Bari
Bari is Chef Chad Colby’s new Puglia inspired Italian spot in Beverly.
It’s currently still in soft open mode (the full menu is expected in late July) so me and my crew were able to fire the menu. I’d previously only been able to stop in for a cocktail and a couple dishes, but what’s clear after eating our way through what they’ve got so far is that this place should live up to the bar Chef Colby has set at Antico.
Spritz
Ultra refreshing. We were seated near the front of the room near the open shutters, so this was the perfect drink to sip on (and then guzzle) with the setting sunlight coming through.
Lampascioni con Pomodorini
I swear this dish hit the table less than a minute after our waiter walked away with our order. It’s also the first indication of Bari’s strong marination game.
Alici Marinate, Taralli, and Mandorle
And this is where it starts to accelerate. The anchovies were as fresh and delicious as my previous visit. The only disappointment was that I only got one to split between the rest of my party.
Capocollo and Carciofi
The first of the cured meats was fantastic, and the carciofi (in the upper left) was probably the first time I said to myself “wow this is an artichoke dish I’d actually order again”.
Mortadella, Olive, and Focaccia con Pomodorini
The mortadella is another winner, and the freshly baked focaccia was critical for dipping in the olive oil soaked dishes. The olives were the only dish we didn’t clear out (though the roasted garlic that came with it vanished quickly) as most of my dining companions kept saying they wanted to be olive people but just were running into a wall with it 
Burrata e Alici, Ricotta, Focaccia Barese
Both of the cheese dishes were fantastic. And even better when paired with the piping hot focaccia. The burrata was especially winning because it came with more anchovies 
Le Sgagliozze de Maria
The only real miss of the night was the crispy polenta. It was just a bit bland, but thankfully able to be rescued with the various cheeses.
Panzarotti di Pasquale
It’s a freshly made hot pocket with a fantastic crust. It might be what Bari becomes well known for (you definitely will need to order multiples), but I wish it was filled a bit more.
Paparacchielli al Tonno
You might need to squint to see it (it’s the little red tuna stuffed peppers) but these were great one biters. This was also where we were really testing the table’s capacity limits because everything pretty much was coming out of the kitchen at the same time.
Frutta del Mercato
The stone fruit salad was our de facto dessert as it was one of the last dishes to come out and simply sweet.
Among five of us, the entire menu was doable with a couple doubles of some items. That said, Chef Colby said pastas and grilled meats will fill out the rest of the menu, meaning I’ll need to bring even more friends next time.
It also deserves to be mentioned that the service was fantastic. While I would have appreciated some of the dishes being coursed out a bit more, our waiter was incredibly friendly and helpful and helped make our experience even more enjoyable. I know they’re still in soft open mode, but only about half the restaurant was full (on a Friday night) so I’m hopeful that they only continue to gain steam and it really starts filling up once they’re out of the soft open period.
Bari has a bright future.
Vital Stats:
8422 W 3rd St
@bari__la
RIYL: Antico, but open on the weekend.
