La Bocca, New Albany

My wife and I visited La Bocca in New Albany last night. We had a very good experience. The food was very good. My wife had a well prepared Chicken Piccata and I had Rigatoni Bolognese. The Bolognese was very light with tomatoes and meat and I enjoyed it. My wife would have preferred, on my meal, a heavier sauce. She enjoyed her meal a great deal.

There were some blurs. The service was attentive but a bit off. Our entree came before our salad. Our salads came out quickly after that, but it was a slip. The salad was nothing unusual but what was notable was the tomatoes were not very good. That was a strange thing for this time of the year. Additionally, the AC was not working well. But the blurs were little things on otherwise very promising start.

The New York background of the owner is evident with Zeppole on the dessert menu. I saw someone with a nice bag of them and my heart was pounding in anticipation for when I eventually order this treat. La Bocca, to me, is an awesome addition to the rapidly expanding downtown New Albany dining scene.

address?

address?

They are on Market Street in downtown New Albany, not exactly sure of their street address. They took over the spot where lamented Conner's Place was. They've been working on the building for quite awhile, and I look forward to seeing it. I've been told I won't like the beer list, but some well placed hints might help improve that.

It's on Market Street right next to where the Grand Theater is. I'm not sure of the address but it's located on Market Street between Pearl and Bank, on the right.

La Bocca
134 E Market StNew Albany,IN47150-3433
(812) 725-9495

I'm assuming they do not yet have a menu online?

I haven't noticed an on-line presence for La Bocca at all. It's embarrassing, but I've been too busy to check it out. It'll probably have to wait until after the annual Wisconsin sojourn.

Todd, as for the beer list: The word I get via intrepid NABC sales rep R. Atnip is that they began with what they could just to begin, and are very open to modifications along the way, including NABC draft. Richard is working on it, and I'm happy to advise when the time comes.

Went there yesterday around 5:30. It was already getting crowded and we got one of the last two tables. That tables are arranged really strangely and they are very close together. My daughters chair was touching the one behind hers, in the aisle, and the waiter had to go around the bar area to get to a table behind us.

The free garlic knots where good if not a little doughy.

The brushchetta tasted great, but like another poster's experience,, the tomatoes were not ripe. At this time of year there is no excuse for tomatoes like that.

My wife thought her rigatoni and vodka was very good, but there were a few mushrooms in there which she doesn't like.

I had linguini with clams. It was good, but the clams weren't fresh, I.e. In the shell.

My daughter 14 year old had fried calamari. She said it was really good but it looked like it was from out of a box to me. It didn't look hand breaded.

My son had the cheese raviioli. He ate them all but they didn't look hand made to me.

I had Italian on Friday night at Maggianos in Indy. It is a chain but there food is much better overall. The whole street smells wonderful outside of La Bocca but the food is ok.

One table sat after us and left after complaining constantly. They looked like they were unreasonable customers but she was complaining about the tables being too close and I agree with that. Also They have fans all over the place i guess because the A/C can't keep up.

All of the little things just made me feel like the place is close but not close enough. No spoons were given withe the pasta dishes, i asked for cheese for my clams and i got a .50 cent shaker full of who knows what kind of cheese, and the pizza ovens were not working on a saturday night.

I'm from NJ, and i've eaten fantastic Italian food my whole life. My father took us to the real Little Italy all the time. I was really hoping this place lived up to the smell outside, but for now, I'm saying no.

[Robin Garr]

I'm from NJ, and i've eaten fantastic Italian food my whole life. My father took us to the real Little Italy all the time. I was really hoping this place lived up to the smell outside, but for now, I'm saying no.

Art, welcome to the forum, and thanks for a fair and candid review. Mind telling us what part of NJ you grew up in? I'm a deeply rooted Kentuckian, but we lived in NYC (Queens) for a few years in the '90s and used to get over to NJ fairly often ... mostly Bergen County, but also other parts ... for Sunday wine shopping, the big Japanese shopping center, supermarkets you could drive to, Nordstrom's, things like that. I spent a fair amount of time and dollars in Carlo Russo's and a few other good wine shops, and managed to find my way to some decent Italian restaurants as well.

I'm from NJ, and i've eaten fantastic Italian food my whole life. My father took us to the real Little Italy all the time. I was really hoping this place lived up to the smell outside, but for now, I'm saying no.

Art, welcome to the forum, and thanks for a fair and candid review. Mind telling us what part of NJ you grew up in? I'm a deeply rooted Kentuckian, but we lived in NYC (Queens) for a few years in the '90s and used to get over to NJ fairly often ... mostly Bergen County, but also other parts ... for Sunday wine shopping, the big Japanese shopping center, supermarkets you could drive to, Nordstrom's, things like that. I spent a fair amount of time and dollars in Carlo Russo's and a few other good wine shops, and managed to find my way to some decent Italian restaurants as well.

I was born in Ozone park queens in 1966. My parents moved to Burlington county until I was 13 and we moved to Monroe twp, Middlesex county.

I grew up on Italian and Jewish deli, great NY pizza (which we can't find anywhere ), and great Italian food.

We go to Louisville all the time but we never wind up dining out there. My wife says we need to try Vincenzo's. I Need to search for some reviews here.

As an aside, La Bocca now serves NABC Beak's Best on draft.

[Robin Garr]

great NY pizza (which we can't find anywhere ), and great Italian food.

We go to Louisville all the time but we never wind up dining out there. My wife says we need to try Vincenzo's. I Need to search for some reviews here.

A few quick suggestions: Volare or Porcini for more upscale Italian. DiFabio's Capasela or Le Gallo Rosso for more affordable. Come Back Inn for a red-sauce experience. Luigi's on West Main, Perfetto in Plainview or Frascelli's in Crestwood for something approximating pizza by the slice from an "Original Ray's." And Papalino's on Baxter for a local take on a DiFara's pie.

Thanks Robin!

I was looking at Luigis on Saturday. My wife and I took the kids to the Pirate exhibit at Frasier Museum and then walked around. I asked my son, I wonder if that place is any good. I guess I'll be going there Saturday

[Robin Garr]

I was looking at Luigis on Saturday. My wife and I took the kids to the Pirate exhibit at Frasier Museum and then walked around. I asked my son, I wonder if that place is any good. I guess I'll be going there Saturday

Let's put it this way, Art: Most NYC street-corner pizza isn't all that crazy good. But it's a guilty pleasure, ya know? Luigi's is like that. Treat Luigi wrong, he may even treat you to some New York 'tude.

Luigi's, to me, is wonderful NY pizza.

I've been back to La Bocca several times. To me, it keeps improving. The food has become more consistently good. Very good pizza and the service, which was spotty, has greatly improved. They have a couple of servers who aren't that great, but they also have some good ones. Initially they seemed to have a logjam in the kitchen with a lot of confusion with the servers. I think they had some rough spots and have gotten past them.

In reading the comment about the garlic knots being doughy, they are. But I really like them and I love the marinara they are served with. Early on that did have some seasoning issues; some dishes tended to be a bit bland, but of late everything I've had has been nicely seasoned. This restaurant is right around the corner from my office and I've eaten there a good bit. I really do want them to succeed very badly, and they seem to be doing well.