La Bocca

We tried their food at a festival and it was pretty good so we decided to give the restaurant a shot. It was just MEH… Waiter was super nice but the food needs work. I ordered chicken parm at $ 15 and my mother ordered lobster ravioli also $ 15. I am use to a crunchy chicken parm but theirs was as soggy as all get out. I tried the ravioli too and did not care much for that but my mom said she thought it was good. The dinner rolls were ok but covered in crushed raw garlic and oil. Salads are $ 4 extra. The portions are average but I am use to a take home portion and this was not. Chances are we won’t be back, just better options for the money.

I ordered rigatoni à la vodka with mushrooms and pancetta. It had one mushroom and no discernible pancetta. So they switched out my plate for a new plate of food, and it included Pancentta that I couldn’t chew, and seven mushrooms. They comped me a $ 2.00 drink. I won’t be back.

We were visiting the area and needed a bite to eat. Let me say that this is the least sketchy restaurant in this little downtown area at 8 pm. I don’t mean to be rude but it is true. Now this little Italian restaurant is very cliché but when you’re on a week long, ongoing road trip, cliché feels like home.
Like a common Macaroni Grill, there is parchment paper over a white table cloth. Flat rolls covered in an oily garlic mixture are given after drinks. This is a coke product place so props for that! We got calamari as an appetizer and it was fine. I ordered fettuccine Alfredo and was very pleased. The sauce was great. My mother scrapped the remnants with her spoon.
Our waitress was above and beyond. She was very kind and personal, so I didn’t feel like I was at some Italian chain restaurant. The one thing that really stood out to me, that makes it 5 stars, were the people. Besides the waitress, the owner himself made sure to card my mother on her alcohol choice despite her age or appearance. Always a plus with mom.
Then, the owner made small talk by asking as how we were and eventually into where we were from and then onto colleges of all things. A local also joined in on the conversation and it was very pleasant. Did not expect such kind people from such a sketchy street.
All in all it was comparable to a Macaroni Grill with extraordinary service.

Less carbs than Paula D was offering
I decided I wanted to eat a little less carbs than Paula Dean’s Buffet offered at the Casino. I went on a search and ended up at this great little Italian place on Main St in New Albany. Outside dining was not an option for me, too hot and humid so I was given a great little table in the corner looking out onto the street. {my request since I was dining alone and wanted away from all the ‘date night’ people.
The server while still being professional, pulled up the extra chair and sat down to walk me through the menu — sharing tips on entrees. We settled on the Spaghetti and meatball. Seems rather boring heh … no not all all. This was by far the best meatball I have ever dined on. The pasta and sauce were equally tasty, but the meatball {size of golf ball} was worthy of my 2 hour drive to go back again.
The wine selection is good and a great never seen before Lambrusco. You can take unfinished bottles with you so go ahead and order a bottle.
This local little place is definitely the place I will be returning to on a regular basis when I am down in Southern Indiana. Parking is not a problem and the service was stellar. Get out of the Casino and venture into the small quaint town. You won’t be sorry and you can save a little money and spend it on food and drink.

