August 22 • 2019 55
jn

Bar Verona

dining around the d
nosh

PHOTOS VIA BAR VERONA FACEBOOK

T

he New York strip steak I 
ordered recently at Bar Verona 
stands out as one of the tast-
iest steaks I’
ve enjoyed in years. 
Topped with garlic-herb butter and 
grilled medium-rare as specified, my 
steak came with whipped potatoes 
and roasted Brussels 
sprouts with bacon. 
Based on this entrée 
and other items 
sampled, I have 
high hopes for this 
upscale-casual Italian 
trattoria that opened 
June 30 in Commerce 
Township. 
Bar Verona is a new 
venture for Executive Chef Fabio 
Viviani, a native of Florence, Italy. In 
2008, the celebrity chef/entrepreneur 
was a popular contestant on Bravo 
Network’
s program Top Chef. Moving 
to southern California, Viviani began 
launching restaurants in the United 
States, including 
three in his cur-
rent hometown of 
Chicago. Viviani’
s 
restaurant group 
co-owns this first 
Bar Verona with 
Troy-based Yellow 
Door Hospitality 
Group, whose principals are Chris 
Kouza and Joe Caradonna. The part-
ners will open another Bar Verona 
in mid-October in Washington 
Township, while looking forward 
to coming downtown to Greektown 
next year. 
Bar Verona’
s handsome exterior 
uses gray stone. The nicely land-
scaped building would look natural 
in the Italian countryside. The focal 
point inside is the bar, fronted by 
large copper tiles with a design and 
several TVs overhead. The neutral 
interior includes more gray stone 
and gray-patterned wallpaper in the 
dining room, and black-and-white 
photographs in a hallway. Then 
there’
s the surprise of seeing colorful 
wallpaper featuring tiny angels and 
cherubs in restrooms.
The tagline for Bar Verona is 
“
casual food & craft cocktails,” but 

also consider the extensive wine and 
beer list. Though usually not much 
for drinking, I decided on one of the 
seven craft cocktails. As the server 
promised, this combination of water-
melon-infused rum, lime juice and 
cane sugar syrup was very refreshing.
So, too, was my delicious melon 
salad, made with two kinds of 
melon, cucumber, pickled onion, 
ricotta salata, orange crumble and 
mint yogurt. Four more salads are 
available. The nine starters include 
antipasti, fried calamari and Fabio’
s 
meatball. 
I’
m a soup person, no matter the 
weather. The house minestrone, 
chocked with beans and vegeta-
bles, includes extra virgin olive oil, 
cracked pepper and fresh parmesan 
cheese topping. I’
ll order it again. 
There’
s also a soup of the day.
Besides the wonderful steak I 
described, roasted salmon, local 
whitefish and chicken marsala are 
among the menu’
s 
six entrees. Bar 
Verona offers seven 
dishes with house-
made pasta. My 
choice was orecchi-
ette (resembling little 
ears), tossed with 
shrimp and aspara-
gus in a lemon-butter sauce. Oh, that 
was good.
For dessert, I was encouraged to 
try the chef’
s signature bomboloni 
(no-hole Italian doughnuts), served 
with dark chocolate and raspberry 
dipping sauces. As full as I was, I 
probably should have chosen from 
a list of four assorted gelatos and 
sorbets. Two more desserts are 
Cast-Iron “Cookies & Cream” and 
a tiramisu made with roasted white 
chocolate.
Some guests will appreciate Bar 
Verona’
s nut-free environment. 
Everyone should like the friendly 
staff. There’
s seating for up to 350, 
including 100 in a private dining 
room. Dinner only is offered, start-
ing at 4 p.m. Closing time is 11 p.m. 
Sunday-Thursday and 2 a.m. Friday 
and Saturday. ■

Esther Allweiss 
Ingber
Contributing Writer

Bar Verona
500 Loop Road
Commerce Township, MI 48390
Phone: (248) 387-5400
www.barverona.com
$$$ out of $$$$

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Catering and carryout available
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248-489-2280

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come as you are

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