Buca di Beppo Opens New Location in Celebration

6282 W Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy.

Celebration, FL 34747
(321) 219-2822

View Website Here

The first Buca di Beppo opened its doors in 1993 in the basement of a Minneapolis apartment building.

Since then, the brand has grown to over 100 locations worldwide. The all new Celebration / Kissimmee location marks the third one in the Central Florida area, and the seventh one in the entire state of Florida.

Buca di Beppo strives to capture the fun and enthusiasm of an authentic Italian family gathering along with delectable food. If you have ever dined with an Italian family, then you understand that the food is always a big priority and the portions are more than plenty. The dishes served up here are inspired by the cuisine enjoyed for generations in villages throughout Italy and are served family style, meant to be shared by the entire table.

The menu is inspired by various places around and throughout Italy, as Buca tries to serve up authentic Italian fare. They have continued to innovate and create recipes beyond their traditional style by adding new menu items inspired by Northern and Southern Italian cuisine.

Everything from salads, antipasto platters, flatbreads, mussels, calamari and a large variety of pastas fill the menu. A Buca small serves two to three, and a Buca large serves up to 5, as everything here is served a la carte family style only.

Inside of every Buca di Beppo restaurant is an eclectic setting designed to make every occasion a party. The vintage setting is always a point of conversation with all of the walls covered in family photos and candid shots of Italian American icons such as Sophia Loren and Joe DiMaggio. Each room at Buca is themed, and all restaurants have a Pope table which is the largest single round table in a room with a bust of the Pope as the centerpiece.

The bar is very colorful and lively and continues on the eclectic decor and whimsical lighting.

All Buca locations have a large wine list, but they also serve up pretty good cocktails like the Buca Berry Lemonade on the left and a Sparkling Sangria on the right.

The Antipasto Platter is a new addition to the menu and it is loaded with prosciutto, pepperoni, salami, provolone & fresh mozzarella with arugula, pepperoncini, green & black olives, roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes & Parmesan crostini.

Fried Mozzarella with housemade marinara sauce is an old standby, but it's always delicious.

Italian Sausage & Arugula is also a new addition to the menu and it is topped with spicy Italian sausage, prosciutto, mozzarella, provolone, garlic, arugula and balsamic glaze. This was really good, and a bit spicy.

Our table really enjoyed the Chicken Carbonara that is made with a cut up chicken breast, prosciutto, peas and garlic in rich Alfredo sauce.

I love a good Eggplant Parmigiana, and in fact this one at Buca di Beppo is as close to homemade as I have had. This is battered, fried and stacked eggplant topped with homemade marinara sauce, Roma tomatoes, basil & mozzarella cheese.

The Quattro al Forno is a good way to sample a few different things. This dish comes with four items...Cheese Manicotti, Chicken Cannelloni, Cheese Ravioli & Stuffed Shells.

Although the sauce was a tad sweet, everyone at our table really loved the Chicken Marsala with baby portobello mushrooms in a traditional Marsala wine reduction sauce.

You can't go wrong with any dessert selection at Buca di Beppo, but this gigantic slice of Tiramisu is pretty fabulous. It features homemade ladyfingers soaked in dark rum & espresso, layered with sweetened mascarpone cheese & topped with cocoa & crumbled hazelnut biscotti . If you add an espresso with this...its close to perfect.

I've been to a few Buca di Beppo locations with family, friends, a wedding reception..you name it, and everyone has always had a great time. Sit back and listen to the classic tunes of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin and be prepared to eat. 

The friendly staff and whimsical atmosphere are sure to be a hit as you can't help but laugh at all of the funny pictures of Italian family members throughout history. Stop by the new location in Celebration and say Ciao.

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Siro Urban Italian Kitchen

8701 World Center Drive
Orlando, FL 32821
(407) 238-8619
View Website Here

In preparation for Visit Orlando's Magical Dining Month, I got a sneak peak at one of the participating restaurants and got to sample the menu offerings for this annual event.

