The Weber
Buffalo Moon
The Oven Pizza E Vino
El Noa Noa
Jewel of India
Yard House
Shipwreck Landing North
Strings
Modis
Bagali’s
Mary’s Lake Lodge
Cinzzetti’s
Jing

Famous Dave’s

Sushi Matsuri

Small bites

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Sol Azul Teqiula
Seth Ellis Chocolatier

Finding a great meal in Vail isn’t hard; finding a great meal that is affordable while in Vail is truly a treat. That’s the way I feel about Bagali’s, an Italian restaurant deserving of all the attention they can get.

Italian food is seemingly so easy to make and yet so few Italian restaurants create a memorable meal. Bagali’s gets it right. I started my meal with one of Bagali’s fresh salads, the Spinach Gorgonzola ($5.95/$8.95). Just about anyone can put together a decent salad with candied walnuts, crisp apples, dried figs but if you get the dressing wrong the salad won’t come together. Bagali’s makes a delicious buttermilk gorgonzola vinaigrette that compliments the salad perfectly. Many people would find the meal size salad completely filling.

I look forward to my next visit to try some of the other appetizers: marinated olives ($6.95), Goat Cheese Bruschetta ($9.95) or Blackened Ahi Carpaccio ($10.95). I’d love to see what they do with their Mussels ($12.95).

Naturally Bagali’s excels at pasta dishes. They let you pick your favorite sauce and combine it with your favorite pasta. You are also able to add in a vegitable or meat, such as baby clams, Louisiana crawfish or Italian sausage.

I chose their Corsara sauce, a perfectly balanced blend of marinara, cream, white wine and other flavorings and spices served over their homemade gnocchi. This was simply the best I’ve ever had ($19).

I also tried their Baked Cannelloni ($17.95), made with spinach, sausage, sweet tomato sauce and lots of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. I suppose I grew up too close to the Wisconsin border, but I prefer a generous helping of cheese when appropriate. Once again Bagali’s found the right balance. The dish was delicious and managed to avoid being dry – a common problem with baked pasta dishes - without being soupy.

For desert I was hankering for a piece of Tiramisu but they were out, and had to settle for Carrot Cake. After everything else was prepared so well, I was a bit disappointed. It wasn’t horrible; the cake just didn’t rise to the standard set elsewhere.

Bagali’s is home to the Lava Lounge, which shows local artist’s work on the walls. Their specials include $3 U-Call-It's, $3 Appetizers, $3 Pizza Slices, WET WEDNESDAYS Starting at 6pm Free Budweiser Keg (they tap the keg and everyone drinks free Bud until it’s gone!), $3 Shot Specials, 1/2 Price Appetizers, $2.50 Cheese Slices, FREE FRIDAYS 6pm-8pm Free Pizza, $3 U-Call-Its

Bagali’s Italian Kitchen is located next to the Holiday Inn, in West Vail, at 2211 N Frontage Road, West Vail Colorado. They can be reached at (970) 479-9242. More information is available at:  http://bagalisitaliankitchen.com