Bartolino’s, one of the most popular local Italian restaurants for the past several decades, has opened a third location, Bartolino’s Twin Oaks.
The new location is at 1304 Big Bend Road, in the Twin Oaks shopping center, near the intersection of Highway 141 and Big Bend. The restaurant is owned by Mike, John, Bart, and Chris Saracino, the four sons of the late founder, Bart Saracino, Sr. The brothers operate two other Bartolino’s restaurants (Bartolino’s Osteria and Bartolino’s South), as well as two locations of Chris’ (Chris’ Pancake & Dining and Chris’ at the Docket).
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Bartolino’s Twin Oaks officially opens tomorrow and serves dinner nightly from 4–9 p.m. Reservations are being accepted on Resy. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Location
Bartolino’s two other locations had been successfully serving Italian classics to St. Louisans for decades. Mike admits that he’d long thought of opening in West County but with a caveat: “I always said, if we went west, I didn’t want to be clustered among dozens and dozens of restaurants. We wanted a densely populated area, of course, but not an area densely populated with restaurants, especially Italian restaurants.”
When the owners of Nicoletti’s (1366 Big Bend) retired and closed their restaurant in May 2022, Mike says, “We knew it was our time. This is the area we wanted to be in.”
Alas, the former Nicoletti’s space was too small for their needs, but in the same center, on the first floor of a residential building, was a 6,600-square-foot unfinished space with gravel floors, bare-stud walls, and no plumbing or electrical. “But there was an exhaust chase,” Mike says, “so we knew it was built for a restaurant, and we got excited about building one from the ground up.”
A lease was signed, and the brothers contacted Tom and Shelley Niemeier, co-owners of SPACE, a local design-build company. The group began conceptualizing the layout and design of a multi-room space with a large bar and room for up to 250 customers.
“SPACE is a one-stop, design-build shop that coordinated kitchen equipment planning, architecture, interiors, as well as oversaw the construction.” Mike says, “which made it easy for us.” For their part, Shelley says they were “blessed” that the Saracinos were “dream clients, amenable to us running with our design thoughts and keeping all the top-line extras, the things that are usually first to go when having budgetary discussions.”
The Atmosphere
“Bartolino’s is a name with a rigorous following,” Shelley says. “These are astute restaurateurs who know their clientele—what they like and don’t like—but wanted to present something different from a design standpoint, something more contemporary but timeless. So we tried not to get trendy with the finishes. We wanted the space to fit in 20 or 30 years from now.”
The Niemeiers followed a “best-practices” policy throughout, using commercial-grade wall coverings, with some evoking stylized grey marble and others mild abstracts. An Italian 36-by-36-inch field tile meant to look like stylized wood is introduced at the entryway and transitions to carpet in the interior dining areas. Plush blue leatherette chairs are featured throughout the space, inviting guests to linger for extended periods. The tabletops are made from sintered stone, a nonporous, mineral-based synthetic material that offers greater durability and heat resistance than even quartz.
Another example of elegance presented in a non-showy way: a brass chandelier above one of two round tables that seat eight, what Niemeier calls “a contemporary expression of a traditional chandelier shape.”
A keen eye will notice that tambour wood was used judiciously throughout the space; it’s a detail that guests can’t see but will indirectly experience. “There’s acoustical foam material in the gaps between those closely spaced strips of wood, which absorb sound and reduce noise,” Shelley says. “Same goes for the acoustical material sprayed onto the ceiling.”
Similarly, in the bar and wine room, floating drywall “clouds” have hidden acoustical material above them as well. One of the more sought-after dining areas will likely be that wine room; its walls are faced with four slabs of white-veined black marble.
Another popular area will likely be the “porch,” a 50-seat reservable space with a cedar slat ceiling divided by columns faced with black acoustical material. The space can be dramatized and privatized via sliding nanawall panels on curved tracks. “That part of the building originally had a window wall that would have led to a patio,” Mike says, “but when we decided to install a rectangular bar mid-space, we lost a significant number of seats. To get them back, we decided to build out that area as well, which became one of the most attractive spaces in the restaurant. And since the windows open, it can still feel like a patio out there.
“There’s a slightly different experience in each room,” Mike adds, “so it might be hard to pick a favorite.”
The same can be said for what staffers experience in the kitchen. “I had never seen a client care so much for the kitchen staff as do the Saracinos,” Shelley says. “Usually, all of the design money is spent out in front, and the kitchen is simply utilitarian. But their goal is to improve not only the guest experience but also the employee experience. So you see pleasant lighting, plenty of A/C, easily cleanable stainless-steel surfaces everywhere, and comfort flooring throughout. There’s even a wall of tankless water heaters, each programmed to a different temperature according to its intended use.”
The Menu
After stints at hotels in Indianapolis, New Orleans, and the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., Rico Thompson has returned home to lead the kitchen, assisted by chef Bryant Roberts. “Besides adding some new specials, if I can find small ways to fine-tune and elevate, I will,” Thompson says, referring to dishes being served on different shaped and colored plates. “It’s a simple difference that adds a lot. But this menu has been successful for a long time for a reason, and I’m very conscious of that, too.”
Popular items include chicken spiedini, linguine tutto mare, lasagna, and steak modiga. The expansive dinner menu also includes sandwiches, pizza, 20 pasta dishes, and five varieties each of chicken, veal, fish, and steak. Prices are reasonable, especially considering the portion sizes, which is part of Bartolino’s mantra: “Cook good food, and give plenty. Basta!”
“It’s simple and has withstood the test of time,” says Bart. “We also listen. Our goal is to give our customer exactly what they want.”
The Backstory
Bart and Roseanne Saracino, along with Rose LaFata (Roseanne’s mother), opened Bartolino’s in 1969 at 2524 Hampton on The Hill, where Joey B’s is now. The menu featured traditional Italian specialties, seafood, steaks, pastas, risotto, sandwiches, and St. Louis–style pizzas. Before today, there were two locations: one in South County and Bartolino’s Osteria, inside the Drury Inn at Hampton and I-44, both operated by members of the Saracino family.
Bartolino’s South is 4,000 square feet and seats 180. Bartolino’s Osteria is 5,000 square feet and seats 200. Bartolino’s Twin Oaks—spanning 6,600 square feet and 250 seats—is the largest of the three locations. Several of Bartolino’s sauces and its salad dressing can be found at select grocers and Italian specialty markets as well.
Bartolino’s is one of St. Louis’ “generational” restaurants, which serves the children (and now grandchildren) of parents who first dined at their restaurants with relatives. “There’s now a third generation of Saracinos who want to continue our legacy—my son, a nephew, a niece—so it was time to expand again, this time to the west,” says Bart. “There wasn’t much finer dining or nicer Italian restaurants out that way, so we’re hoping to fill that niche.”
