Best Spots for a Romantic Dinner in Sacramento, CA

In a little restraint in the heart of Sacramento patrons sit in secluded alcoves sipping wine and eating the most magnificent Italian entries in the city. They take in every wall, and walk through the restraint hoping to see everything, which they never can.

Buca di Beppo is authentic Italian. Each course is served on large dishes meant to be shared around the table. This makes Buca di Beppo perfect for family outings, but for the Valentines couple it can be a romantic occasion as well, because each restaurant is filled with many small rooms, and patrons are not crowded as close together as in other restaurants.

The most unique thing about Buca di Beppo is the decor. Every wall in the entire restaurant is covered in artwork of one sort or another. There are old advertisements in bathrooms for women's lingerie, murals in dining areas, pictures of the world's largest items, pictures of famous people, statues, figurines, mounted fish, even a statue of the pope's head in the Pope Room. Each Buca di Beppo is different, their walls covered in something new around every corner.

Or you can sit in the kitchen dining table. It is a little alcove just off the kitchen where you can watch them prepare your meal. The waiters will even bring deserts by the table to show you what is available.

The Buca di Beppo dining experience takes at least an hour, in which time you can enjoy succulent dishes of authentic Italian dishes like Tuscan Chicken, lasagna, or veal parmigiana.

I have been fortunate enough to visit two Buca di Beppo's, one in Sacramento, and one in Seattle just last summer. Each time we sat in the kitchen alcove, enjoying the sites and sounds of steaming noodles, baking pizzas, and simmering sauces. Even over the noises of the kitchen, the alcove was quiet enough for our table mates to hold a lively conversation.

The Seattle restaurant sported murals on several walls.

The hallways in the Sacramento restaurant seemed convoluted when I first walked through, but after a moment it all came together. The restaurant is two stories, with many alcoves and private rooms. Nothing is every quite blocked off completely, and some rooms can hold more people at a time, but it gives the impression of being alone and intimate even in the middle of a very busy restaurant.

We had a pizza at each restaurant. These are nothing like going to Pizza Hut. Their crusts are thin and slightly crisp, brushed in garlic oil and sprinkled with cheese and toppings. Most of them do not come with tomato sauce.

Each entree was served as one separate dish, and plates passed around. We served ourselves, taking what we liked, ignoring what we didn't. Even with ten people at the meal in Seattle we had more then enough with three entrees and an appetizer.

Prices are reasonable with consideration for the quality and quantity of the food you are getting. Even so, we brought home leftovers to nipple on throughout the night.

If you visit the website you can even get reservations for Valentines Day, and you can choose from many locations around the USA. There are hundreds of them in over half the states.

We also made a detour to visit the Pope room. The Pope's head sits in a glass case in the middle of a huge table that can easily fit a small army. Creepy? Maybe, but interesting all the same.

On the website you can get a look at menus, weather or not they have curbside pickup, hours, locations, maps, and other useful information. I especially like the wonderful pictures they have of the food they serve.