Ristorante Pizzeria La Bussola
Review by Dave Osuch, Rich Pace, Kelsey McKenzie, Julia Lansing, Anna Montgomery, Avery Hynes
The experience at La Bussola was a very positive one. The restaurant was easy to find and the atmosphere was warm and inviting, modern yet chic with professional service and an extensive menu of a variety of Mediterranean foods. When we first tried to go to La Bussola, we did not make a reservation and there was an hour wait. We recommend reservations for dinner, although it is not necessary at lunch.
One thing that makes La Bussola stand out from other restaurants is the fresh ingredients they use. They do not take a shortcut in any ingredients from the olive oil, mozzarella, gnocchi, to the pesto sauce. It was nice that they provided the extra virgin olive oil with bread as part of the antipasti. Caprese di bufala was a great choice for antipasto; it was a pleasant surprise to taste the buffalo mozzarella cheese and fresh tomatoes with basil, a flavour combination that we did not know before this meal.
For our main course, we ordered the gnocchi al pesto di basilico e pistacchi. The mix of the pistachios pesto sauce that I have never had before and the basil, created a mix of gnocchi that was incredible. We also ordered the Spaghetti alla Carbonara. I was very pleased with the carbonara sauce as it tasted more authentic rather than too creamy to mask the bacon and egg taste. The noodles were cooked to perfection with the soft texture. We also tried the scaloppine con mozzarella e pomodori freschi was made with fresh ingredients. The veal was covered in a light gravy, melted mozzarella, and tomato. We did not expect there to be sauce, but the sauce added another layer of flavor without overpowering the combination of the veal and mozzarella. The veal came with thin cooked potato slices and a garnish of mixed greens on the sides. The meat was very tender and flavourful. We also had to try a pizza and order a traditional pizza margherita. The pizza had very thin crust with a lot of cheese. The cheese was extremely smooth and creamy. This was a very classic choice and was exquisite.
We also tried some desserts: the tiramisu exceeded our expectations as it was the perfect combination of creamy yet crunchy, and a light yet heavy taste. The pudding-like texture on the top was a very light creamy and milky taste that was met by rich chocolate and a coffee crunch at the bottom. The cheesecake was drizzled in strawberry sauce and was topped with a long, thin cookie, and had whipped cream on the side. The strawberry sauce was sweet and fresh—it was clear that the sauce was made from natural ingredients rather than artificial flavors. The whipped cream was nice to dip bites of the cheesecake into.
Overall, our tasting experience as well as the service was excellent. The staff was very friendly yet professional.The meal was on the more expensive and classier side than college students would traditionally visit. The clientele was more of an older generation (closer to our parents age). However, very good food and service makes for a great treat or an even better place to bring your parents when they visit. We can definitely see myself returning to La Bussola in the near future.
La Bussola
Via Porta Rossa 58/r
Tel: 055 293376
Hours: Open daily, lunch 12:00-3:30pm; Dinner 6:30-11:00pm