La Buca

[BCinBC]

Caution: this is a cross-post with WF, so don’t blame me if you read this bloated crap twice!

N and I were lucky enough to grab a reservation at La Buca for last night. We arrived just before 7, and right off the bat I had a star-spotting: one Mr Sean Heather and I believe his lovely wife (whom I've never met, so Sean please excuse me if this assumption if it is wrong). He kindly stopped by later to say hi, and had good things to say about his meal.

The room. No offence to Henry, but the room is much nicer than what was there previously. You know how Parkside exudes an understated elegance, well La Buca is similar but kind of “understated casual.” Cream coloured walls with brown trim, and dark red curtains cutting accents through in a few spots. It is still a little shoeboxy, tightly packed with tables yet completely uncluttered. We got the end of the room table beside the FOH station / kitchen and it's separated from the others, but if you got seated at one of the tables on either long side, you might feel close-elbowed to your neighbor. However this is a necessity of the space, and the optimist would call it “cozy.”

We were presented with “local” water (as opposed to sparkling, ha ha) and fennel bread sticks, to help while perusing the menu. For her starter, N ordered the buffalo mozarella and shaved fennel (and grilled raddichio and pine nut and...) salad, which I believe was slightly different than what appears as Antipasto on the current online menu. Tried one bite - nice dish, the cheese is beautiful. I had duck proscuitto with green beans, potatoes and arugula (similar to the Bresaola di manzo on the online menu). Another nice salad, keeping with the understated theme – which surprised me with the presence of duck proscuitto. Also tempting us from the appetizer list were the mussels and chorizo, La Buca’s take on the Caesar, and the fisherman's soup.

I then opted for an intermezzo, a half-order of tagliatelle alla panna. Super good, and not a bad sized “half portion” either. Looking around the room, the main sized pasta portion was very generous, and I could see myself putting my face into a bowl of the tagliatelle with regularity. The proscuitto / pea / parmesan combo is unsurpassed in my books, and as Andrey said they not trying to reinvent the wheel, just present simple dishes with top notch ingredients. And isn't that what Italian food is supposed to be?

I came that close to trying one of the bolognese, the vongole and the gnocchi with hunter's style chicken ragu too. In fact my new mission is to one day go in for a massive carb overload, those plus the mushroom risotto – 5 full servings – then immediately fly to Dr Atkins' grave to say “howdy.”

Mains were the aforementioned wild mushroom risotto for N (naturally), and the osso bucco with saffron risotto and green beans for me. Mushroom risotto is outstanding! First taste is porcinis, but there were also a bunch of others in there (chanterelles, oysters, ah I forget what else but a bunch). Wonderful creamy consistency.

Before the osso bucco came out, our waitress / busser delivered to me a marrow spoon. Good sign! And then it arrives... A massive portions of veal covered in a rich red wine sauce atop beautiful risotto, and possibly some gremolata? (I got a bit of orange peel.) The meat is still firm though tender, the surrounding tissue all broken down and gelatinous, and the marrow! Due to sheer richness, I eat osso bucco maybe once a decade, but it is always worth it. And did I mention the massive portion? I came nowhere close to finishing it, the remainder is waiting to be eaten for lunch minutes from now, after which I will surely have an open-eyed nap.

Dinner was accompanied by a bottle of Renzo Masi Basciano Chianti 2004, which when opened and tasted sucked the moisture not only from my mouth, but the surrounding air within a 3' radius of me. The waiter asked how it was; I paused and said “tannic.” Yet it went beautifully with the food.

We did not need dessert, but I had to ordered a coffee and and apple strudel (with whipped cream and caramel) anyway. Surprisingly I did not order the panna cotta, but this was only because it was with guava – of which I am not a big fan. Other options were tiramisu or biscotti. Strudel pastry was nice and crispy, but the best part may have been the apple chips on the side. As Canucklehead would say, Delicious!

They have dessert drinks too, including Moscato – or grappa, if your liver really deserves a haymaker. One day, maybe after the 5-pasta extravaganza.

What else? The wine list is well done, succinct and almost all bottles are available by the glass (both of these points I admire). The service was really enjoyable, the room is such that the small FOH staff can keep a close eye on what's going on. From walking in the door to waddling out, our meal was just about 2 hours on the dot (during a peak time with a full room). The total for our meal was $136 nic tip, which really for the quality of the food and the service is outstanding.

