This beloved McCall restaurant was forced to move. Now it’s closing after 23 years
A restaurant that served McCall for decades will bid farewell at the end of summer.
Bistro 45 Wine Bar & Grill, 203 E. Lake St., will close Sept. 15. Owner-chef Steve Topple shared the news Wednesday — “with great sadness” — on the food-and-drink destination’s Facebook page.
“Although this is bittersweet,” Topple added, “as I truly love the legacy of Bistro 45, hence the reason for purchasing it, I am excited to let you know that I have been offered a wonderful job opportunity as the new full-time executive chef at Tamarack Resort in Idaho, which I gladly accepted. I am very excited for this new chapter.”
Opened in May 2001, Bistro 45 grew into a resort-town wine mecca. But, in 2023, it ran into trouble. Its lease at 1101 N. 3rd St. had been terminated after 22 years, it informed customers in another Facebook post.
“Our questions were met with silence as we scrambled to find a way to keep this beloved town staple alive,” the restaurant wrote. “When finally meeting with our landlord, we were given only two options. Move, or close.”
So, this past December, Bistro 45 moved — underneath the historic Yacht Club, where it serves steaks, burgers, paninis, flatbreads, soups, salads, charcuterie and more. The patio-dining view from the lakeside deck is stunning. But Bistro 45 will wind up shuttering, anyway.
Topple’s new position at Tamarack Resort will put him closer to his other restaurants. He also owns Ragazza di Bufalo and Casa Rossa in Donnelly, he said in his post.
This story was originally published August 22, 2024 at 2:28 PM.