Get Lost with Lisa

With all the thousands of Italian restaurants you could visit at any given time in the whole of the United States, why dine at Bar Bosco? Maybe it’s because it’s truly the best, and most authentic tasting Italian cuisine in the state of Indiana – perhaps even the whole country…

The Backstory

There are a lot of reasons to visit Bar Bosco, but the main the reason is the taste. Granted, I have not been to every single Italian restaurant in the country.  But I did live in Italy for 10 years, and know the Italian pallet. I also know that of all the Italian restaurants I have frequented in the States, none offer a genuinely Italian flavor the way that Bar Bosco does. And it’s all due to the genius and precision of co-owner and chef, Joe.

Opening in January of 2019, Bar Bosco was an inspiration between the two owners Joe and Ken who had previously met working in the restaurant industry.

“I was considering opening a restaurant for some time and when the building came available it seemed like the right time to jump,” says Ken. The building, according to friends and guests the night I visited, was actually a local spot that the group frequented often in their youth, and once Ken was old enough and had the money and means, he bought it outright.

And while the location may use to have been a dive bar of sorts, you would never know it from the remarkable turnaround the partners have made in making Bosco what it is today.

The Décor

Bar Bosco is something quite unique and simply chic – in a very old fashioned meets modern kind of way. With a hint of 1920’s vibe coming out in the uniforms of the staff (suspenders, white collard shirts and black trousers), and a more stylish wallpaper, bar and pizza section, Bar Bosco’s understated design is what gives it that special something.

With photographs of Joe’s family, their village in Italy and even a Michelangelo style murial painted on the ceiling of the back dining room, there’s been so much thought poured into the detail of this restaurant.

What may be the most inviting aspect of the restaurant’s overall ambiance though is the lighting inside the restaurant at sunset. Once the sun starts to go down, it hits the inside of the dining room in a breathtaking manner.

Almost vaulted ceilings, they’re so high, the lamps both during daylight and by nightfall, offer superior shine and farther off in the corners a dimmer experience to set the mood just right. Candles lit on every table, even in the bathroom which in and of themselves have a lot of fun decorations going on – there is no part of the restaurant that is untouched in its elegant mode.

Finally the dessert bar offers a great view from and toward it. With pastries neatly lined out for your greedy eyes to indulge, and a state of the art espresso maker to make Italian coffee the way it’s meant to be prepared – with foamed milk and all – the attention to detail is absolutely worth noting. There’s something quite special about this place, and the décor and lighting is just a start.

The Staff

Bar Bosco may be the friendliest place you can visit, not just in Terre Haute, and not just in Indiana, but anywhere where you’re looking to have a great meal. The prelude to your dinner, and even the final cap to send you off for the night is the way the staff treat you here. Not as a paying customer, but as an old friend. I was treated beyond well here and didn’t want to leave – and it didn’t seem as though the staff (including the owner Ken) wanted me to either.  With hugs abound before I walked out the door, everyone was so happy, generous and beyond gracious during my visit to Bar Bosco. So much so, that I would go back based on this fact alone…but luckily, this isn’t the only reason I’m dying to go back.

The Cocktails & Wine

Though the bar is full and the wine list long, there are some specialty items you should definitely try before you head out of Bar Bosco. Their Smoked Old Fashioned and Rosemary Gimlet are their signature drinks. While I can only speak for having tried the Smoked Old Fashioned, pretty much everything you try at Bar Bosco is going to be a hit – even their drinks. The Smoked Old Fashioned is probably just what it sounds like, and though it’s a bit of a masculine drink from my perspective – it tasted really, really good.

My favorite that evening though was their Blackberry Mojito. Just what it sounds like, this drink was right up my alley offering a mostly sweet taste, but a little bit of a kick from the Mojito half.

Lo Spritz is a strong, upcoming best-seller this summer, and true to fashion they’ve stayed with a classic Italian cocktail. Though I’ve never been a personal fan of the Spritz, it is authentic to Italian culture, and undoubtedly Bosco is creating it just the way it should be made.

And the wine and harder drinks?

