Buca di Beppo

August 5th, 2008 · No Comments

I went to Buca when it first opened a couple of years ago just to satisfy my curiosity. I have never been back. Until two weeks ago. And only because I attended a get-together with close friends. There were 45 of us.

The organizer thought best to have a family-style dining which is an excellent idea given our number. To me, family-style is more intimate: everyone at the table gets to eat everything. It also simplifies discussions about food since you ate exactly the same thing as the next person.

After being ushered to a huge private room, our evening started with a Mixed Green Salad, Bruschetta, and Fried Calamari. Our organizer thought it best to pre-order a set menu for the group which was another excellent idea. Not only did it alert the kitchen in advance, our food was ready as soon as we finished our cocktails. I enjoyed the salad more than anything else. It had crisp greens and the vinaigrette dressing was really good. The bruschetta was a little too crunchy on the edges (think biscotti) but topped with an obscene amount of fresh, ripe roma tomatoes which I love. The calamari was also fresh but nothing to write home about.

The Spaghetti Meatballs was just that: ordinary-tasting meatballs on fresh yet mediocre marinara sauce. I like my sauce hearty and saucy. Not runny. Theirs can’t even coat the spaghetti properly. The Chicken Parmigiana was pretty good but still not fantastic. The breaded chicken breasts were topped with prosciutto, bruschetta, and provolone cheese. With all the strong-tasting toppings plus the fact that they were all swimming in marinara sauce, I couldn’t really taste the chicken at all.

We had Mashed Potatoes to go with the chicken but since we also had two pasta dishes, no one really wanted to touch it anymore. Mashed potatoes is mashed potatoes; theirs is chunky (which I like). The Fettuccine Supremo was the other pasta dish we had. It had slices of chicken breast, broccoli, and red peppers on fettuccine pasta with Alfedo sauce. I don’t know about you but I can differentiate fresh from dried pasta. I prefer fresh. Theirs is not.

Buca di Beppo, if anything else, is a fun place. I do have to commend our server. She was the most methodical, most efficient, funniest, friendliest (okay, she was way too friendly at times but it made for good laughs) server I have ever encountered. She gave each person/couple a number so that she can keep track of drink tabs. The per person cost for our meal was $39.95 (drinks, tax, and gratuity not included) — way to steep for the kind and taste of the food we got. For that price, there are other, much better places like this one. And although I was disappointed (again) with the food, the company made up for it, big time.

Insider tip:
There is a chef’s table in the kitchen that seats 4. I’ve never been one to enjoy eating (at a restaurant, no less) while watching tons of raw, salmonella-laden chicken butchered in front of me. Of course, I exaggerate but you get my point. Still, if that’s you’re thing, then make sure to call ahead and reserve it.

(P.S. I’m still away on a beach far away. Be back soon!)

The scoop:
Buca di Beppo
2335 Mansell Road
Alpharetta, GA 30022
770.643.9463
Monday – Thursday: 11–10
Friday: 11–11
Saturday: 11–11
Sunday: 11–9