Bucatino's Falmouth Ma
By Mary Grauerholz
Contributing writer
North Falmouth is a small Cape Cod village with a quirky restaurant profile. There are several good restaurants here, but for the most part, they’re in the pizza-steak mode. Now, more adventurous diners have another option: Bucatino Restaurant and Wine Bar.
Bucatino opened in early July, replacing the Beach House – a rambling, somewhat timeworn burger-and- beer hub – with an upscale Italian menu and pleasing Euro-style décor. The new owners are Robert and Jennifer Jarvis, who operate the Quarterdeck restaurant in Falmouth and the Pilot House Restaurant and Lounge in Sandwich, both longstanding dining spots that are popular with locals and tourists. Bucatino seems to be following suit, with a packed parking lot and diners streaming through the elegant entrance. (Head’s up: Bucatino is very busy; reservations are recommended.)
We started with a glass of wine in the beautiful bar. Soft pendant lights, an easy-on- the-eyes color scheme and cushy corner seating area create a very pleasant mood. The space is anchored by a shining wood bar, which, as our friendly bartender told us, was built from re-purposed wood by a local carpenter. It is a beauty.
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Bucatino’s menu is organized in old-world style, with appetizer, primi and second courses (as well as soup, salads and grilled pizza). Some of the standard Italian fare – eggplant Parmesan and spaghetti and meatballs, for instance – don’t appear on the menu. But there is Chicken Parmigiana ($20) and Milk-Fed Veal Parmigiana ($28), and Stuffed Grande Meatball & Bucatini ($20), a luscious-looking version of spaghetti and meatballs served with the tubular homemade pasta that is called bucatini. The menu is marked with gluten-free and vegetarian choices.
The two of us, both fans of a simple, well-made red sauce and pasta, had already decided to branch out, splitting every dish we ordered. We were glad we did. Our server, friendly and accommodating, started us with an appetizer, beef carpaccio ($18). Built on razor-thin slices of raw tenderloin with arugula and Parmesan, a lemon-caper aioli and truffle salt, it was superb. The portion was small, though, which led us to a little math exercise of figuring out the cost of each small bite ($2 or $3, we thought). It was sad to see it end so quickly.
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Bucatino Restaurant & Wine Bar
7 Nathan Ellis Highway (Route 151), North Falmouth
508-566-8960, bucawinebar.com
Hours: Lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and dinner, 5 to 10 p.m. daily
Bucatino's Falmouth Ma
Reservations are taken.
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We wiped away a tear and moved on to our secondi course, the Seared Rare Ahi Tuna ($26). It was a big winner, a lovely piece of perfectly cooked tuna on a bed of risotto, which was creamily delicious, served with a pickled onion agrodolce sauce and a dollop of wasabi.
Falmouth Maine Restaurants
With “wine bar” as a part of Bucatino’s name, of course we had to test it. One of us had a glass of Torre di Luna ($8), a nice Cabernet Sauvignon; the other a pleasing Napa Valley chardonnay, Antica ($14 glass).
We moved on to the primi course of Baked Lobster Mac & Cheese ($28), a rich, three-cheese version of this popular local dish, with the brilliant additions of speck (smoked prosciutto), tomato and sweet peas.
We shared a dessert of homemade tiramisu ($9), the Italian confection of lady fingers and mascarpone cheese, shot through with chocolate and espresso. It was all right, but we wished for a more flavorful, moist version.
We returned several days later for a dinner of Soppressata Pizza ($14), a tasty concoction of the Italian dry salami and three cheeses. (The lunch menu, while we didn’t try it, offered appetizers,salad, pizza and soup, as well as panini and sandwiches on focaccia bread.)
With its beautiful décor, good food, experienced owners, and friendly staff, we expect Bucatino to ride a crest of success. But especially now – with summer in full swing and the restaurant still building its reputation – some areas could be improved. We hope some dishes (such as the beef carpaccio) will be more generously portioned, especially considering the prices. Another plus in our book would be to bring some of the dynamic interior touches that dress up the bar into the main dining room; the space feels too open and spare.
Bucatini Falmouth Ma
We also had a quibble with the water. Not everyone wants to drink bottled water, and we often ask for it straight from the tap, forgoing bottled water. The water on our first visit had the heavy, unpleasant taste of chlorine. Falmouth water has its ups and downs; perhaps there is an economical way Bucatino could correct this, with big carboys for table water or investing in an infiltration system.
Bucatino Restaurant And Wine Bar North Falmouth
The Saturday night we visited, food was slow to arrive but Bucatino had been open just 2 1/2 weeks. And no one in the packed dining room seemed to care. On the contrary, our fellow diners both nights were chatting, laughing and digging into their plates, in total Italian fashion.