The Bartolotta Restaurants Welcomes New Era of Service and Confidence in Safety and Hygiene Protocols with July 8 Reopening of Ristorante Bartolotta Dal 1993

Milwaukee original returns with new outdoor courtyard, La Terrazza, and curated authentic menus offering guests a ‘journey of Italian regions’ during the summer

WAUWATOSA, WI – Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993, a Milwaukee original and the flagship restaurant in The Bartolotta Restaurants portfolio, is welcoming guests back with inspired menus based on authentic and traditional Italian dining; as well as a renewed commitment to safety and hygiene protocols for guests and team members. The restaurant will reopen its doors on Wednesday, July 8 – its return marking the first reopening for The Bartolotta Restaurants following temporary closures that went into effect in March. 

“As we prepare to reopen, we are grateful for the continued support of our community and our partners, but most importantly we are thankful for our team members who did not give up on us during this time,” says The Bartolotta Restaurants co-founder and owner Chef Paul Bartolotta. “This has been a challenging time for our community, but we are ready to move forward.

“We have taken that time to meticulously reexamine our service, safety, and hygiene standards, down to the most precise detail, in order to deliver an experience that our guests have come to expect from us.”

Just as it led the evolution of Milwaukee’s dining scene upon its debut 27 years ago, Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993 is reopening with a fully reimagined menu experience, a collaboration between Chef Bartolotta and Executive Chef Juan Urbieta, that invites guests to take a “summer tasting tour” of Italy. Inspired by Chef Bartolotta’s life-long love affair and connection with Italy and Chef Urbieta’s recent trip to the Mediterranean country, the menu will alternate throughout the summer, focusing on different regions, and flavors, of the country. 

“We are reopening with un Viaggio in Toscana, which is our way to take our guests on a journey,” Chef Bartolotta explains. “My family lived in Tuscany and I have missed being on the coast and the countryside of Toscana and in the city of Florence.

“With this menu, guests will be able to experience the beauty and charm of Tuscan dining without leaving Milwaukee.”

The menu will offer a traditional Italian Tuscan meal for $59 per person. Guests will be able to build their own experience by choosing an antipasti (appetizer), primi (pasta course), secondi (main course), and dolci (dessert). 

Future menus will feature dishes inspired by the regions of Liguria, Veneto, Sicilia, Lazio, and Puglia. 

Among the notable health and safety enhancements that guests will see upon reopening is Ristorante Bartolotta’s new courtyard, La Terrazza, a relaxed, socially distanced outdoor dining experience adorned in flora; allowing guests to enjoy an authentic Italian meal under the evening sky. 

Outdoor and indoor seating has been arranged in a way that creates privacy and distance for every guest, and additional safety measures include:
•    Face masks are required for staff members and guests
•    Reservations required (reservations will be held for 15 minutes) and temperature checks upon entry
•    Touchless payment options and QR codes to view menus on smartphones
•    Custom-made safety partitions between tables and booths 
•    UV-C technology that actively seeks and destroys microorganisms in the air and on hard surfaces
•    Meticulously and deliberately cleaned tables within every new reservation 

Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993 will reopen with dining hours from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays; and will start offering lunch with a traditional Italian menu – from noon to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays – beginning July 11. The lunch menu will include an additional three-course option for $49. 

More information is available online and reservations can be made at The Bartolotta Restaurants website. Additional announcements will be made about other Bartolotta Restaurants reopenings in the upcoming weeks.

ABOUT RISTORANTE BARTOLOTTA DAL 1993

Nestled in a historic brewery building in downtown Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993 is the flagship restaurant in The Bartolotta Restaurants portfolio. Conceived by The Bartolotta Restaurants co-founders, restaurateur Joe Bartolotta and his brother, Chef Paul Bartolotta, Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993 is acclaimed for its handmade pasta and rustic Italian cuisine in a cozy, intimate setting. Executive Chef Juan Urbieta has been at the helm of the Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993, one of the most recognized dining destinations in the Greater Milwaukee region. Prestigious accolades include the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence annually since 2003; The Daily Meal's 101 Best Restaurants In America for 2020; Eater's 38 Essential Milwaukee Restaurants in 2020, and it has received four stars from the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal.

ABOUT THE BARTOLOTTA RESTAURANTS

The Bartolotta Restaurants is a nationally recognized restaurant and catering organization co-founded by restaurateur Joe Bartolotta and his brother, two-time James Beard Award-winning Chef Paul Bartolotta. Since the opening of its flagship restaurant, Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993, The Bartolotta Restaurants group has grown to become the premier culinary brand in the Greater Milwaukee region, offering first class service and cuisine across a portfolio of 17 one-of-a-kind restaurants and catering facilities, including fine dining, upscale casual, upscale food hall, wood-fired pizzeria, and quick-casual concepts. Additionally, its presence as a forward thinking, respected, and community minded company has produced a charitable arm, Care-a-lotta, which supports numerous nonprofit organizations throughout Milwaukee. More information can be found at bartolottas.com.