Buccacino's

4.5/5

155 Osbourne Street, South of Stradbrook

Previsit
I've been here before but not since I started this blog.  Clearly since we've gone back multiple times, I've enjoyed this restaurant but a word of warning; DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU DO NOT LIKE GARLIC.  I've only been there during non-peak times (between 1 and 4) so I've always found it quiet, but I have heard that it gets loud - especially during the dinner rush because the restaurant is so open.
Specials to note:
           - Wednesday night, $1 off bottles of wine
           - Sunday brunch - $11

The Service
Because we arrived at around 1:30, there was no host to greet us but the manager was quick to come to the front and seat us.  The restaurant side and lounge both have an open atmosphere, with a wall dividing the two.  The furniture matches the Osbourne Village atmosphere, a wide collection of different chairs that somehow fit together.  There are no booths on the dining room side, so the tables can be easily rearranged to accommodate larger groups. 

     Appetizers:
We both ordered soup as our appetizers because we were there for a late lunch, but the dinner menu had a good selection of different appetizers.  The lunch menu had a variety of salads available too. 
Minestrone soup, a constant on the menu, which was tasty but not the best I've ever had.  It was heavily tomato flavoured with a thick broth but it was not very hardy and they use penne noodles instead of shells in the soup. 
Soup of the day - red pepper with orzo and chicken.  Despite the name, the soup was actually a cream-based broth.  The taste of red pepper was minimal, the chicken flavour was much stronger so it could be described as a 'fancy chicken noodle' instead of a red pepper based soup - it was still very good tasting.

     Entrees:
Pesto Carciofi - spaghetti tossed in a basil pesto with roasted red peppers, white onions, artichokes, spinach and capers.  This combination of ingredients created a delicious dish that had a good taste that was not too salty - I hate when my food is too salty.  The roasted red peppers were not too potent, unlike the (raw) peppers in the Spaghetti Calitalia (which I picked off on a previous occasion because it made the whole dish taste like peppers).  The portion size was quite generous so I ended up taking about 1/3rd of my pasta home - as I have in the past as well. 
Sicilian Deli Ciabatta sandwich, which came with the option of soup or salad - he ordered the salad since he was having soup to start.  The ciabatta bun was fresh, and the vegetable combination complimented the provolone, genoa and cappicola.  No ingredient stood out too much in comparison with the others.

     Drinks:
Beers - they had a decent selection of beers on tap including both Rickard's Red and Rickard's White.
Velvet Hammer Martini - similar to a White Russian but martini style.  A combination of vodka, white creme de cacao and coffee liqueur topped off with milk, this martini is not too sweet and it goes down smooth.

     Desserts:    
We did not have dessert but it is available.