapequa Park, 516-798-1555, bacarony.com
