A couple of comments.<BR>1. The post that mentioned Maria's When in Naples (in Scottsdale) was right. Better food, better atmosphere, more expensive.<BR>2. Spagbender roasts Bucca's because of the lack of "sauce" (which Italian-Americans call "gravy"). Actually, I believe Bucca's is attempting to cook pasta in the traditional style of Italy. It's only in the US that people pour loads of sauce over pasta. In Italy (I lived there for a year), they finish off the pasta by cooking it for a few minutes in a little sauce so that the sauce is soaked up by the pasta.<BR><BR>That said, most of the other posts are on the mark about Bucca's. The food is OK and plentiful, the prices are good, and it's better than the Olive Garden, which pretty much serves fake Italian food. And if you're in the mood for a loud, party atmosphere, it's fine.

Well saucy since you since you lived in Italy I guess you consider yourself an expert. Both of my grandparents were from Sicily and Calabria and I was raised with lots of sauce. I also go to Italy & Europe every year. You cannot possibly consider that restaurant anything close to what you'll find in real Italian restaurants. That place is just plain nasty. But yes, if someone likes knock-off restaurants this place will suit the average Joe. Just fine :-)

In my experience, "saucy" is correct about amounts of sauce used by Italians.<BR>I've been to Italy several times and have eaten at some very untouristy places (where virtually no one even spoke English).<BR>Very little sauce on the pastas.<BR>Unfortunately, I love lots of sauce.<BR><BR>As for the comment above about lots of olive oil and health, olive oil is much preferred over lard or cooking oil or similar as regards cardiac health.

Saucy - you are not entirely correct when you state that Italian-Americans call sauce "gravy." Some do, some don't. It is a regional difference - for example, it is generally called "gravy" in the NYC-LI area but not in other parts of NY.<BR><BR>Just a minor point.

Okay Mimi I'm not Italian and I'm lying about going Europe every year. Italians hate sauce. But I wouldn't know. I give up. Only caucasians can tell about how Italians live. So typical.

spagbender,<BR><BR>huuuuuuuuuuh? aren't italians considered caucasians?

Hmmmm.. Bucca Di Beppo or Olive Garden, which to choose? That's like travelling abroad and going to McDonald's.<BR>Scottsdale is filled with wonderful restaurants and Bucca's not one of them.

Wooh! Spagbender got weird in a hurry, huh? Good thing we were only talking about a restaurant, and not his family from Sicily. No telling how ballistic the guy might go.<BR><BR>I never said Bucca's had authentic Italian food; I said that people in Italy don't pour a lot of sauce on their pasta, and neither does Bucca's. BTW, Tom, you're right about sauce/gravy. I meant to say "many" Italians say gravy.<BR><BR>And let's take it easy on Spagbender. Something tells me he hasn't enough his sauce today.

No, Italians don't consider themselves caucasians we consider oursleves Europeans. BTW, don't you know we have lousy tempers? I don't really mean it =)

Pukka di uppo!

So Europeans aren't caucasians? Somebody better tell that to the French, Germans, Austrians, etc., cuz they're really going to be surprised.

Hey, leave spagbender alone - I like him/her! <BR>

Yes that's right Irish there's a definite difference between honkeys and non-honkeys. We are not caucasians. I am totally joking here people don't get mad ;)

I ate at what I now understand was the original one in Minneapolis -- actually in a basement and it was good. One opened here in Naples, Florida last summer while I was away. Since I understand it is best to go with a group, I've talked with about a dozen friends about getting together. But they've all been once and every one of them has said -- no way they'll return. One even said she'd starve to death before she'd ever set foot in their door again. So guess I won't even try the local one.