Maybe my blood is running blue these days, but I have more country club news. Last week, we reported on news of management changes at Alvamar Country Club. Today, we have news about what a former local country club executive is up to.

Brent Boyle, who at various times over the last decade has worked as food and beverage director at Lawrence Country Club and also was club manager at Alvamar Country Club, has opened an Italian restaurant in Baldwin City.

Antonucci’s is at 519 Ames Street, which is across the street from the Kwik Shop. (All directions in Baldwin City originate from the Kwik Shop.)

Boyle said the restaurant focuses on classic Italian dishes. The restaurant has a culinary school-trained chef — Tad Ingles — who has prepared a menu that focuses on dishes made from scratch. That includes, homemade meatballs, a peppers and sausage dish that incoporates restaurant-made sausage, and made-from-scratch pizzas.

Boyle, who also owns the Baldwin Diner, said he was looking to create a bit more of a destination style restaurant in Baldwin City.

“I got to looking around and realized there really wasn’t a restaurant to take a date in Baldwin City,” Boyle said.
The restaurant held its grand opening in late January, and Boyle said the restaurant is starting to attract Lawrence and Ottawa customers who want to take a bit of an evening drive.

“The new Highway 59 at 70 miles an hour really makes it pretty easy for people to get down here to Baldwin,” Boyle said.