Melrose Staple Osteria La Buca Secures Surprise Second Location in the Valley

Longtime LA Italian restaurant Osteria La Buca has scored a surprising second location, this time up in Sherman Oaks. The sudden arrival came yesterday, with the team announcing the new address on social media.

The new Osteria La Buca lands at 14235 Ventura Boulevard in the former Fusion Restaurant & Bar space, directly across the street from fellow Italian restaurant Trattoria del Sole. And while the new space does offer some opportunity for al fresco dining — and is on a prominent, and expensive, drag — the plan during these troubled COVID-19 times, at least to start, is to offer delivery and takeout only. Osteria La Buca as a company has been consistently cautious during the difficult pandemic, particularly after a staff member at the Melrose location tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this year.

Osteria La Buca (La Buca means “hole in the wall”) first opened in a tiny, shoebox space along Melrose Avenue in 2005 with a bona fide Italian nonna, Loredana Corvino, preparing a homey menu of fresh pasta and more. She and her son Filippo, who co-owned the restaurant, left the business in 2010. Later that year, Alberto Lazzarino signed on as the chef when it expanded into a sleeker, well-designed dining room. In 2012, current Rose Cafe chef Jason Neroni took over the reigns of the menu for a brief period before he stepped away to oversee Pitfire Pizza and eventually open Superba Snack Bar in Venice. Over its 15 year history, Osteria La Buca became a neighborhood stalwart, commanding a large presence along a quieter stretch of Melrose across from Paramount Studios.

In addition to the usual slew of Italian staples that the 15-year-old restaurant has become known for, like rigatoni bolognese and bucatini carbonara, Valley diners can expect all-day items like salads, take-home pasta family meals, and more. The Melrose location has also continued to offer takeout cocktails and wine, pre-made pantry items, groceries, and the like. The new Osteria La Buca is open as of yesterday, and will keep daily hours from noon to 9 p.m.

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