Restaurant Review: Barbuzzo

Marcie Turney and Valerie Saffron have taken over 13th Street as if they were playing Monopoly. They now have 7 restaurants/stores on the the formerly dingy block between Chestnut and Sansom. What I can say for certain is that Barbuzzo is their crowning achievement. Their Boardwalk or Park Place, to continue a below-average analogy.

Barbuzzo labels itself as a Mediterrean kitchen, and the food is a mash-up of Mediterrean flavors and Italian staples with a twist. The atmosphere can be described as upscale rustic, with a long bar and counter-top seats over-looking the kitchen. The editor-in-chief and I got lucky and snagged two seats at the counter-top without a reservation on a Saturday night. Chalk it up to a combination of luck and willingness to eat with the early-bird crowd.

The food, from start to finish, was fantastic. We started with the Mediterrean olives, roasted squash and parsnip salad, and sauteed greens. The squash and parsnip salad was outstanding, with argula, fresh parsnip and shaved grana padano (cheese) over warm, mashed heirloom squash. For main dishes, we ordered the Branzino, the meatballs and then the butternut squash and ricotta ravioli. Each dish was amazing, with the ravioli being so melt-in-your mouth delicious you would have thought Vetri was in the house. The meatballs, one of their signature dishes, stood out for the tenderness of the meat, as well as the cheese melting out from the center. The pizza also looked fantastic, but we decided to save that for the next go-round.

Lastly, we finished with the salted, caramel budino. Easily one of the top 5 best desserts the editor-in-chief and I have ever has the pleasure of devouring. It exceeded all expectations, which were already high given the myriad accolades it has received. From the dark chocolate crust (think Oreos for foodies), to the thick whipped cream, then the vanilla bean caramel and sea salt on top--it's worth every damn calorie and then some. Overall, one of the better restaurant experiences we have had recently, and for the most part, well priced for the portion size. The editor-in-chief and I would both highly recommend.