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FOX 26: Neighborhood wine bar offers four-course Italian dinner for Houston Restaurant Weeks

HOUSTON – Bill and Maria Lovejoy are passionate about wine and great Italian food, offering a 4-course $55 menu that will delight any diner.

Houston Restaurant Weeks 2025: Bacaro

Bacaro Kitchen and Wine Bar offers a menu that combines traditional Italian dishes with family recipes and seasonal fare for a great summer during Houston Restaurant Weeks.

Wine is not included in the menu, but you will want to check out the offerings and suggested pairings for your selected dish.

During the conversation, Katie not only discovers some great new dishes, but Bill also shares wonderful tidbits about food and wine.

Located at 14021 Memorial Drive (Memorial at Kirkwood), Bacaro is open:

Tuesday-Wednesday 4:00 PM – 8:00PM
Thursday 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Friday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Reservations can be made through Open Table.

Houston Restaurant Weeks runs August 1 – September 1, 2025. Menus of the participating restaurants can be found on the HRW website(houstonrestaurantweeks.com)

Produced by the Cleverley Stone Foundation, Foodies and Friends is available on demand on FOX Local on your smart TV, and on the FOX 26 YouTube channel.

Watch older episodes of Foodies & Friends here

Affectionately called “The Diva of Dining,” Cleverley Stone made it her life’s mission to beat hunger in Houston Restaurant Weeks. “Dine Out & Do Good” was Stone’s mantra, and her tireless efforts spurred an annual citywide boom in restaurant revenues and contributions to The Houston Food Bank.

Cleverley Stone passed away on May 28, 2020, following her battle with cancer. She was 68 years old.

Stone’s final wish was that Houston Restaurant Weeks continue in perpetuity in her name.

The Cleverley Stone Foundation was created by Cleverley’s daughter, Katie Stone, to continue her Mother’s mission and legacy of supporting Houston Restaurant Weeks benefiting the Houston Food Bank, which takes place August 1st through Labor Day each year. Together Houstonians and Houston restaurant owners have raised more than $22 million over the past 21 years to support the Houston Food Bank and the hunger needs of our community.

Houston Restaurant Weeks and its sister event Eat Drink HTX is the largest annual fundraiser for the nation’s largest food bank. The Houston Food Bank services an 18-county area in southeast Texas

More about the foundation https://thecleverleystonefoundation.org

Houston Food Bank – houstonfoodbank.org

The Source: Information above is from the Cleverley Stone Foundation

Original article: https://www.fox26houston.com/fox-26-digital-originals/houston-restaurant-weeks-2025-bacaro-kitchen-wine-foodies-friends

Press Release: New Name, Décor and Menus for Popular Memorial-Area Restaurant

Introducing Bacaro Kitchen & Wine Bar, formerly The Devine Affair

Houston, Texas: Bacaro Kitchen & Wine Bar, a hidden gem nestled in the heart of Memorial, has a new name, a new look, and a new menu with Italian flare. Maria and Bill Loveday own and operate the restaurant, formerly The Devine Affair, which has been in operation more than eight years as a popular dine-in and happy hour spot with take-out options.

Bill Loveday announced, “We hail from New York and now live in Katy. Maria is Italian and the spiritual soul of traditional tastes and hospitality, and I’ve worked in the restaurant industry for more than twenty years. We saw an opportunity to conceptualize our brand in the Memorial area and deliver an exquisite experience with a mix of formal and casual dining.”

The overall atmosphere is inspired by the warmth and neighborliness of the Bacari in Venice, where locals stop in for a glass or two of wine, cicchetti (small plates), and freshly made meals. The Executive Chef and General Manager and was taught to cook by his Sicilian grandmother. This has inspired his most popular menu items: Gulf Shrimp & Diver Scallop Scampi, Pappardelle Bolognese, Chicken Piccata, and Eggplant Parmesan. He’s adding new delectable dishes to the menu as well.

Bacaro Kitchen’s focus is to provide the best wine and menu options in the Memorial area. Enjoy the updated restaurant and the new bar menu with a variety of cicchetti and Mediterranean dishes, such as grilled octopus and crudos of the freshest fish. Or stop in for take-home meals on busy days.

Bacaro is a cozy place with a seventy-seat dining room and a separate area perfect for business and social parties for up to twenty guests, as well as a patio seating for sixteen.

Sunday Brunch from 10:30 am-3:00 pm features wine specials and live music by a talented Latin guitarist. The bar menu includes wine/beer specials for happy hour 3:00-6:00 pm daily and 9:30-11:00 pm Friday and Saturday nights. On Wednesday evenings the restaurant offers samplings of new wines, as well as monthly sit-down wine tastings and regular wine dinners featuring specific wineries or themes.

A grand opening celebration is planned after summer to kick off the busy fall season. Owners Bill and Maria Loveday plan to expand into Katy and other West Houston neighborhoods.

Bacaro Kitchen & Wine Bar is located at 14021 Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77079.  Visit the website at bacarokitchen.com and call 281-759-6300.