Buca. BUCA. BUCAAAA. With a patio nestled in an alleyway off King Street West and an indoor basement restaurant, this is a pricey, but impressive Italian gem.
I love the location, so mysterious and we were seated on the 'patio' to enjoy a balmy summer night. Lovely ambiance and the service was good as well. The servers were knowledgeable and polite, but it wasn't a memorable service.
Food: My friend called it euphoric. I echo that sentiment as it was a stellar Italian meal from start to finish. Our group of 3 split the bread knots and pig ears as the appetizer. I also had the olive oil and beet - infused vodka cocktail that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND - it went down like silk. For my main I had the clam pasta which was well-done. I felt that it was a bit lacking in clams but the delicious home-made pasta made up for it. So chewy and flavourful. My friends tried the bigodi which I preferred the sauce of and the milk - poached veal tenderloin was SUPERB. The meat was so tender.
And then there was dessert, pork blood chocolate tart and the tiramisu were stupendous. Yes, I said pork blood. Try it. I dare you. I felt the pork blood contributed more toward the texture and the dark chocolate was delightfully rich with an orange undertone that paired perfectly with the apricot and pistachios. A little rich that I don't think I could have consumed a whole one on my own but delightful to share. I would also eat a bucket of that tiramisu, 'nuff said. All in all, this was a superb Italian meal.
Price: I did find it a bit pricey for the portion size though I will say that the portions were adequate to fill you. My own bill with an entree, cocktail and a split of 2 apps + 2 desserts came to $75 with tip included.
Overall, I can't wait to return to try their other dishes and pizzas.