Buca di Beppo

Having heard about this eclectic downtown Columbus restaurant for years I can confirm there really is a pope’s head in the center of one of the tables! Sorry, I didn't take this picture - I found it online, but it looked just like this except people were eating at this round table that was in a small room by itself.

After an ok breakfast (strawberry-yogurt Zone bar and coffee in the room) and a horrible lunch (more later**) at the conference, about a dozen of us walked over to Buca di Beppo’s for dinner. And yes, we had made reservations the day before – apparently many diners hadn’t – you should have seen the faces of the crowd as we were immediately let in.

Supposedly because it was so crowded, we were walked through the kitchen on the way to our table (I considered that walk-through a bonus and wish more restaurants did that). What a tight area they have to work in! It reminded me of the Bally's kitchen in Las Vegas.

I wish I would have taken more pictures to capture the atmosphere. There are many small alcoves and rooms with “junk” everywhere – even the ceiling is decoratively painted. With the red and green lights, and the checkered tablecloths you knew you were in an Italian joint.

Meals are served family style so it was an exercise in cooperation for us to finally agree on what we would order. Of course each item was “large”, and one of each except for 2 platters of lasagna (descriptions taken from the menu):

Mixed Green Salad - Our fresh lettuce blend tossed with our signature Italian vinaigrette, red onions, pepperoncini peppers and colossal black and green olives. $16.99

Mixed Green Salad with Prosciutto and Gorgonzola - Same delicious combination as the Mixed Green Salad, topped with crispy fried prosciutto and rich gorgonzola cheese. $17.99

Caesar Salad - Fresh, crisp romaine lettuce tossed with our Caesar salad dressing and croutons, topped with parmesan cheese. $16.99

Lasagna - Nine towering layers of lasagna noodles stuffed with our homemade meat sauce and a savory combination of ricotta, mozzarella, provolone and parmesan cheeses. $24.99

Penne Basilica - Tender chicken breast, broccoli and a light pesto cream sauce with imported Italian penne pasta. $26.99

Fettuccine Alfredo - Classic favorite featuring imported Italian egg fettuccine tossed in our creamy alfredo sauce.$19.99

Chicken Parmigiana - Breaded and sautéed chicken breasts topped with marinara and mozzarella, then baked to golden perfection. $27.99

I thought the food was delicious except for the Fettucine Alfredo which was bland. Favorites: lasagna and penne basilica (I think I'll try to duplicate that last one since I found a recipe online that sounds close [see below] - it's new to their menu also). Unlike at home where I add spices to the olive oil for dipping bread, the waitress poured just olive oil into the saucers; we were served plain bread as well as a very tasty heavily coated garlic bread.

A great time was had by all! As we walked back to the hotel with full bellies we thought we should have ordered one less salad. But the other platters yielded just enough so we were able to pack leftovers as you can see in picture. We kept our foil plates in the room refrigerator and ate it cold on the way home Wednesday evening (it was still delicious).

You might want to visit their website: http://www.bucadibeppo.com/locations/default.aspx?location=3501

Photo Note: I was remiss in taking photos, but it appears another conference attendee did a great job. This slideshow from flickr is a great representation. I forgot to mention the snow-covered outdoor area with cement tables and decorations - maybe D and I can stop here in warm weather.http://www.flickr.com/photos/sallyjogary/sets/72157613220577801/show/

Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

1 cup fresh basil
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup olive oil
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3 garlic cloves 1 cup heavy cream
Combine all dry ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend. Slowly add the cream and oil while blending. Warm gently on the stove top in a medium heavy saucepan.

**Conference lunch was pulled chicken (very dry, unevenly pulled, too spicy, cold) with ok cold slaw, yukky, right out of the can baked beans, and a cookie.~~K