There are two Buca di Beppo's around town. We often tend to visit the one closest to us in Maitland/Winter Park. However, if we are meeting people coming from the airport or Disney, the Florida Mall location is fine.

The occasion for this dining experience was an alumni dinner sponsored by the university where Paul got his undergraduate degree. We were invited by our dear friends, Travis and Patty Wooley. And we got to meet some new friends, Toby and Heather Smith and their kids.

The menu was planned for us, but no one told us what would be on it. Bruschetta in small, sliced loaves arrived first. The bread tasted as though the tops had been brushed with olive oil and garlic. The tomatoes tasted marinated in a good deal of salt and olive oil. Perhaps they tasted and looked too bright for a cold January night, but they were very good if a bit salty. Our favorite, a mixed green salad with fresh olives and jalapenos was the second course. What makes the salad is its marinated sweet onions. The salad dressing is simple and tastes like a light oil and vinegar mix. Next came a tall Vegetable Lasagna that looked far more gigantic than you would expect to come out of a pan in one piece. Carrots, spinach, broccoli, and cheese filled the space between the noodles. Although the broccoli looked less green than it should, it tasted really good. Paul thought the spinach was delicious. The only complaint we had with the dish was that the servers failed to deliver a knife to help cut through the layers. In a big group, sometimes it's not easy to flag down the waitress for something. Patty carefully used a butter knife and successfully served the lasagna without the layers falling apart. I expected the lasagna to be all of the meal, but to our surprise an Eggplant Parmesan and a Manicotti also arrived at our table. The manicotti was not smothered with tomato sauce, which is good for people who are allergic to or who do not like lots of tomatoes. The eggplant was not as good as our previous experiences have been. It tasted greasy.

When I didn't think I could take any more, the dessert came. A well-portioned piece of cheesecake without a crust, but with a raspberry sauce and toasted chopped macadamia nuts sat down in front of me. Naturally, it called me to taste and I couldn't resist it. It was a nice cheesecake with no additives like whipped cream and mousse to take away from the focus on the creamy feeling.

Ironically, Sunday was Heather's birthday and the waiters came around with a gold candelabra and tall red candles singing "Happy Birthday" while yelling "Heather!" at the end of every phrase. The kids got a kick out of the red velvet cake with white icing and green sprinkles and blowing out the large candles. The restaurant was very willing to provide spaghetti for the kids, but added an extra-large meatball even though Toby had asked for no meatballs.

All experiences at Buca are positive. Some are more special and worth more calories than others. But all have great entertainment from the extreme decorations and the energetic staff.