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Bucatini Trattoria
Fabulous Pizza and So Much More! By Lucinda Sue Crosby For Desert Mobile Home News
E
nzo Amodeo was born in Sicily, where cuisine is often considered a significant form of artistic expression. As a high school teenager, he began making meals for his friends “just for fun” and in the ensuing years, after coming to the US, he systematically acquired valuable hands-on training in New York, Chicago and Orange County. Now settled in the Coachella Valley, Enzo and son/coowner Angelo are successfully partnered in offering their unique style of culinary brio through a tasty enterprise, Bucatini Trattoria. Conveniently located near the new Century La Quinta Theater, Bucatini is a charming and inviting place. When you enter the large, attractive dining room, you’ll notice an open industrial ceiling offset by a multi-hued, wooden floor. On the walls, boldly colored vignettes by artist William Cain depict Italian village life, all the while framing an animated and friendly crowd – Bucatini has obviously become a treasured gathering place to meet and eat. Do yourself a favor and watch Chef Enzo’s wizardry with Bucatini’s Marra Forni Neapolitan woodfired brick oven. Crafted in Naples, Italy, this high performance firebreathing kiln can bake Bucatini’s wonderfully slim crusts in under a minute at temperatures of up to 850 degrees. If you love pizza, you have found the Promised Land. “We make the dough and the sauce from scratch each day,” Enzo
If you love pizza, you have found the promise land at Bucatini said, gesturing with a large wooden spatula as he flourished it in and out of the flames. “We only use the finest and freshest ingredients.” I sat down with Angelo to discuss the restaurant, he sounded justifiably proud. “We offer quality food in satisfying portions for a modest price,” Angelo said. “And although we have only been in operation for a few years, we have developed a group of regular customers that drop by two or three times a week. As for those who don’t know us yet, we are much more than a simple pizzeria.” On the dinner menu, there are ample entrée choices for meat, pasta or fish lovers, some more traditional, others with a decidedly edgy/ modern flare. Bucatini offers the Tagliata Chianina (highest quality beef tenderloin grilled rare and delicately sliced, finished in a Cabernet and peppercorn reduction sauce). My personal favorite is the Salmone Alla Griglia (flaky and moist grilled salmon, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and herbs, served with sautéed and steamed broccoli florets).
Other intriguing specialties of the house are also well represented on the dinner menu. Angelo’s personal recommendations include the Spaghetti Pescatora (olive oil, garlic, shrimp, scallops, salmon, calamari, Manila clams and mussels in a light, spicy tomato sauce – also available in Risotto style); and the Tagliarini Crostacei (linguini with garlic, olive oil, cherry tomatoes lobster meat, lobster tail, snow crab meat and scallops, in a spicy, white wine sauce). And for those with grain sensitivity, feel free to order gluten-free pasta or pizza crust for a small additional charge. Of course, Bucatini provides an equally attractive mid-day menu
featuring an array of Paninis and Strombolis with friendly prices in the $8-$14 range. Some best sellers include: the Crudo (thinly sliced prosciutto di parma, fresh mozzarella, arugula and olive oil served on country bread pressed in the Panini Grill); and the Panino Pollo (grilled chicken breast, mozzarella, basil pesto spread, smoked gouda and arugula on homemade ciabatta bread). Another classic lunch choice would have to be the Panino Polpette, a hearty meatball sandwich topped with a marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, also on ciabatta.
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