I stopped by the kitchen before departing to say hi, thanks and good luck to Andrey; and to lament to him that he wasn't able to secure the old Coco Pazzo / current Senova location. This IMO is the pinnacle of the “CFD” concept, screw the other pretenders. Plunk this concept into that space, and N and I would have made a standing weekly reservation as it would be so easy to drive over – or ride our bikes in the summer – for a glass of wine and a salad or a big bowl of pasta on a Friday evening. As it is, I'm pretty sure we can afford the 15 minutes worth of gas to get to this location regularly.

Nice one guys!

[maxmillan]

Thanks for the report...sounds absolutely must do!

Mmmmmmmm...osso buco......

[Wine and Roses]

Mrs. W & R tried La Buca and concur, excellent meal. Good value and I also concur on the Senova location. What a great place that would be for La Buca, perfect for the neighbourhood and the sensibilities of the West Sider's. Senova, if it belongs anywhere, which I actually don't think it does, belongs on commercial drive where the diners are a bit more adventurous.

[Little Frog]

After foolishly trying to go to La Buca without a reso, I finally made it to there on my birthday and had a great dinner!

Very straightforward take on Italian food, nothing overly intricate or trying too hard to impress. Just very good dishes from all over Italy, many of them with a rustic feel, but taken to the next level of refinement by skillful cooking and the liberal use of fresh herbs.

The room itself would definitely not be out of place in Italy, with its black and white flooring, closely spaced tables and unadorned look. Space is at a premium and the room is quite plain, yet La Buca feels comfortable. The friendly and attentive service probably plays a great role in how welcoming this place is.

While perusing the menu, I happily munched on the thick fennel gressini, which were excellent. Things were off to a good start!

I had the zuppa di pesce as my appetizer, a very generously served tomato-based soup, chock full of seafood - a steal at $9.00. Many restaurants in town would sell a smaller portion than this as a main course. The seafood was very fresh and not overcooked as is often the case. The soup had a clean, rich taste to which lots and lots of chopped parsley added a slight lemony note.

I had mentioned to my waiter that, even though I love wine, I am not a big drinker. He suggested a half quartino of Spanish rose to go with the zuppa di pesce, followed by another half quartino of Masi chianti with my main course. Both pairings worked quite well and it was just enough wine for me (roughly a glass or maybe a little less. Plus, the tiny carafes just look adorable!)

I then had the saltimbocca, one of my favourite Italian dishes. I always had seen it prepared with a very thin veal cutlet, then rolled up with the sage and prosciutto. Here, a thicker cut of veal is used and the meat is simply topped with the sage and prosciutto. The veal was extremely tender and juicy and the kitchen certainly did not skimp on the sage and prosciutto. One of the best saltimbocca I have ever had.

I had absolutely no room for dessert that night, but I am already planning a return visit to try the osso bucco and I will make sure to leave room for the tiramisu.

Both food and service were excellent and prices are very reasonable. If you are thinking of giving La Buca a try - and I highly recommend you do! - by all means do make a reservation. Even on a chilly Monday night in January, the place was packed...

[Vancouver]

Sounds like a must try. I just took a look at the menu on their website at http://www.labuca.ca/ and it looks promising!

Cheers!

[Beebs]

Yum yum yummmm! Called for a last minute reservation last night for Significant Other's birthday dinner, wasn't expecting to get a seat as I've been told the place is always packed, even on weeknights. Managed to get a late seating (yippee!).

I had the duck breast prosciutto for starters, which came with a potato-green bean-arugula salad. Flavourful, salty goodness! Significant Other had tortellini in brodo and the tortellinis were stuffed full of shredded veal.

Mains were the Osso Buco (for S.O.) -- meltingly tender with a wonderful lemony-orangey sauce. Love the little marrow bone spoon for scooping out the marrow -- beefy fatty goodness. I had the pumpkin ravioli with sage & toasted hazelnuts. Ohmygosh, those raviolis were some of the most delicious things I've ever put into my mouth! And do I detect a drizzle of truffle oil? When our server set the ravioli in front of me, I inhaled that amazing aroma and practically drooled all over myself (salivating a little as I type...).

