Baci Italian restaurant — Restaurant in Anaheim

$100 meal comes with tater tots?!

I don't typically write reviews. Usually not unless it's notably good or bad. One of the things I like to do as an owner operator truck driver with an income suitable for any restaurant I choose, is to unload my Harley from my trailer and pick a fine or semi fine restaurant with good reviews and eat there. I work hard and I deserve it. And I like to see what service and quality I receive based on my always clean but, shall we say, less than 5 Star appearance. Baci, sadly, I found to be a step below Olive Garden. And I'm not a fan of Olive Garden.

First I tried to order the Fillette Gabriella. They were out of filet. I was then going to order a veal entree but was informed all that was left was scallopini. So I settled for a peppercorn ribeye that said it came with potatoes and a salad. I also ordered calamari fritti for an appetizer and a premium Cabernet Sauvignon for dinner.

The calamari was decent though improperly thawed so a bit chewy but not horrible. The marinara however was tasteless. Prego is better. The place wasn't busy but they were still slow. When my meal finally came I noticed they brought me the wrong wine, a Chianti rather than a Cabernet. I like Chianti but that's not the point, I ordered a Cabernet. When they brought the Cabernet Sauvignon I noticed that it was not the premium that I ordered but rather the house wine. The potatoes were actually tater tots. Yes, I said tater tots. And the saddest salad I've ever seen. The ribeye was cooked very well and pretty good. Though they went way overboard on the herbs. I don't know maybe it's a California thing, but when I pay $100 for a meal, I don't expect tater tots and I do expect a fresh salad. I know I already said this, but seriously?? Tater tots? I'm glad I didn't order the sea bass as I would have expected garlic mashed potatoes. I would have been aghast rather than simply puzzled at the tater tots had I done so.

Perhaps it's a California thing, perhaps my appearance, perhaps they were just having a bad day, but with the combination of the dismal service and subpar food, none of those are an excuse. I expect a lot more for $100 dinner. I sincerely hope that it wasn't in fact my appearance. A good restaurateur should know better. Sometimes those of us with a considerable income prefer dirty jobs yet still have fine tastes. Tater...

I came here for dinner tonight 7/28/15 with my boyfriend, my sister, and her boyfriend. My bf and I travel for a living, and so we get to enjoy a lot of wonderful restaurants across America.

This was by far one of the best.

Yeah, it's in a strip mall. Don't be thrown by that. The restaurant is small and tables are close together (if you have extra rowdy kids don't bring them here) but that didn't detract from the atmosphere at all. Italian eating is an experience, a family gathering, and Baci di Firenze definitely had that wonderful vibe.

Ok, the food. Portions were just perfect. Some folks like to have giant multi-serving plates of pasta. Don't expect that here. What you WILL get is a fantastic dish prepared with exceptional attention to quality. My boyfriend and I had pasta with shrimp, and we agreed that it was some of the meatiest, most flavorful shrimp we've ever had (and we've eaten in NOLA pretty recently). All four of us had pasta cooked to perfection. My shrimp was spicy (the server asked, "Do you want it 'angry'?" and I replied, "Just 'irritated'" haha), an amazing perfect level of spicy where it's hot enough to make you sweat but not hot enough to interfere with the subtler seasonings in the dish.

For dessert my bf and I had the tiramisu. It was creamy coffee-soaked goodness. There was a little fruit on top for a very nice non-traditional twist. My sister and her bf had a gelato and a cannoli and seemed to enjoy them :)

Throughout the night our server (G. Franco) was fantastic, very courteous and asking relevant questions to make sure that we all got exactly what we were looking for in our meals. The owner himself came out to shake our hands, welcome us to his restaurant, and find out where we were from. It was a slow Tuesday for them so this may not be a regular occurrence, but take a look at his photo on the restaurant's site and keep your eyes peeled for him if you go. He was a fantastic host and he runs a fantastic restaurant. It was a real pleasure and privilege to meet him.

For the quality of the food and service, I'd say the prices were quite reasonable. Most pasta meals are around $20, veal and fish dishes are obviously going to be more expensive. Each of us had a drink, a pasta meal, and a dessert, which added up to about $40 each.

In...

Hopefully this 2 star restaurant regains it's form and 4 star review...let me explain. The quality of the food is slightly off, but understandable after a long hiatus, the service is as friendly as ever and the price not any higher than earlier this year. Here's the issue- not following the guidelines and right now that has to be a priority. The 25% occupancy, is more like 60%, the tables might be sanitized, but not as thorough as it should be; salt and pepper shakers left and didn't look clean. The servers are wearing masks, but have to be reminded that their nose is not exempt from being covered. I wish this Covid virus never happened, but everyone has to do their part to end its strain on our way of life. The restaurant guidelines need to be followed......

Here's an example, from another private restaurant, in the area:

-Training for all team members on new protocols and guidelines

Team members will wear masks, gloves or use hand sanitizer between customers

-Social distancing guidelines will be followed

-Disposable menus will be used

-Hand sanitizer stations will be accessible throughout the

restaurant

-Designated teams will clean and sanitize with EPA-approved disinfectants before, during and after opening each night.

-High touch areas will be sanitized often and routinely, including doors, restrooms, credit card terminals, receipt trays, etc etc.

-Team member temperatures will be taken upon arrival

If you are feeling sick or experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms we ask that you please stay home. We will be here to serve you when you're better

Lastly, we want to thank you in advance for your patience.

flexibility, and understanding as we navigate these changes together. We can't wait to...