Best Place for a Date

Seniors Katherine Rampley and David Gould are Bucceto’s Smiling Teeth regulars.

Without even thinking about it, they go there for dates about once every two weeks.

“It’s never planned, we’re just like ‘we should go get food,’ and Bucceto’s is always an option,” Gould said.

On this particular Saturday afternoon, Gould ordered a Sweet Lil’ Razorback pizza and Rampley had a salad.

“Many pigs had to die to make this pizza, but it was really good,” Gould said.

Aside from the food, Gould and Rampley enjoy the Bucceto’s atmosphere.

“It’s relaxed but not loud,” Rampley said.

And the couple finds the prices to be within the right range, and Gould said the food is even better than that of the more expensive restaurants in town.

“It’s cheaper than a lot of places you would go on a date,” he said.

General Manager Kieran Cooper said he thinks one of the main reasons people come to Bucceto’s for dates is specifically for that reason: the cost.

“It’s not like your cheap date, but you can go out and enjoy yourself,” Cooper said. “But you still have room in the budget for other things.”

Cooper also said the atmosphere is one of the reasons customers keep coming back.

“It has a lot to do with the atmosphere, and I think that has to do with the pace we do things around here,” Cooper said. “We get a lot of smaller groups. ... There is not a lot of hustle and bustle around you. You can relax, eat and enjoy yourself a little bit.”

Cooper describes Bucceto’s as having an “old Italian restaurant vibe.” There is bright, colorful artwork along its walls, and the lighting is not too bright or too dim. Patrons can order pizza, pasta and calzones.

To get the true Bucceto’s date experience, Cooper suggests ordering the spinach artichoke dip as an appetizer because “it is one of the best around.” For the main course, he suggests ordering one of the pasta dishes, such as the diavolo and alfredo plates. If you are 21 or older, you can also split a bottle of wine with your significant other. And to top it off with dessert, you can order a Carnegie Deli cheesecake.

But you don’t need to come to Bucceto’s to taste its delectable dishes. The restaurant also does carry-out.

“So if you want to be cozy at home, you can also do that,” Cooper said.