New bistro to open at familar bar site in Bartonville

BARTONVILLE — A new bistro is transforming an old business in Bartonville.

The BillBoard Bistro is gutting both stories of 801 McKinley Ave., the main north-south drag through the village. The address most recently hosted The Local Grille and Bar, which for several years served creative and tasty fare at remarkably cheap prices, but closed in early spring. Before that run, the site had thrived for decades as the 801 Club, a bar that touted itself as "Home of the 32-ounce Schooner."

The BillBoard will include a small bar, but the main focus will be on food, said co-owner Randy Bassette.

"We're trying for more of a restaurant feel than a bar and grill," he said.

Bassette owns the property with his wife, Debbie Bassette. Son Gabe Bassette, who cooked at The Local, is running the operation.

"We're all in this together," Gabe Bassette said.

He said he will retain a handful of popular Local dishes. One will be the tater bomb, a potato knob that's kind of like a fritter, but stuffed with cheese, drizzled in cheese sauce and dotted with sour cream, chives and candied bacon.

As for those familiar schooners, big beers will be off the menu. However, Randy Bassette said, the oversized glassware will host a "dessert dish" still in the works.

The BillBoard Bistro hopes to open by July 4. But in light of ongoing building work, the opening might get pushed back to mid-July, Randy Bassette said.