Yesterday, my sister invited us to go out to dinner. Before even thinking about asking where, I answered with an enthusiastic “yes”. She then told me we would be dining at Buca di Beppo. Buca di Beppo?, I asked, “What is that?”. Little did I know that I was about to experience homemade Italian food at its finest.
We arrived a bit early for our reservation, but that was completely ok, as the pictorial wall dressing of the restaurant was entertainment in itself. Framed photos, chachkis and signs adorn virtually every inch of wall space throughout the restaurant. There are photos of the famous and of the unknown, but I think my favorites have to be of the nuns and priests and general Catholic theme photos. You probably have had to grown up attending Catholic schools to fully appreciate them and if you did, they are priceless.
Once it was time to be seated, we were actually lead through the kitchen to our table. It is even possible at Buca di Beppo, to reserve a table in the kitchen. As we walked to our table, the hostess pointed out a room that contains what they call the “Pope’s table”. The table looked to seat about ten diners and its centerpiece is a bust of the current Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI.
About a minute after we were seated, our server approached the table and asked if we had previously dined at the restaurant. He grabbed a chair, sat next to us and began to explain the menu choices and portion sizes to us. At Buca, everything is served family style ala carte and can be ordered either small or large. The menu included everything one might expect at an Italian restaurant. Ravioli, spaghetti, lasagna, mastacholli and pizza were all listed. But there are also surprises, like lemon chicken and garlic mashed potatoes. Garlic mashed potatoes like you have probably never experienced before in your life. Spaghetti with half pound meatballs as large as a softball, no kidding. Some of the freshest tasting pasta I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Garlic bread with cloves of garlic embedded within the bread, soup and salads that would be hard to improve upon and the best tiramisu on earth.
I am hard pressed to say exactly what the best part of my Buca di Beppo experience was. The food was extraordinary, the service impeccable and décor was fascinating to me. But being that this is a restaurant, I guess it must be the food that wins best in show. I will never again look at mashed potatoes the same way. Buca di Beppo definitely has the best garlic mashed potatoes I have ever eaten and the tiramisu is worth the trip to the restaurant in itself.