Finished with panna cotta with rum raisins and tiramisu, which we could barely pack into our already-stuffed gullets.

The pasta special yesterday was spaghetti with seafood. Saw a few of these go out -- the plate literally piled high with mussels, shrimp, clams, fish. Looked amazing, and guests were munching it with much enjoyment -- must have it next time it's available.

Simple, wonderfully done dishes, great service, terrific value -- planning my next meal at La Buca already!

[cafe queen]

Went to La Buca last night for the first time, admittedly with high expectations. What the heck is all the hype about? Dinner was ok, not worth getting into details over except to say that the food although filling, didn't score any major points and the prices seemed steep for "a hole in the wall". Dinner for four was 300 bucks : 3 apps 4 mains 3 desserts and 2 bottles of $40 wine (screwtop). They seemed to be having extreme issues with ventilation; the kitchen was fairly filled with thick smoke for most of the evening (I believe from grilling veal chops; quite fatty ones obviously), the smoke slowly worked its way out into the main room.

The service was efficient, although we did have a good 1/2 hour wait for our dinner after we finished our apps. The chronic topping up of our wine glasses (every 8-10 minutes) got on my nerves and consequently forced us to over consume on the wine. Weird addendum, the room was not full for a good portion of the night, but when people popped in for an impromptu dinner they were turned away..... (our server told us the restaurant was turning over its tables at 9.30 for the third go round of reservations - that clearly never happened). Other quibbles include not quoting prices of specials of the evening, I found my coat in a heap on the floor on the way out (no coat service), having to trapse through the (smokefilled) kitchen to get to washroom (weird). If you are going to charge downtown prices uptown, put in the extra effort. I'd go back to Crave, Chambar, Vijs et al and not bat an eye at dropping $300. I just don't feel that the owners of La Buca have gone the extra mile to make me want to recommend or rush back.

[chowman on main]

Do you mean Cru rather than Crave? (I am unsure how one could spend that much at Crave or if it should be listed with Chambar and Vij's.)

  If you are going to charge downtown prices uptown, put in the extra effort.  I'd go back to Crave, Chambar, Vijs et al and not bat an eye at dropping $300.  

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Edited February 19, 2007 by chowman on main (log)

[eatvancouver]

Dinner for four was 300 bucks  : 3 apps 4 mains  3 desserts and 2 bottles of $40 wine (screwtop). 

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1. Is $300 including tax and tip? Because $300 including tax/tip for four does not sound unreasonable to me at all.

2. Several high quality wines use screwtops, so that statement provides very little information about the quality of the wine

The chronic topping up of our wine glasses (every 8-10 minutes) got on my nerves and consequently forced us to over consume on the wine.

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3. Although perhaps an old trick for increasing wine sales, I don't see how topping up "forces" one to drink more.

If you are going to charge downtown prices uptown, put in the extra effort.

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4. Isn't uptown usually considered more expensive than downtown?

They seemed to be having extreme issues with ventilation;  the kitchen was fairly filled with thick smoke for most of the evening (I believe from grilling veal chops; quite fatty ones obviously), the smoke slowly worked its way out into the main room.

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5. I know they had major problems with their kitchen hood a while ago. I hope this isn't going to be a reoccurring problem. Anyone have the skinny on this?

Edited February 19, 2007 by eatvancouver (log)

[BCinBC]

The chronic topping up of our wine glasses (every 8-10 minutes) got on my nerves and consequently forced us to over consume on the wine.

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3. Although perhaps an old trick for increasing wine sales, I don't see how topping up "forces" one to drink more.

And others would call this "good service" - or conversely, others would complain if they had an empty glass before it got refilled. Just goes to show that you can't please everyone.

The other thing about pricing - I believe that they do make everything from scratch and with pretty high quality ingredients. So the $300 for 4 figure, including $80 in wine (before tax & tip), doesn't seem that outrageous to me. But again, maybe that just wasn't up to the diners' tastes. Cafe Queen, too bad your experience wasn't enjoyable.

[PaoPao]

Last night we had the pleasure of dining at La Buca. I really like the simple design and comfortable atmosphere.

