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| - This place hovers between a 3- and 4-star rating. I saw the Groupon for La Bocca and didn't get it, because I'm not a pizza fan for the most part unless it's truly amazing. After dining there, I couldn't help comparing it with La Grande Orange Pizzeria: both boast gourmet pizzas and fancy appetizers with similar price points. I personally prefer LGO's pizza because of the better/thinner crust and higher-quality cheese.
La Bocca's wood-fired pizza -- for the record, the porco/pulled pork pizza -- did not give me the bubbling cheese impression when it first came out; instead, the cheese was stiff and lukewarm. Also, the pork pieces were scantily and unevenly distributed, hardly meaty at all. So don't mistake the porco pizza for a meat lover's heaven. The pulled pork was certainly porky (= greasy) but not juicy or flavorful.
On a side note, La Bocca's leftover pizza slices did not make a satisfying meal the following day -- the reheated dough was rock-hard and inedible. On the other hand, LGO's leftover pizza was still delicious 3 days later.
As for its famed bruschetta appetizers, I saw the appeal but didn't get it. We got prosciutto, pesto, garlic, and ricotta bruschettas. My reaction: Mehhh. They were filling (admittedly lots of carbs) but far from something I would go back for. They taste quite the same to me and the bread wasn't my favorite.
If you want to make good bruschetta at home, here's a recipe:
1) sourdough crisps (from Costo)
2) goat cheese
3) fig jam
4) Assemble 1 + 2 + 3. Voila!
Maybe I'm spoiled by easy-and-yummy bruschettas I can make at home, I was definitely not impressed by what I spent $12 for in La Bocca.
We also got the sangria. A lot of alcohol for its price; also a lot of syrup.
I agree La Bocca is a nice place to hang out with my ASU friends and a good alternative if I don't want to drive to LGO. It would be even nicer if I have a groupon to get a couple dollars off the bill. But it lacks the finess I was looking for in an outstanding pizzeria. Nice, but mediocre in my book.
P.S. valet parking good for 2 hours if you park in the garage nearby.
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