Magical Dining Month, in case you are unfamiliar, is the annual event put on by the folks at Visit Orlando to help promote tourism and create awareness about all the great culinary adventures that Orlando has to offer. It's a real simple concept where participating restaurants feature three-course, prix -fixe dinners at the exceptional value of $33 per person. Its a great way to sample some places that have been off of your radar, or even too expensive. You get an appetizer, entree and a desert at your choice of over 70 restaurants in Central Florida.

Since it is a month long event, you can go as often as you like and to how ever many restaurants as you like. The month begins with a preview week on August 25th and ends on September 30th. In addition to all the great eats at a great price, this year one dollar from each meal sold will benefit the Foundation for Foster Children. 

Now, back to Siro Urban Italian Kitchen.

Since opening its doors in 2013, Siro has steadily been gaining recognition in the culinary community for its trendy, yet affordable Italian Cuisine. A big part of the success they are having is due in large part to Executive Chef, Alexia "Lexi" Gawlak. Chef Lexi, if you are unfamiliar with the name, has made stops along the way at some of Orlando's top dining establishments including Luma On Park, Primo, and The Ravenous Pig to name a few. 

The menu at Siro  features dishes that are inspired by local fare, as well as plates that boast vibrant flavors and utilize local in season ingredients that help to maintain Siro’s philosophy of "From Farm to Fork." The main entree courses are simple yet innovative and include everything from thin-crust pizzas and house-made pastas to various meats and fish selections. Siro also has a nice selection of family style dishes available that are served family style on over sized wooden planks.

In addition to signature dishes, Siro also boasts an extensive drink menu, with bartenders that have mastered the “Garden to Glass” method of mixology. They specialize in preparing hand crafted Italian classics from the Negroni and Aperol Spritz to the "The Artisan," Lemoncello Martini complete with fresh squeezed juices and fragrant herbs. Of course no Italian restaurant is complete without a fine wine selection and Siro has a nice collection of true Italian tradition, selected wines that are served by the glass and quartino carafes -- as well as local craft beer selections. 

For the Magical Dining Month menu at Siro you have a choice of three different appetizers, three different entrees, and three different desert selections to choose from. You can mix and match any one selection of the three and create a unique dining experience. Although I made my own selection of items, I was able to sample all of the dishes offered..(perks of being a blogger) So lets get started...

For my appetizer, I chose the Marinated Tomato Salad with fresh tomatoes, Burrata and sea salt. Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. I enjoyed the creaminess of the Burrata with the acidity of the fresh tomatoes.


The next appetizer I sampled was the Frito Misto with fried Key West pink shrimp, oysters, grouper, and lemon-caper aioli. All Fried and all good.




My favorite appetizer was the Grilled Quail with fennel sausage, pepperonata, and a vidalia onion puree. This was a very delicious quail, seasoned to perfection.

For My entree I went with the Grilled Strip Steak served with a 

ragout of summer squashes topped with crispy crumbs. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium, was tender and loaded with flavor.

Another great entree was the Chicken Milanese with summer salad. The delicately battered and fried chicken pieces just melted in your mouth.

The third entree offered was the Bucatini Al Frutti Di Mare with 

mussels, clams, shrimp, fennel sausage, and tomato-saffron brodo. Very tasty as well.

For desert I opted for the Tiramisu. Although served in a non traditional fashion, the flavor of this tiramisu was about as authentic as I have had. 

All of the deserts offered were good, but when the Zeppoles arrived..it was chaos. A bag of deep fried balls of dough coated in sugar and cinnamon and a side of chocolate dipping sauce...Oh my..these were good!

For something more refreshing and a bit lighter, go with the Panna Cotta, a mixture of cooked cream, berries and chocolate.

So there you have it...quite an awesome selection of goods from the folks at Siro Urban Italian Kitchen and all available for $33.00/person during Magical Dining Month. It truly is an exceptional deal especially when you consider that Siro was recognized by Florida Trend magazine as the “Best New Restaurant” in 

Central Florida, within the Golden Spoon Awards for 2013.

But wait...there's more!

For just $219 per night plus tax, you and a guest will enjoy one night in a King or Double Room and dinner for two at Siro.

Most of the restaurants that are in hotels that are participating in Magical Dining Month, also offer hotel packages as well.

Now get out there and have some great food and help support a worthy cause.

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