Osteria La Buca
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Yum. My mouth was happy which is appropriate for a place named Buca which means mouth in Italian.
Last night we had a fabulously delicious dinner at a little Italian restaurant on Melrose. The pastas are all homemade and they are Divine. And I meant that capital D. We started with an arugula salad with mushrooms and shredded parmesan in a lemon vinaigrette. (My husband makes fun of me because I remember every single ingredient of the food that we eat...but you're happy about it, aren't you?) Arugula was my favorite food in Italy - it was so fresh and complex and spicy. And while this was no Italy, this arugula did NOT disappoint. The three of us shared our entrees - a margherita pizza, linguine carbonara, and ricotta and spinach ravioli in a butter and sage sauce. It took what felt like FOREVER for our entrees to arrive but thankfully, I was in company that I enjoy so I happily polished off my lovely glass of Montepulciano and ordered another one.
And the entrees were worth the wait. The pizza was my favorite- a perfectly thin crust with delicious tomato sauce and just the right amount of cheese. I wouldn't have minded it a little more crispy but we'd already waited long enough. The carbonara was rich and delicious although next time I would ask to have the pancetta well done - I love when it pops in my mouth. The ravioli was light and lovely- rather than the common ravioli filled with ricotta with a little spinach mixed in, this was chock-full of spinach and a nice change from the norm. I would have been happy ordering almost anything on the menu and I look forward to a return visit to try everything that I wasn't able to this go around.
While we had a reservation, we opted to sit at the bar because when we arrived, there weren't any tables downstairs available. The downstairs had a warm, cozy feeling with great energy and great light. But when we were taken upstairs to see if we wanted a table there, it was cold and empty and literally felt like a different restaurant. The mistake was in closing the upstairs off from the downstairs with a large pane of glass. You can see down, but the flow of energy is completely cut off - you can't hear the chatter or feel the warmth and while people who came after us opted to sit up there, I would highly recommend asking for a table downstairs or sitting at the bar.
A lovely evening was had by all. I'm sure you're happy that you don't have to hear me bitch and moan.
After reading my post yesterday, Tracey suggested Table 8 and I must say that I've had disappointing experiences at both Table 8 and at Jar. (and a fellow NY foodie friend ate at Table 8 on a visit and felt similarly...so maybe it's just us New Yorkers.) My feeling about both of these restaurants is that there's a lot of hype for little reason. The food is fine but it's quite expensive for just fine...There's nothing spectacular about the menu or the flavors (and I've found Jar to be sort of snooty if you ask me...Don't bring onion rings to the table next to me and then when we ask for them tell me they're for VIP's only. I worked for Danny Meyer and I will tell you that does not fall into the category of hospitality or soignee service!!!!) But I'm still on my quest to find those restaurants that put a glimmer of hope into the LA food scene. It gives me something to focus on other than the fact that I have to drive through a picket line every morning.
Osteria La Buca, 5210 1/1 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA (323) 462-1900
open for lunch Monday through Friday and dinner seven nights a week
Posted byMeesh-elle my Belle at 4:32 PM
Labels: food and drink
