restaurant of the month - october 2008

Buca di Beppo
Great food and rollicking fun

WHEN YOU STEP through the door of Buca di Beppo, be prepared for great food and rollicking fun!

This is a great place for travelers, because you can dress up OR down. Whether you arrive in a stretch limo or stretch pants, you'll feel comfortable the moment you walk in the door.

Buca, which means Joe's basement in Italian, is located at the corner of E. Juneau and North Van Buren, 1233 N. Van Buren St. Kitsch and fantastic food are served here.

Known throughout the U.S. for "vital, vibrant, and powerfully flavored" Italian fare, Buca di Beppo offers Buca Mio single portions; Buca Small for two or more and Buca Large serving four or more. (The last two are served family-style.)

The decor is a great send-up of Italian American restaurants. The many framed pictures pay tribute to icons such as Sophia Loren and Dean Martin. For special occasions and by reservation, the restaurant offers the Pope's Table in a special alcove. This huge table seats 16, with the guest of honor ensconced in the high-backed "Pope's Chair." There also is a dining table in the restaurant's kitchen seating eight to ten, for those who really like to be part of the action.

But don't let the light-hearted decor deceive you. At Buca, the food is taken very seriously. If you want people to return, you have to feed and serve them well. Here, "there is no substitute for freshness." Recipes call for the best imported and domestic ingredients, fresh herbs and "big flavor."

The lunchtime menu includes all of the categories offered at dinner - antipasti, pasta specialties, salads, entrees and pizza - but adds sandwiches. At lunch, sandwiches are served with homemade romano potato chips and an arugula and orzo salad. Sandwich options include chicken pesto, meatball provolone, Italian deli wrap, and sausage and peppers. At lunch and dinner, the thin-crust pizzas are rave-worthy.

At dinner, antipasi (appetizers) include bruschetta, fried calamari, proscuitto stuffed mushrooms and Bucacini (risotto balls are filled with rich ingredients reminiscent of the gardens of Sicily). Favorite salads include apple Gorgonzola salad, Insalate Portofino (salmon tossed with baby arugula, orzo pasta, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, grape tomatoes and red onions) and warm tomato spinach salad. Of course, pastas excel here, whether it's the lasagna or macaroni Rosa (chicken, broccoli, mushrooms and peas, tossed with corkscrew pasta and Rosa sauce).

Mouth-watering entrees include chicken with lemon, salmon with pesto and eggplant Parmigiana. Side dishes like Italian broccoli Romano and the green beans are so good they threaten to steal the show. At Buca, it's hard to save room for desserts, but it's worth the effort, with temptations like gelato and tiramisu.

There is an extensive wine list with a focus on Chiantis, and the Buca Margarita and the lemon basil Mojito put an Italian twist on two favorite specialty drinks. The made-on-the-premises Limoncello is an after dinner "digestivo,"a refreshing but highly alcoholic after-dinner treat.

In Milwaukee Buca cuisine also is available to-go, and the restaurant offers catering for group events. Service options range from pickup, to delivery and setup to full service, all at your location. At the restaurant, Buca's staff can tailor a menu and provide the perfect room for special events. From corporate meetings to family reunions to weddings, there are four Italian-inspired, family style banquet packages available.

Buca is open 11 a.m. -10 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Hours Friday and Saturday are 11 a.m.-11 p.m. (Lunch menu 11a.m.-4 p.m.) On Sunday, the dinner menu is served 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Phone 414- 22-GUMPA (224-8672) for more information, or visit www.bucadibeppo.com.