Restaurateur Marco Betti, owner of Antica Posta Tuscan Restaurant & Bar, and Sauce Buckhead Pizza Bar, is opening a new venture, Bar Ti Amo, in the former Portofino space, at 3199 Paces Ferry Place NW. The restaurant’s grand opening is Friday, August 4, 2023, according to a press release.
“We’re excited to bring the warmth and flavors of Italy to Buckhead with Bar Ti Amo,” Betti said in the release. “Our team is dedicated to providing a memorable dining experience, from the cozy Italian Espresso Bar in the mornings to the lively Salotto Bar on weekends. We can’t wait to welcome our guests and share our love for Italian cuisine.”
The Tuscan native will focus on healthy, family-style meals at Bar Ti Amo. The name is meant to evoke a place of love where everyone can feel welcome: “Ti Amo” is Italian for “I love you.”
Betti grew up in Reggello in the Tuscan hills just outside Florence, working in the family butcher shop with his father, Silvano, and at the apron of their mother, Rosanna, according to the release. He’s been bringing Atlantans a taste of Tuscany since first opening Antica Posta in 1999. Bar Ti Amo, the new restaurant is in a beloved location, and he’s invested in updating the venue for modern tastes with the goal of creating a place people can come anytime day or night.
The menu is versatile for pescatarians, vegans and meat lovers alike offering healthy classic and modern Italian recipes. The table service breakfast menu showcases Italian espresso drinks and decadent pastries, such as cannolo with pastry cream, fresh whipped cream croissants and torta al cioccolato. Traditional Italian breakfast recipes will include Uova al Pomodoro, which is three eggs in carrettiera spicy tomato sauce, or Uova con Asparagi e Fontina, three eggs sauteed with asparagus, creamy fontina. You could also get egg dishes with salsiccia (sausage) or strascicata (creamy braised meat). Fresh squeezed juices are ordered by color: Succo Verde (green juice) is spinach, arugula, green apple, celery, cucumbers; and Succo Giallo (yellow juice) is pineapple, mango, turmeric. Succo d’ Arancia is traditional fresh squeezed orange juice.
For lunch, guests can enjoy an array of veggie bowls and fresh salads, Italian soups, pastas, meats, poultry, fish, seafood and savory paninis. Scodelle di Verdure (veggie bowls sauteed with evoo and braised onions) options include Broccoli, fagiolini e spinaci (sauteed broccoli and green beans), Asparagi, carote, zucchine e capperi (sauteed asparagus, carrots, zucchini, capers), Lenticchie e spinaci (braised Lentil and sauteed spinach) and Cavolfiore e fagiolini con Carrettiera (cauliflower and green beans, carrettiera tomato sauce). People can add on roasted chicken, salmon, fried or hard eggs, pecorino cheese or sauteed shrimp. Chef Marco put bruschetta with tantalizing toppings on the menu, such as zucchini sauteed with mint.
In the evenings, Bar Ti Amo will transform into a full-service restaurant, with a curated fine wine list, craft cocktails with an Italian flare like a Classic Negroni, an Italian Paloma and a Limoncello Lemon Drop. Delightfully different main dishes will include Trota salmonata alla puttanesca (trout salmon with puttanesca sauce), or Avocado, mozzarella, ciliegini e balsamico (avocados, mozzarella and cherry tomato), plus many more.
One of the highlights of Bar Ti Amo is the late-night Italian Salotto Bar, open on weekends, providing a chic and vibrant ambiance for patrons to unwind and enjoy the evening with friends and loved ones. People can top the night off with tastes of Tuscany, like the mascarpone and strawberry cup, Italian chocolate cake, tiramisu and even a vegan cake.
