Celebrating Culinary Craft: Bacio Trattoria Wins 2025 Consumer Choice Award for Italian Restaurants in Barrie
Located in the heart of downtown Barrie at 62 Dunlop Street West, Bacio Trattoria brings a piece of Italy to the local community-offering more than just food, but a connection to culture, family, and flavour. With its warm atmosphere, vintage lighting, mural of the Trevi Fountain, and walls lined with olive oil and Italian wines, the restaurant invites guests to experience a true taste of home.
A Culinary Journey Rooted in Experience and Heritage
Bacio Trattoria is led by Chef Francesca, who began her culinary journey in Rome at just 15 years old. With 37 years of experience in the food industry, she brings a depth of knowledge and a genuine passion for Italian cooking that is reflected in every dish.
'I grew up in a kitchen where we cooked with what we had-fresh, simple, and from the heart,' says Chef Francesca. 'That's the way I still cook today. I want people to feel like they're eating at my family's table in Rome.'
Homemade, Fresh, and Inspired by Rome
The menu at Bacio Trattoria features a wide range of Italian and Roman dishes, all made in-house using carefully sourced ingredients. Guests can enjoy hand-rolled pastas, slow-simmered sauces, and rustic Roman favourites such as supplì-crispy rice balls with beef and cheese-and pork-and-beef risotto cakes. The menu also includes fresh seafood dishes, hearty risottos, and thin-crust Roman-style pizza baked to perfection.
Each dish is crafted with intention, with options for multi-course tasting menus, vegetarian selections, and curated wine pairings available for those looking to experience the full spectrum of Italian dining.
An Atmosphere That Feels Like Home
Bacio's motto, 'guests arrive as customers and leave as family,' is more than a catchphrase-it's a guiding principle. The restaurant's size and layout create an intimate setting where staff take the time to learn guests' names, dietary preferences, and favourite dishes. Whether it's a couple's date night, a group celebration, or a casual weekday meal, the atmosphere remains welcoming and personal.
'We want guests to feel relaxed, taken care of, and full-like they just left Nonna's house,' says Chef Francesca.
Bacio also hosts private dining experiences and events, offering tailored menus and attentive service to make every occasion feel special. They are proud to maintain 'SAFE' certification standards, ensuring that guests can dine with comfort and confidence.
Locally Loved, Community Connected
Since opening in Barrie, Bacio Trattoria has become a staple in the local food scene. The restaurant supports local vendors whenever possible, from produce and meats to wine selections, and has participated in community-driven events and fundraisers.
Their commitment to consistency and care has earned them a steady stream of glowing reviews and word-of-mouth referrals, establishing them not only as a place to eat, but as a valued part of the neighbourhood.
'This award means a lot because it reflects the trust our guests have in what we do-and that's something we never take for granted,' says Chef Francesca.
To explore the menu, inquire about events, or make a reservation, CLICK HERE or visit baciotrattoria.ca.
About Consumer Choice Award:
Consumer Choice Award has been recognizing and promoting business excellence in North America since 1987. Its rigorous selection process ensures that only the most outstanding service providers in each category earn this prestigious recognition. Visit www.ccaward.com to learn more.
Contact Information:
Sumi Saleh
Communications Manager
ssaleh@ccaward.com
SOURCE: Consumer Choice Award
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
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The 10 largest brands in real estate accounted for more than half of US home sales volume last year, data from T3 Sixty, a consulting firm for residential real estate brokerages, shows. Even some leaders who have come out against Compass' strategy have warned that they, too, could flex their sizable market share to execute a similar game plan. MLSes need "someone to enforce the rules," DeBord tells me. In this case, that enforcer may turn out to be Zillow. The home search giant has tried to put the kibosh on all of this by banning listings that are not shared with Zillow — and the rest of the MLS — within one business day of being marketed publicly. That means as soon as a "for-sale" sign shows up in the front yard or an agent posts about a house on their website, the clock is ticking for them to send it to the databases that share listings with pretty much every other site in the industry. Those who don't comply will be left to explain to their clients why their house won't appear on the most popular home-search portal in the country. Compass has sued Zillow in federal court, accusing the company of using its monopoly power to quash a competing business model that, Compass claims, gives sellers more control over where and how their homes are marketed. In a formal response last month, Zillow disputed the monopoly characterization and argued that it shouldn't be forced to help Compass freeride on the system by accepting its stale listings only after they haven't sold on the Compass site. The brokerage's three-phased marketing strategy, Zillow's lawyers wrote, "harms consumers, who face balkanized and less liquid markets for homes, and Zillow, whose ability to attract and serve consumers depends on comprehensive, up-to-date listings." It's important to remember that anyone weighing in on this battle has a financial stake in their desired outcome. Compass wants to grow its agent base and market share. Zillow needs fresh home listings to fuel its business, which relies on selling leads to agents who pay to advertise on its platform. American companies aren't the only ones who care about this, either — brokers around the world are watching to see how this shakes out. When I talked to DelPrete back in June, he had just returned from a weekslong work trip to Europe. The fight over inventory back in the States, he says, came up "a surprising amount of times." "I think it's a case of the grass is always greener, right?" DelPrete says. "The US wants what the rest of the world has, and the rest of the world wants what the US has." There's a case to be made that all this hand-wringing will turn out to be hyperbole. The real estate industry in the US is notoriously slow to change, and consumers are used to the current setup. 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There have always been so-called "pocket listings" that float around beyond the reach of the MLSes, available only to in-the-know agents who can offer their clients a leg up on the competition. But hardly anyone in the industry disagrees with the basic premise that buyers like being able to find homes easily and in one place. People may gripe about Zillow's power in the industry or the questionable accuracy of its ubiquitous Zestimate, but the ability to scroll through all the listings on the site — or those on any of the other search portals — is unique to North America. Few probably appreciate this better than Boero, the real estate exec who set out to buy the Italian getaway of his dreams. He did eventually find a place that checked off his boxes: "We're happy with it," he says. But he made that purchase with far less confidence than he had in any real estate transaction in his life. And even today, he has no idea whether it's worth more or less than it was when he bought it three years ago. The whole experience, he tells me, gave him a new appreciation for the American way of doing things. "Within the industry, we've made these comparisons ad nauseam," Boero tells me. "'Hey guys, let's not destroy this very special thing we have. Because just look at the rest of the world and how messed up it is.'" James Rodriguez is a senior reporter on Business Insider's Discourse team. Read the original article on Business Insider
