We were seated at the food prep counter. Credit: Jeremy Bressma

As a fan of Charlie’s Ale House I was a little sad to see them go.  They weren’t a fancy fine dining establishment by any means but Charlies was a solid neighborhood place with decent food and good service.  You could pop in and have a beer at the bar and gab with the bartender, catch a game with friends while sitting by the open front windows, enjoy a simple casual dinner with your significant other or come with a group for brunch.  No matter what Charlies always delivered a good experience but as you know they closed their doors in 2011.  Entered Acre, which I must disclose, I have never tried.  Reviews from friends and online were hit or miss, and soon Acre retreated to only half of the former Charlie’s space and enter Bar Ombra.  Bar what?  Bar Ombra – a unique ciccheti style restaurant serving up Italian small plates in a funky yet cozy atmosphere.

Unlike Acre’s initial bumpy launch Bar Ombra received great reviews from friends and online websites so I decided to add it out to the list of must try’s and eventually did so a few weeks ago and I am glad I did.  We were seated at the food service bar, which initially looked like it might be a little strange but I highly recommend it.  Probably not idea for a large group, but for a party of two it was ideal and added to the experience.  The other tables are very large, so smaller groups may be asked to share their table with another party which could be interesting as well.

Bar Ombra’s menu is pretty large, but by no means overwhelming.  As one who always has a tough time deciding between multiple dishes and often leaves a restaurant saying “I wish I tried this instead,” I’m a huge fan of Spanish tapas and small plates in general as you get to nibble on various dishes.  This was a first for Italian small plates for me, however, and our server was extremely helpful in not only asking questions but making suggestions on creating a strategy of how to order.  We went with a few chicchetti, a salad, some cheeses and a bread.  The food preppers also will answer any questions if they catch a confused look on your face while you look through the glass examining an unfamiliar dish.

All of the dishes we ordered were amzing:  a fennel, apple and ricotta cheese salad, a cold whitefish dish with celery root and horseradish aioli, goat cheese truffles, meatballs, a bruchetta and three cheeses.  The dishes are perfectly side portions to share for two – enough to satisfy but not over filling, and come out of the kitchen as they are prepared.  My recommendation is to order in waves, as to not over eat or under eat and to space the dishes out a bit.  Never once did we feel rushed, despite the place getting fairly busy on a Saturday evening.  We ended the night with a limoncello – a chilled syrupy lemon liquor that dates back over 100 years old from Italy.

Kudos to the ownership of making the transition from Charlies to Acre to now Bar Ombra/Acre as it now seems that they have a pair of winners after a bit of a rough start.  Acre’s smaller scale and bar-like atmosphere may just have me trying them next.