My wife had the Osso Buco which was fantastic and my favorite of the night. For mains my friend and I both had the Saltimbocca which was very good as well. The other dish ordered was the Pumpkin Ravioli which our other friend enjoyed very much. We all started with salads or soup and ended sharing a tiramisu and a chocolate mousse cannoli .... all very tasty as well. Washed down with a couple bottles of wine we were out the door for $70 pp including tax and tip .... a nice value.

Our service was very attentive and knowledgeable. My only disappointment was after a beautiful meal like this I really enjoy an espresso with my dessert, unfortunately they have none because of space restrictions. Ah well.

We will definitely be back.

[ghillie]

Booked as a party of seven for the twentieth of february. Told we would be served family style for such a number with the chef determining the courses. Cost for the food would be $50 per person.

Turned out to be a great decision to go with that. The food came Italian style, salad, antipasto, pasta, fish course and meat course. Dessert was an optional extra. The food was excellent, an interesting twist on a caesar salad with grilled anchovies, along with a tomato and bocconcini salad to die for. The antipasti was a broad selection including the duck prosciutto, the pastas were three of their top menu items, including the pumpkin ravioli they do so well. Petrale sole in the Florentine style and finally the meat selection, osso buco, florentine beef and saltimbocca.

Everybody from my ageing and ageless mother in law to my sophisticated world traveller nephew was well satisfied. We couldn't manage dessert---well one order for us all to taste.

All washed down with some excellent BC wine. Total bill just over 700 dollars with generous tip.

Oh, the service was impeccable. Appropriate replenishment of wineglasses and immediate replacement of cutlery that I clumsily knocked on the floor on top of excellent overall attention to detail.

[Wine and Roses]

Back again for dinner, this is definitely our favourite new restaurant and we loved it as always although I would have to say that with this being the first time we were in that Andre wasn't cooking, the food was not quite as good.

[makanmakan]

We went last week with another couple and asked Andrey to please, kindly feed us.

Wow, what a treat we were in for. First course came and it was a Tuscan Bean Soup. Along with the garlic bread and breadsticks.

Next came the pasta. The Spaghetti Vongole was my favourite. Just so savoury and rich and perfectly al dente. The others that were equally good were the Bolognese and a layered pasta that was ooey gooey fontina goodness.

Next up was the proteins. Halibut with wild mushrooms, Osso Bucco with a saffron risotto, and a half of a crispy chicken. What that man can do with risotto is magic. The crispy chicken satisfied my many month long craving for fried chicken.

Next came dessert. My God. Pannacotta with Saskatoon berries. I had to resist stealing that whole thing for myself. Tiramisu and a dark chocolate torte were the other sweets and a cheese plate that had a fantastic soft stinky cheese that I can never remember the name of, paired with some quince jelly.

All that and a fantastic Chianti, my friends and I were in Andrey heaven.

Thanks again, Andrey and fantastic crew. You guys have now given me the best dining experience ever!

[barbaluc]

A few weeks ago we booked at La Buca, as I really enjoy their other 2 properties. We were a group of 5, and when we arrived the server asked if we would like to dine 'famiglia' style, i.e. platters instead of individual plates. It was fantastic, about 60 dollars per person and the food was great.

Last Friday, for my birthday, we made a late decision to join friends for dinner. I suggested La Buca if we could get in and eat the same way. No problem I was told when I made the reservation. On arrival, we again confirmed 'family style'.

The first 2 plates arrived as individual dishes.When I asked about the platter service I was told that the chef felt this way was much better. Hey, it was MY birthday not his! Had I wanted good plated italian we would have gone to Cioppino's. After another comment we did finally have a course served the way we had anticipated.

The bill was 700 (inc.gratuity) for 4 and although all the food was very good I was really unhappy with their attitude. Since then, when I have recounted this story to others they have said that that is well known about this restaurant. Too bad, as it is in the neighbourhood and although the food may be good I can find several others in that price range where I don't walk away angry.

[grayelf]

A few weeks ago we booked at La Buca, as I really enjoy their other 2 properties. We were a group of 5, and when we arrived the server asked if we would like to dine 'famiglia' style, i.e. platters instead of individual plates. It was fantastic, about 60 dollars per person and the food was great.

Last Friday, for my birthday, we made a late decision to join friends for dinner. I suggested La Buca if we could get in and eat the same way. No problem I was told when I made the reservation. On arrival, we again confirmed 'family style'.

