Spring has sprung in Arkansas, and the warmer weather means one thing for area restaurants…patio dining. And no patio in Arkansas is as popular as Ciao Baci’s. Chef Jeffrey Owen has recently released his new menu, too…a seasonal line-up made to be enjoyed with a glass of wine while sitting outdoors watching the bustle of the surrounding Hillcrest scenery.
Owen says, “We try to lighten things up for the spring, but still keep everything fresh and interesting.” And he’s almost completely overhauled the menu with this latest iteration…so a few old favorites may be missing now.
Check out the full menu below. From the starters, you’ll notice the addition of a new spring veggies plate with red miso, jasmine rice and peanuts. And sure to be a new favorite…the chipotle mac and cheese with candied bacon. Hard to say “no” to candied bacon.
Every item on the dinner entree section is a new addition. Notably, you’ll find a plate of coffee-braised beef cheeks with polenta, root vegetables, and potato crisps. Look out for the crawfish pasta with squid ink taglione, peas, and roasted garlic cream. But you’ll definitely want to satisfy your craving for swine with their new bone-in pork loin. Chef prepares the pork with a caraway-rye crust and a stone fruit mustarda that makes for one seriously fantastic dish.
They’ve added a chicken sandwich to the line-up that Owen tells us it a shout-out to his days at Satellite Cafe — Dom’s Chicken Sandwich with provolone, asparagus tips, and bacon. There’s a nice crostini made to share with mashed pea, mint, ricotta, almond, and lemon. And perhaps his most interesting addition (which several of the staff say is “not to be missed”) is the smoked salmon macaroons…I’ve never seen that before.
Another note: Industry Night is every Monday…and restaurant industry folks get 20% off their entire order. And if you’ve felt that the kitchen staff did an exceptionally good job after dinner, there’s a new “Round for the Kitchen” option…which the crew gets to enjoy at the end of the night.
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RIP Damgoode Pies
November 20, 2023
