Over 20 years ago, Bistro 45 opened in McCall, bringing a wine bar concept to the area.
According to a Facebook post from the owners of Bistro 45, their landlord informed them via email that their lease at 1101 N 3rd Street was not being renewed, leaving them with two options: close or move. This is when Steve Topple stepped in — a local chef and the owner of McCall’s Ragazza Di Lago.
Topple tells BoiseDev that Ragazza Di Lago wasn’t doing as well as he hoped. He was in the process of reinventing the restaurant when he heard about what was going on with Bistro 45. So, Topple decided to close Ragazza Di Lago and purchase Bistro 45. He will soon reopen a revamped version of Bistro 45 where Ragazza Di Lago was, underneath Yacht Club at 203 E Lake Street.
Bistro 45’s new home will feature a wine bar when guests immediately walk in. The space will then open to a restaurant area with a grill, plus a patio with lake views.
While the Bistro 45 name will stay the same, there will be some changes to the menu. Currently, Bistro 45 offers salads, paninis, and appetizers. Topple said a reimagined dinner menu will offer fish tacos, steak, burgers, fish and chips, and more.
“The menu was very basic, and regards to the Lago (it) was a Mediterranean-style restaurant. I’m keeping a couple of things from that menu and I’ve taken them and kind of molding it into a new style menu. And so it should be fun,” Topple said.
Bistro 45 has long-held events like book clubs, town meetings, and Seven Devils Playwrights. Topple says the new space will also be a place for “lots of events.”
Bistro 45’s current location will close on December 15. Topple said the lakefront space will open for dinner on December 5 and once the other restaurant closes, the new location will open for lunch as well.
The lunch menu will be served seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and the dinner menu will be offered Tuesday through Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Topple said dinner hours will be extended during the summer.
The owners of Bistro 45 took to Facebook to announce the news and thank its patrons for the good years at the 3rd Street building.
“For many years we’ve said that Bistro 45 is the Courtyard. But it isn’t. Bistro 45 is a friendly atmosphere, good food, great wine, and amazing people. It is the community that has so loyally supported us for all these years,” the post said.
