When we say “Ciao” to Ciao, we mean hello and welcome
LEO's Eats with Robin Garr
Hearty baked manicotti at Ciao.
“Ciao!” Pronounce it “chow,” or something close to that, which makes it an ironically cheeky name for a friendly eatery. There’s ambiguity in this Italian greeting, though: Much like “Aloha” or “Shalom” or maybe even “Good Day,” you can use it to say hello, and you can also use it to say goodbye.
So let’s say “Ciao,” meaning “howdy,” to Ciao Ristorante, the warm and inviting establishment that has finally filled the long-vacant space where the beloved Baxter Station sadly said its “Ciao” as farewell in the summer of 2013. It has taken a while, but now Luigi Gelsomini, owner of Luigi's Pizzeria downtown, has launched Ciao with a grand opening last November 10.
It’s worth the wait. We came the other night and found a virtually complete makeover of the familiar old property. Up front, a long and glitzy bar may now offer the city’s most faithful replica of a modern Italian watering hole.
The offbeat decor makes use of old wooden doors and repurposed furniture painted in distressed pastels, yielding a result that melds the feeling of a dusty, sun-washed Italian village with more than a hint of “steampunk,” tongue-in-cheek hip Victorian. Heavy, undraped, shiny dark wood tables are served by black metal ice-cream-parlor chairs with orange leather-look seats; a row of heavy booths lines one side. Table settings are simple and functional, white-paper napkins rolled around basic, lightweight flatware.
Ciao’s menu offers a blend of Italian-American family cuisine and some of the pan-Italian culinary spectrum that we used to call “Northern Italian” because it didn’t have red sauce. A few dishes appear to be creative takes on Italian regional tradition; and yes, there is pizza. The restaurant website calls it “one-of-a-kind locally developed recipes influenced by many years of Italian tradition.” ...
Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/say-c ... lo-welcome
You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly’s Food & Drink section today.
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/
Ciao Ristorante
1201 Payne St.
690-3532
http://ciaolouisville.com
https://facebook.com/ciao.louisville
Robin Garr’s rating: 88 points