Should you’re an intown dad or mum, you’ve doubtless attended a birthday celebration at Buck’s Sports activities Barn, a tucked-away venue that gives children’ circus, ninja, and tumbling courses and camps. The kooky area is the brainchild of Paul Rodgers, a businessman who owned eating places in Florida 30 years in the past. Just lately, Rodgers returned to the hospitality trade with the opening of an Italian restaurant, market, and wine bar known as Cucina Baci.
Situated in the identical purple brick constructing as Buck’s Sports activities Barn, it was initially created to supply pizza for the birthday events subsequent door. “Ninety p.c of the meals individuals wish to serve at birthday events for his or her children is pizza, so it made sense to go that route,” Rodgers explains. “I thought-about opening somewhat pizza place, however Atlanta has only a few specialty markets for Italian merchandise.” So, he determined to merge the 2.
Cucina Baci first opened in September 2024 for all of 1 week. Then Hurricane Helene hit, and the area flooded, ruining the pizza oven and destroying the market. Rodgers rebuilt however lacks the funds to buy one other pizza oven. As an alternative, he soft-launched Cucina Baci for a second time—this time as a sit-down cafe with sandwiches, salads, espresso, and wine, in addition to an Italian market.
Courtesy of Cucina Baci
“I used to be raised by Italians and spent 4 summers in Italy in my youth,” Rodgers says. “Our chef, Michael Shea, studied with Emeril Lagasse and has been making pasta since he may stand after his grandma developed arthritis.”
The menu options 42 sandwiches served on bread baked by Michelle Corb of Lake Rabun, Georgia. Some meats are native, others are imported. “We’ve resourced from one of the best locations we will,” Rodgers says. Considered one of his favorites is the house-roasted turkey breast, piled with purple peppers, mozzarella, and pesto.
Plans for breakfast embrace sandwiches and granola, and an espresso bar is presently up and operating. For dinner, there shall be three or 4 pastas, plus protein-forward entrees like branzino, steak, and scallops. The sandwiches and salads shall be supplied, too.
Courtesy of Cucina Baci
Rodgers nonetheless hopes to have the ability to serve pizza finally. “We misplaced our very costly pizza oven within the flood and it’s going to be some time earlier than we will get that again,” he says.
Presently, there’s a small stage with a child grand piano, the place dwell music will play on weekends and through wine tastings. “I’ve an infinite stream of actors and musicians who do the circus to pay the payments. They will carry out at Cucina Baci,” Rodgers says.
Wine tastings will characteristic three pours. They might be natural or historically produced—80 p.c are Italian. Former Atlas sommelier Nathan Rose created the wine menu with practically 350 bottles. Many of those are offered available in the market, alongside beer, specialty espresso dispensers, Italian pottery, and youngsters’s toys.
As soon as Cucina Baci is absolutely open, it’s going to settle for reservations for cheese-pairing, charcuterie-making, and mozzarella-making courses, along with wine tastings.
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