Location: 753 Edgewood Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA.
A good foodie is a well-traveled foodie, both in miles and cuisine. So, when the term “Italian American” is bandied about, it is natural to have some misgivings about authenticity. Is it Italian? Is it American? Those two countries are thousands of miles apart, so this can only mean one thing: fusion.
Or does it? BoccaLupo not only updates the menu often but does so with flair. No more “spaghetti pizza” or fettuccini alfredo made from canned sauce with extra parmesan thrown in (which does happen in certain places). Rather than just make a mashup of different cuisines and dishes, Chef Bruce Logue has turned this fusion style on its head and created a handmade extruded pasta restaurant that anyone can get behind.
Menu
Let’s face it, it’s nice to have a little of the familiar with the exotic. This is what makes fusion food fun. When Logue makes his combinations, it seems like he thinks about what “American” really means. It’s truly a melting pot here, so he should feel free to use anything in that category. If there is such a thing as Tex-Mex as American food, for instance, why not incorporate that? Why not use Southern recipes or straight-up Mexican? And therein lies the magic.
Antipasti
It’s difficult to choose any one of BoccaLupo Atlanta’s fabulous appetizers. Choices like ceviche, pea hummus steak tartare and Thai mussels are just a few of the dishes here. All have hints of cultures that make up America, from the addition of jalapenos and Sardinian flatbread to goat cheese and saffron potatoes.
Pasta & Secondi
Mmmm, who doesn’t love dirty rice? This delicious main course is accompanied by red beans, pork belly and chow-chow (pickled relish). Just when you think it can’t get any more southern, there is pepper spaghetti with onion basil and pecorino following that, and a little farther down the menu you can find black spaghetti with Calabrese sausage—right below southern fried chicken parm!
Sweets
Cookies and gelato are always good ol’ favorites, but if you want a little more of an Italian flair try something like the Coconut panna cotta or Gateu Victtoire, or dulce de leche. You can almost travel the world on the dessert menu alone!
If you enjoy fun and creative fusion food, BoccaLupo is a must. Delicious, creative, and as American as you can get—a melting pot of everything. Also, check out some of the best winter activities in Atlanta.
