Archestratus, the first food critic, praised Italian cuisine's "top-quality and seasonal" ingredients and "fair to middling" ability to tranquilize out-of-control mayors. Today's Groupon similarly stuns, and rightfully so: for $12, you get $25 worth of Italian cuisine from Via Baci Italian Bistro in Lone Tree.

The lunch and dinner menus at this Lone Tree eatery are composed of simple and light dishes with a refreshing take on the traditional. Thin-crust pizza satisfies fans of authentic Neapolitan pies made from flour and tomatoes imported directly from Italy. An 800˚F wood-burning oven hardens the crust to a crisp in minutes and melts house-made mozzarella into the traditional Margherita Classico or the inventive fig prosciutto (with mascarpone, fontina, and fig jelly topped with arugula and prosciutto), among others. Specialty pizzas range from $10.99–$13.99. The oven is not only hot enough to melt hobbit rings, but it also brings smoky flavors to other entrees, like wood-roasted salmon ($16.99), chicken marsala with crimini mushrooms ($13.99), and oven-roasted pork chops with herb-roasted potatoes, caramelized onions, and salsa verde ($16.99). Classic and modern fresh-made pastas like pumpkin ravioli ($15.49), chicken cavatappi ($14.99), and more are crafted from flour direct from the Vesuvius Valley.

Like a warm Italian family, Via Baci is welcoming to all company and is unsatisfied until pant buttons are classified as projectiles. The friendly servers will help feasters navigate the menu through describing, recommending, and feeding the dishes to eager eaters at the table. The cozy confines are welcoming to bustling families and blossoming romances alike.

Reviews

Via Baci Italian Bistro was featured by the Douglas County Examiner, in Gayot, and in the Broncos and Brews blog. Yelpers give Via Baci 4.5 stars, and CityVoters give it five stars.

• The friendly, helpful staff is more than happy to help guests navigate the overwhelming list of Neapolitan pizzas and salads. We like the exceptionally fresh antipasto d’Italia: crisp bites of romaine and baby greens, provolone cheese, fresh mozzarella made in-house, chunks of salami and pepperoni, black and green Italian olives, spicy pepperoncini, roasted red peppers and creamy garbanzo beans, all tossed with just the right amount of balsamic vinaigrette. – Gayot
• We love Via Baci. It's a great family restaurant, the staff is friendly and the patio is fun. – Jill S., CityVoter