The first 2 plates arrived as individual dishes.When I asked about the platter service I was told that the chef felt this way was much better. Hey, it was MY birthday not his!  Had I wanted good plated italian we would have gone to Cioppino's. After another comment we did finally have a course served the way we had anticipated.

The bill was 700 (inc.gratuity) for 4 and although all the food was very good I was really unhappy with their attitude. Since then, when I have recounted this story to others they have said that that is well known about this restaurant. Too bad, as it is in the neighbourhood and although the food may be good I can find several others in that price range where I don't walk away angry.

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That is not good, barbaluc. Hope we don't cop any of that attitude tonight (we have 6:30 resos for four). We had the same good experience as you did the first time on a Sunday in the first week of April, and have never had any similar problems when dining with smaller groups over the past couple of years. Your $700 for 4 seems a bit high to me although maybe you indulge in fancier vinos than we do FWIW here's the blurb I posted about our April dinner:

The staff suggested we order "a la famiglia" and let the kitchen decide what we would have for Mum's birthday dinner. Good call. For $45 each we gnarled our way through the following: salumi plate (4 kinds from Oyama in Granville Island including the best prosciutto I've ever had in or out of Italy), ridiculously tasty grilled bread, panfried alpine cheese with tomato fondue and arugula salad (great combination of flavours and textures, lovely presentation), spicy prawns in lemon, chili and garlic vinaigrette with herb salad (a fairly traditional dish, very tasty, prawns a tad overdone), wild mushroom risotto (which I liked, and I'm not a big mushroom fan, and my dad said was the best risotto he's ever had, in or out of Italy), a shortish pasta whose names evades me con panna (classic cream, pancetta and peas concoction, SO's fave dish), agnolotti with braised lamb (again, blew me away as I normally avoid lamb like the plague and gobbled this dish up, so tender and no musky taste, and the mint, pea and ricotta stuffed pasta was flawless). crispy roast chicken tasting subtly of lemon, rosemary, garlic and black pepper with contorni of zucchini in garlic butter and simply steamed skinny asparagus, and finally the kicker: beef tenderloin in a light balsamic dressing topped with fresh arugula and shavings of romano (I think). Outside seared to slightly crispy perfection, inside almost blue rare but not bloody at all, buttery smooth but with great flavour, nicely complemented by the sweet zip of the balsamic, the tangy greens and the salty goodness of the sparingly applied cheese. An elegant sufficiency of food, okay we were all pretty stuffed, but it wasn't too over the top, and we somehow managed to polish off three desserts (not included in the set price but I couldn't do without a few bites of the beloved pannacotta), coffees for three, not to mention a couple of bottles of a red that was widely adored and called by the excellent name of Apollonio Squinzano, a 2001 vintage from Puglia, going for a reasonable $35 each. We waddled out 2.5 hours later and at $80 per person tax and tip included (although of course we paid for Mum!) thought it was a top value for a deluxe meal. Service was gracious, attentive and thoughtful, and the kitchen staff seemed very appreciative when I did a Wayne's World in honour of the not-on-the-menu tenderloin on my way to the WC :-).

Edited May 25, 2008 by grayelf (log)

[barbaluc]

A few weeks ago we booked at La Buca, as I really enjoy their other 2 properties. We were a group of 5, and when we arrived the server asked if we would like to dine 'famiglia' style, i.e. platters instead of individual plates. It was fantastic, about 60 dollars per person and the food was great.

Last Friday, for my birthday, we made a late decision to join friends for dinner. I suggested La Buca if we could get in and eat the same way. No problem I was told when I made the reservation. On arrival, we again confirmed 'family style'.

The first 2 plates arrived as individual dishes.When I asked about the platter service I was told that the chef felt this way was much better. Hey, it was MY birthday not his!  Had I wanted good plated italian we would have gone to Cioppino's. After another comment we did finally have a course served the way we had anticipated.

The bill was 700 (inc.gratuity) for 4 and although all the food was very good I was really unhappy with their attitude. Since then, when I have recounted this story to others they have said that that is well known about this restaurant. Too bad, as it is in the neighbourhood and although the food may be good I can find several others in that price range where I don't walk away angry.

