where jess ate

It’s always a little scary when one of your favourite restaurants opens another location. Will the food be the same? Will the original location suffer? But as it turns out, Chef Rob Gentile (@ChefRobGentile) and Buca can do no wrong.

The third location of the Buca empire opened in Yorkville last year on the ground floor of the Four Seasons residence. Handy tip: although the address is Scollard Street, the entrance is actually facing Yorkville ave.

While the three restaurants carry the name “Buca”, they are each a little different. The original Buca, which is just tucked away from the King and Portland intersection, specializes in cured meats, pastas and pizzas while its sister restaurant Bar Buca (located just a stone’s throw away), offers small sharing plates and cocktails in a more casual setting.

Buca Yorkville’s menu has many similarities to the original Buca, however, it’s very seafood focused. And I find that the décor of this location reflects the lighter menu. It’s a gorgeous space decorated in a contemporary manner. It has a brighter feel to it and features lots of greys, whites, concrete and marble.

The menu here is quite extensive and while you’ll definitely notice the large presence of seafood, there’s really something for everyone. The menu is broken down into the following sections: salumi di mare (cured fish), piatti freddi (cold plates), crudi (raw), pasta, meat, fish, fried dishes, veggies and pizzas. Lots to choose from!

We started off with an order of the Nodini – warm bread knots, olive oil, rosemary, garlic ($6), something you can also get at the other Buca locations. Crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, these garlic bread knots are something we always order. It’s a great little sharing starter.

The menu featured a tempting selection of Salumi Di Mare (3 for $19 or 5 for $29). Since we had a tough time narrowing down it down to three, we decided to order a selection of five: Capesanta Affumicata – saffron-brined and hot-smoked east coast scallops, Soppressata di Polipo – octopus salami, preserved lemon, Salsicce di Crostacei – scallop and lobster sausage, lemon, sale di cervia, Tonno Affumicato – dry-cured and smoked albacore tuna and Aringhe – hot-smoked Quebec herring, preserved in oil.

The sausage and salami were both very unique but it was the straight up cured seafood which won me over. So delicate!

The one thing I knew we had to order from Buca Yorkville was the Crudo Misto – daily selection of raw seafood, unfiltered Sicilian olive oil, lemon and sea salt ($139). It comes at a hefty price tag but it is meant to serve four people. When ordering this, our server confirmed that we knew it was $139 and not $39 since the menu was a little faded. He probably learned his lesson after an awkward conversation with a customer after the bill arrived…

The selection of crudo changes daily and our visit featured branzino from Greece, lobster, beausoleil oysters, sockeye salmon, BC side stripe shrimp and arctic char. It was served simply in some olive oil which allowed the seafood to shine in its true form. It was served with a side of sea salt and lemon, to use to your taste. It really didn’t need very much seasoning. Each and every component was delicious on its own but if I had to choose a couple highlights it would have to be the branzino and side shrimp. A must-order, if you can afford the splurge!

From the “fritti” (fried) section of the menu, the Gnocco Fritto – squid ink dumplings, tuna nduja ($9) caught our eye. Although the menu described them as “dumplings”, they reminded me of giant unfilled ravioli which had a bread-like texture.

Since they’re hollow on the inside, you break it open and spread the tuna nduja into it. The warm dumplings were actually quite tasty and was a great vehicle for the delicious tuna nduja. I just wish they were more generous with the nduja.

For some carbs, we ordered the Canestri – bronze die-extruded pasta, brodo di mare, spiced chick peas, smoked sea urchin bottarga ($24). The pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente and the sauce was packed full of flavour! Topped with some crunchy chick peas, this dish hit it out of the park for me. I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed by a Buca pasta dish.

To round out the meal, we ordered the Alici Pizza – preserved tomato, spicy soppressata, Sicilian capers, white anchovy, taggiasche olives ($24). I’m usually a big fan of Buca’s pizzas but I think this was our own fault for ordering this one. It was way too salty but we should’ve known better… the toppings included capers, anchovies and olives. Basically, a salt bomb.

When we saw the servers walk by with a Torta Caprese – squid ink chocolate cake, meringue & flambeed at the table, we knew we had to order it for dessert. Yup, squid ink makes another appearance during our meal – this time in dessert form. The warm, gooey cake really hit the spot. There’s just something so satisfying about chocolate cake!

Overall, we had a very memorable meal at Buca Yorkville. My mouth is watering just thinking about that incredible crudo misto platter. Like I said, Chef Rob Gentile and Buca can seem to do no wrong. You can bet I’ll be back.

At a glance:

• 3^rd Buca location; located on the ground floor of the Four Seasons residence in Yorkville
• While the address is Scollard St, the entrance faces Yorkville Ave.
• Seafood-focused Italian menu
• Loved our experience
• Pricier than the average Italian restaurant
• The crudi misto platter is a must order (serves 4, currently $139)
• Pricier than the average Italian restaurant

Ratings (out of 5):

• Food: 4 stars
• Service: 4 stars
• Atmosphere: 4 stars