Huge plates, standard fare, loud
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
I dined at Buca di Beppo with a group of about 20 people. One end of the table ordered lightly, the other end ordered like crazy. Dish after dish after dish of pasta, meat sauce, cheese, etc. arrived and it was way too much food. Our end enjoyed antipasta salad and calamari. The few pasta dishes we ordered were decent, but nothing exceptional. A bit too much sauce and lacking in spice/flavor. Perhaps if we had all been at a nice ROUND table, the odd ordering would not have happened. Long rectangle tables aren't even good for board meetings. We were very cramped. The restaurant was so loud I couldn't hear the person sitting next to me. The music was loud, so all of the diners shouted at each other. The Italian-Pope-Catholic decor was fun but corny. I am glad I experienced this "landmark" SF eatery, but I won't be rushing back any time soon.