←

That is not good, barbaluc. Hope we don't cop any of that attitude tonight (we have 6:30 resos for four). We had the same good experience as you did the first time on a Sunday in the first week of April, and have never had any similar problems when dining with smaller groups over the past couple of years. Your $700 for 4 seems a bit high to me although maybe you indulge in fancier vinos than we do FWIW here's the blurb I posted about our April dinner:

The staff suggested we order "a la famiglia" and let the kitchen decide what we would have for Mum's birthday dinner. Good call. For $45 each we gnarled our way through the following: salumi plate (4 kinds from Oyama in Granville Island including the best prosciutto I've ever had in or out of Italy), ridiculously tasty grilled bread, panfried alpine cheese with tomato fondue and arugula salad (great combination of flavours and textures, lovely presentation), spicy prawns in lemon, chili and garlic vinaigrette with herb salad (a fairly traditional dish, very tasty, prawns a tad overdone), wild mushroom risotto (which I liked, and I'm not a big mushroom fan, and my dad said was the best risotto he's ever had, in or out of Italy), a shortish pasta whose names evades me con panna (classic cream, pancetta and peas concoction, SO's fave dish), agnolotti with braised lamb (again, blew me away as I normally avoid lamb like the plague and gobbled this dish up, so tender and no musky taste, and the mint, pea and ricotta stuffed pasta was flawless). crispy roast chicken tasting subtly of lemon, rosemary, garlic and black pepper with contorni of zucchini in garlic butter and simply steamed skinny asparagus, and finally the kicker: beef tenderloin in a light balsamic dressing topped with fresh arugula and shavings of romano (I think). Outside seared to slightly crispy perfection, inside almost blue rare but not bloody at all, buttery smooth but with great flavour, nicely complemented by the sweet zip of the balsamic, the tangy greens and the salty goodness of the sparingly applied cheese. An elegant sufficiency of food, okay we were all pretty stuffed, but it wasn't too over the top, and we somehow managed to polish off three desserts (not included in the set price but I couldn't do without a few bites of the beloved pannacotta), coffees for three, not to mention a couple of bottles of a red that was widely adored and called by the excellent name of Apollonio Squinzano, a 2001 vintage from Puglia, going for a reasonable $35 each. We waddled out 2.5 hours later and at $80 per person tax and tip included (although of course we paid for Mum!) thought it was a top value for a deluxe meal. Service was gracious, attentive and thoughtful, and the kitchen staff seemed very appreciative when I did a Wayne's World in honour of the not-on-the-menu tenderloin on my way to the WC :-).

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[grayelf]

As mentioned above, we hit La Buca last night (Sunday) for dinner. Everything was well executed (we've never had anything we didn't really enjoy here except the chicken liver starter which has been a bit dry both times). One ordered the daily special burata salad (stolen taste was good) and the daily special snapper (stolen taste proved these lads know how to cook a bit of fish). Next diner ordered the daily special app which was a squid-ink risotto with scallops surrounded by a tomato-based sauce -- really beautiful plating on this. I didn't manage to nab a taste but it was pronounced wonderful, with the scallop cooked perfectly. Another diner ordered a vegetarian tagliatelle with zucchini and ricotta and reported it delicous (hard to steal tastes of long pasta across the table). I had the spaghetti carbonara in appetizer size and -- huge shock -- my perennial favourite the short ribs, this time with parmesan polenta subbed in for the usual mushroom risotto. I am not a huge fan of mushrooms and the kitchen always manages to plate something good and appropriate instead for me. The accompanying veg was a mixed sautee of asparagus, green beans, snap peas and some largish medium green legumy fellas that had the shape of lima beans but tasted 'way better. Super simple but so well cooked. For dessert, the must-have panna cotta, this time with strawberries, and a Pavlova-like meringue with a fluffy lemon filling that they called lemon curd but my English rellies would not, and rhubarb. The former was tip top as usual, the latter very tasty but the meringue was a trifle on the chewy side for my taste. We had a bottle of the Squinzano and three coffees. The FIL paid which was very nice but I managed to spy the the bill: $204 before grat. Left happy and very full at 8:30 as the next guests were arriving to claim our table as we had been warned in advance would happen.

ETA -- we did not inquire about famiglia style servings as we had a vegetarian dining with us.

Edited May 26, 2008 by grayelf (log)