The Name

The name is derived from family legacy. Joe’s great grandfather immigrated to the U.S. from Asiago, Italy.  And according to Ken, neighborhoods in that area of Veneto are called “contrade”.  Joe’s great grandfather lived in “Contrada Bosco” – and incidentally, ‘bosco’ in Italian means ‘woods’. Family members of the creative chef still live in the neighborhood and the family home. A poignant nod to his forebearers, Joe, with the help of his business partner Ken, has made Bar Bosco one of the most happening places in the state, and certainly the best place in all of Terre Haute. Strangers not to the restaurant industry, they co-owned an Italian restaurant 36 years ago, but as Ken puts it, they were “a little bit ahead of the curve in regards to Terre Haute’s ‘appetite’ for authentic Italian food.”

Which brings us to…

The Food

Ah, the food. Is there anything better at Bar Bosco than the food? While up to this point I’ve mentioned all the extra reasons you should visit, the food is most certainly the number one motive for coming here. As I mentioned earlier, in all of my travels thus far across the states, I’ve yet to find a restaurant that offers as authentic Italian food as Bar Bosco does. And although they do add their own creative flavor and ideas to a few select recipes, overall the taste will transport you to the native land – even if you’ve never been there. You’ll still recognize the authenticity and genuineness of the dishes.

First and foremost, what are their signature items, you might ask. “Our handmade pasta (especially the pear ravioli/family recipe lasagna) have been hits since the beginning, although our entrees, especially the steaks, continue to sell well,” dishes Ken.  These have also been their most popular items on the menu as well. But these are not the ones I would make mention of to try before walking out the door.

While the steak is absolutely delicious – steak is not a traditional Italian meal. The flavors of their Papardella al’Bolognese are the most authentic you will taste here. The ragu is absolutely spot on with what you would find in Italy, and my guess is that Chef Joe has recreated what he learned during his time spent in the country and what his relatives undoubtedly must have taught him.

My favorite dish that evening however, was not just one, not just two, but three separate dishes. And yes, the steak came in fourth. A close fourth.

To start, the Bosco Caprese was absolutely incredible. While it’s not something I’ve ever seen on a menu in Italy, the creativity and originality of the dish do not mean the flavors were not exactly like they would have been in Italia.

With a house-made burrata, oven roasted tomatoes, pine nuts as garnish atop their very own pesto – this dish will make you crave more. Normally when I visit a restaurant and order a gargantuan amount of food, I only take one or two bites of each dish. This one I absolutely couldn’t resist, and had to finish it. They practically had to tear it away from me before I licked the plate.

As for entrees, Gnocchi con Cinghiale stole the show in my opinion. The flavors of the boar ragu were out of this world, and the gnocchi was cooked to perfection. Second runner-up in the “primi” was Sorpresene con Salsiccia.  A new pasta for me, it was cooked completely al-dente with a fennel pollen sausage, endive, mushrooms, white wine, truffle oil and parmigano. The execution of all of these ingredients in one bite is something you won’t want to miss out on, and take it from me when I say, everything here is worth trying.

What Makes Them Unique

Aside from everything that you’ve already read about, some other details that make Bar Bosco so great are many. One reason, according to Ken, is that 90%+ of the pasta, the bread, desserts and many of the cheeses are all made in-house. That includes the pizzas which are superbly unique, fresh and creatively delicious.

Another reason guests should visit Bar Bosco are their standards.

“The comment we most routinely here, they appreciate the quality of the food and that the atmosphere is uniquely comparable to large cities,” says Ken, humbly, but grateful.   No wonder Bar Bosco seems to always have a full crowd, and guests need to make reservations typically in advance.

The prices at Bar Bosco are a little bit higher than your average restaurant, and certainly one of the more spendy places in Terre Haute. But fine dining is never at a low expense, and you get what you pay for. Bar Bosco goes all out, and this is one place I can honestly say, it’s worth every penny!

So what are you waiting for? You know you want to try some of their ragu, some of their fingerling potato and leek pizza. You know you want some authentic Limencello and Grappa to settle off you’re evening with. Whatever it is that you’re in the mood for, you definitely need to have it at Bar Bosco. Just make sure that when you do stop in, you let them know that Lisa sent you!