Buca di Beppo – the closest you will get to ‘real’ Italian food in the United states of America
I love Italian food. I mean – pasta, pizza, and pastries, who does not like them? Before I moved to the United states of America two years ago, several people that know my obsession with Italian food, warned me that Italian food is simply not the same in other countries.
I was still pretty optimistic about it… until I tried the so – called Italian food in the United states of America for the first time. I am not going to mention the restaurant, but after eating there, I promised myself that I will not touch Italian food again, unless I make it by myself, or until I go back home.
But then, one of my friends, who is a foodie like me, recommended a restaurant, called Buca di Beppo, which supposedly has decent Italian food. My friend told me that this restaurant is extremely popular for birthday parties – their portions are enormous and the food is meant to be shared. And since her birthday was coming up, I agreed to give Buca do Beppo a try. And I am more than happy to tell you that I was not disappointed.
Buca di Beppo restaurant is impossible to miss - their sign is made from the colours of the Italian flag - red, green and white.
The interior of Buca di Beppo looks very 'Italian' - checkered tablecloths, puctures on the walls, and Italian music, quietly playing in the background.
What to order?
The first page of Buca di Beppo's menu reminds you that their portions are enormous - you will have to share the food with someone. Well, unless you are starving.
At first, I was considering ordering Penne alla Vodka, but then I figured out that sounded just a little bit too adventurous for me.
Just to give you an idea about the size of their plates. Like I said, they are enormous.
Our group consisted of ten people, and this is exactly how many dishes we ordered. And despite the enormous amount of food, we were so hungry that we finished it all! The ones that I am about to describe, were my favourites.
For an appetizer, try their stuffed mushrooms. This is, without a doubt, one of the best appetizers I have ever tried in any restaurant. The mushrooms are big, and they are stuffed with cheese and prosciutto. Try eating them with Buca di Beppo’s homemade garlic bread. Yummy!
The Sorrento salmon was one of the two best main courses that I tried. I do not know exactly why, but I love lemon sauce, and this salmon comes with a looooot of tasty, creamy lemon sauce. And some freshly baked bread for dipping.
Italian sausage pizza was also pretty good, although I found it a little bit too greasy for my taste. It comes loaded with a lot of meaty sausage, and some arugula on top. I am one of these weirdos who like the pizza crust, and the crust on this pizza was baked to perfection, and therefore delicious.
You cannot go wrong with ordering a simple pasta, either. I tried their spicy shrimp pasta with basil sauce, and it was delicious. If I was at home, and not in a restaurant, I would have licked that plate clean. One enormous plate of pasta contained enough food to be shared among six people. So make sure you are really hungry before going to Buca di Beppo!
It might seem unbelievable, but even after all that food, we still had some room for a dessert. We decided to get chocolate cannoli. They were crunchy and filled with a generous dose of chocolate cream.
Regarding the drinks, I would suggest you to try their strawberry lemonade, or, if you are feeling adventurous and would like to get a little tipsy, try one of their cocktails. You cannot possibly go wrong with any of them.
I was impressed that we were able to finish all the food that we ordered. I guess that is a sign the food at Buca di Beppo is decent.
How much does it cost?
A simple answer would be: less than you think! But I know you are probably curious about the exact pricing. The prices might seem high at first, but please remember that these are all shareable dishes, and the cost gets distributed among three people or more. Well, unless you want to eat all the food by yourself.
The stuffed mushrooms, cost us eighteen dollars per portion. The salmon cost twenty seven dollars, the pizza cost twenty dollars, and we paid twenty eight dollars for the shrimp pasta. The chocolate cannoli cost us ten dollars.
The cocktails cost between ten and twenty dollars, and, in my opinion, they are a great deal, since they are loaded with alcohol.
A few words for the end…
Buca di Beppo is a decent restaurant with Italian food and enormous food portions. And what is even better – the prices are reasonable, and despite the fact that this is a chain, the environment is pretty intimate, the décor is amazing, and the staff is friendly. So please do not hesitate to give Buca di Beppo a try. You will not be disappointed.
