Buca...ho, hum
Had dinner at Buca last night and I'm in no hurry to go back. Didn't have a terrible experience or anything, but just nothing terribly special about this place.
Started with three meats and three cheeses. The lardo, prosciutto and some spicy one, the name of which I forget. I've never had lardo and this one was good. The prosciutto was unremarkable and the little slivers scattered about...I don't know if that's a necessity of being hand cut, but I'd prefer fuller ribbons. The spicy one, good. The thing that got me was that it was $17 for three small portions of cured meat. Seems that at that price point, we should have had more. It was pretty skimpy. Cheese plate, same thing 3 types for $17. Can't say much about the cheese other than they were good, but it's not like the restaurant made them or anything. Also pretty skimpy portions.
For mains, I had the bucoli, some duck ragout pasta. It was good, but didn't blow me away. My friend had the gnocchi, also good. Other guy had bison, which looked fine and he enjoyed it.
I guess the issue really is that none of these things I had tasted any different than what I can make at home. That's generally my issue with Italian food. I didn't pick this place, but considering the buzz, I thought it would be a bigger deal.
On the bright side...for a Tuesday night, the place was pretty happening.
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Buca
604 King St. West, Toronto, ON M5V 1M6, CA
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pinstripeprincess
Nov 17, 2010 12:14 PM
my last meal at buca was the best, but i think it's because my expectations are well set now and i've refined the types of dishes i'll order from them. they're not blowing my mind in terms of flavour combinations, but i do really appreciate what they do and it hits a good comfort chord for me. the atmosphere is definitely something i'm not aiming for if i dine at home ;)
i do not bother with any of the salumi or cheese, dry, flavourless, meagre. avoid avoid avoid the desserts, at best meh at worst pretty darn awful.
their salads have been great for me, especially the carpaccio. i've become less of a fan of their pizza because they're turning more into crispy topped flatbreads and i really miss the cheese! the pastas are fine, but nothing really interesting. i've been happy with the meat dishes i've had but i stick to the hearty rustic ones. and last but certainly not least... most of my meal is made up from all the great side dishes, like the crispy pigs ears and various vegetables often topped with a cured or deep fried or poached egg.
›6 Replies-
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re: phoenikia
grandgourmand
Nov 18, 2010 07:27 AM
So mains nothing special, meat/cheese specialties aren't either. But sides and salads are good. Hardly a compelling sales pitch for a restaurant.
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re: grandgourmand
Googs
Nov 18, 2010 07:41 AM
You know, gg, I'm largely disappointed with the quality of so-called Italian fare in this city. I'e had far too many where I stare at my $300 for two bill and think, I could really stand another course. I'm not nearly satisfied.
I and my friends inevitably end up at Fusilli where we'll get real Sicilian cooking for a very reasonable price. You won't get the glam of Mistura nor the pomp and circumstance of Malena, but you will get a friendly greeting and a bill that's commensurate with the portions.
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Fusilli
531 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M5A1V1, CA -
re: grandgourmand
Depends on what you like. I tend to like antipasti and salads better than the primi and secondi in most Italian restaurants in TO anyways, so it doesn't bother me if a restaurant's strengths are in the realm of the antipasti, sides, salads and flatbreads.
Same goes with Greek on the Danforth, the Italo-Greco-contemporary Malena, and Middle Eastern restaurants, such as Jerusalem or Tabule. I'm much happier with a meal made out of mezes than the main dishes.
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re: grandgourmand
pinstripeprincess
Nov 20, 2010 09:17 PM
perhaps not, but the sides are very interesting and much more complex than the average side. same with the salads.
that being said, i don't go to buca for italian, just for a meal i find tasty. i don't disagree with how you feel about italian in general, so when i really want something beautifully rustic and delicious home is one of the best options.
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We had a funny experience at Buca over the summer. 2 couples had decided to have brunch at The Hoof Cafe only to find it closed for holidays. We were all starving at that point and agreed to check out Buca. The patio was what caught our eye.
It seemed like it was our waiter's first day. He appeared nervous and unsure. He did not know what a bloody ceasar was and had to go check if they had it. They didn't. We were pretty surprised to hear they did not carry clamato juice. The manager explained to us that they want to be true to their italian cuisine. We took this as our clue to exit. FAST.
We had a good chuckle in the alley way. True to their italian roots? How do they explain their local cheeses? What a joke.
Actually I was very disappointed because we did have a great dinner there about a year ago but this last experience made us take it off our list.
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Buca
604 King St. West, Toronto, ON M5V 1M6, CA›6 Replies-
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re: millygirl
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re: millygirl
Googs
Nov 20, 2010 11:19 AM
I'd really like to know that moment in time when it was decided that a restaurant being "true to its roots" meant telling the customer they're wrong. I'd like to go back to that moment and dispose of the person who invented this rude logic. What? True to your boorish roots?
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