Sexy Beast: What do you want to do about dinner?
Me: Oh, we can whip up some Fettuccine Alfredo. How’s that?
Sexy Beast: I don’t want to have to cook. Let’s just go out.
Me: Fine.
So, off we went in search of palatable tidbits to please our gullets. We didn’t find any.
We were seated right away and greeted by a lovely young lady. Let me be clear. The service was just fine. Our waitress was attentive and pleasant.
We were both immediately struck by the Lotsa Pasta meets Hobby Lobby décor. Lots of plastic vines and boxes of pasta. The table was draped with a white table cloth followed by white craft paper. I was disappointed that no crayons were provided. Sexy Beast was annoyed that the table crinkled. There was a paper napkin folded on the plate.
The wine offerings were budget bottles. There were no finer options than a $ 10 bottle of Riesling at a 350% mark up. I initially opted for a Cape Cod. I was served cranberry juice. If there was vodka in the glass, it was so minute that I couldn’t taste it at all. And, while I tend to order premium liquors so as not to turn the tea lights into flame throwers whilst whispering sweet nothings to Sexy Beast, I do expect to be able to taste the booze. I could not. I gave the bartender two attempts to get it right before switching to the cheap Riesling.
The food was wretched.
The bread basket contained flat little rolls that should have been allowed to rise longer, coated in some sort of slightly garlicky oil with a side of canned crushed tomatoes. The tomato «sauce» was delivered In a plastic ramekin. We should have taken heed when that was served. We did not.
The Bruschetta was made with under ripened tomatoes and very young cheese. The bread was chewy despite being toasted. Sexy Beast and I spent a few minutes debating whether the shredded cheese was just very young or if the crayons that I didn’t get to doodle on the table with had been mistakenly shredded. I am kindly assuming that someone back in the kitchen is under the impression that cheese is fresher when it is younger.
When the plates were delivered, the waitress also brought Parmesan. Now, I know what you just imagined. You pictured a nice wedge of cheese, a grater, and a smiling face grating fragrant cheese onto your plate. That is *not* what we got. You know those shakers of powdery grated Parmesan that you get at a pizza parlor? That’s what we got. Completely unacceptable.
Sexy Beast ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. The sauce was actually okay. It wasn’t fantastic, just okay. The pasta was a little over cooked. The chicken was tiny chunks of rubber. Sexy Beast was tempted to ask if they’d purchased it from Archie McPhee.
I made two mistakes. I ordered a special and I ordered seafood while dining inland. I usually avoid ordering daily specials because they are not dishes that the kitchen staff makes day in and day out so there is more margin for error. I don’t usually order seafood while dining inland because it is no less than 24 hours old or frozen before it hits the plate. Sometimes I need to be reminded of the reasons behind my compulsions.
The special offerings included a Lobster Ravioli in a Pesto Sauce and a Blackened Salmon with a Linguine. I opted for the Lobster Ravioli. I will forever regret that decision.
The ravioli was hand made and the pasta, itself, was pretty decent. It, too, was slightly overcooked. The Pesto Sauce was oily. While olive oil is a major ingredient in pesto, a pesto «sauce» should never result in rivulets of oil dripping from my fork when I lift it from the plate. Also, extreme care should be taken to ensure that any crustaceans have been thoroughly de-​crusted. Crunchy lobster is disturbing and less than tasty.
I can’t tell you whether there is a dessert menu and, if so, what is on it. Once my ravioli became crunchy, I was no longer hungry.
The bill for two diners came to about $ 70.
I also feel compelled to mention that after we got home, after seeing a movie, I developed Sigourney Weaver Syndrome. I spent the night curled in a ball trying to strike a deal with the devil. He says that this will never happen again if I promise not to order crustaceans in Indiana and sacrifice a mermaid in his honor. I’ve got a call out to Ariel.

Came here after leaving another place where we’d become frustrated with the service. I was really impressed with the service, the food, the atmosphere, and the value. I had a steak (a dinner special) and it was fantastic. Highly recommended,

A friend and I stopped by last night. I ordered two appetizers rather than a meal. She ordered spaghetti and meatballs. She pronounced hers to be very good. My caprese salad was very good. The basil large and tasty. The fried ravioli filling was good, but the pasta itself was a bit greasy. I’d go back to try something else. I have eaten there for lunch before and it was very good.
The bad thing yesterday was — the flies! Many aggravating flies. I guess flies like Italian food. The number of flies in the dining room made me worry about the kitchen though. I hate flies.

Nestled in downtown New Albany, this Italian place has a quaint, picturesque to it, every time I pass by it’s overflowing with families and guests. On whim I wound up her sitting outside at one of their tables chatting with my dad in the mid-​day sun. The waiter was great and attentive coming to our table to fill drinks and check on us, and was even thoughtful enough to bring us extra garlic butter rolls when the kitchen was dragging. Now the kitchen was a different story, the garlic bread was inconsistent some were done perfectly, some overdone and dry while others were undercooked and soft. It could not be considered the garlic bread they claim it to be either as it had no taste of garlic on it. They came back with great crisp fried ravioli, with a marinara bordering on chutney. I got the sea food at the waiters recommendation, the clams were good but the mussels were not fresh I can tell you that and the calamari was tough not rubbery, tough even harder to chew then I feel the chef should have ever allowed to leave his kitchen. The Fettuccine Alfredo my dad bout was great a creamy rich sauce that clung to perfectly andante noodles. The biggest issue here was the food was a letdown, with a 50+ dollar ticket for two of us including one glass of wine, we did not get what we paid for. They have the atmosphere and capability to be at the level there prices reflect. The inconsistent kitchen and poor state of some of the dishes just make it feel overpriced, for what you receive. I would steer clear of the calamari and shell fish here stick with simple and tasty pastas or fish and you should be fine. I just hope you feel you got what you paid for in the end. Enjoy your pasta.

Enjoyed a very tasty Bruschette appetizer, followed by a Caesar salad with the main course of Shrimp Parmesan. Enjoyed the food, the presentation, the service and the value.
When you are in New Albany check it out… great spot in a nice little downtown. I enjoyed the outdoor seating even though it was a little chilly.

solid/​mostly authentic leaning italian. good service. upscalish crowd. good place to take a date.