The Tomatoes and Dining Room at Bacchus

Ever since Bacchus was dubbed “Old Flame” in Style Weekly's State of the Plate, we've been thinking about revisiting the restaurant. Their standing as a top-notch source for vibrant Italian fare hadn't really registered with me, even though Bacchus is one of the closest restaurants to the Byrd Park neighborhood at Main and Meadow.  From a table in the dining room, you can see a line of bowls overflowing with fresh tomatoes perched on the window to the somewhat mysterious “semi-private” second floor seating area. It'

;s a good sign. This isn't one of those canned sauce places that buries their noodles beneath piles of melted cheese (although that's good sometimes too).

Instead, you get big garlic, fresh herbs and generous portions. The sauteed calamari was tender and paired perfectly with the white bean and pesto salad with house-made mozzarella.  After those anything-but-small plates, and a bowl of crab soup, we could barely make a dent in our pasta. The meal was a big success for such a quick weekday night escape. The bargain wine capped it off for me. From 5-6:30, Monday-Thursday, glasses of wine are half-price (get the Dante Reserve Cabernet).