Bocca Osteria in Cooperstown, NY
The place we recommend is called Bocca Osteria and is located at 5438 State highway 28 in Cooperstown, NY 13326 (www.boccaosteria.com, 607-282-4031). We found this by trying to find a dog friendly place in or near Cooperstown, NY (home of the Baseball Hall of Fame), it was,. Not very impressive from the outside ( in our opinion, too close to a busy highway for quiet outdoor dining for a couple of retirees on the road for a day-trip ). The menu looked interesting, very interesting. It is obviously a true Italian place, no burgers, hot dogs, etc. listed but all dishes had a full explanation of what to expect to the non-Italian (that would be me. my wife, whose mother's name maiden name was Mastronardi , did much better). I ordered a breaded chicken, spicy greens, cheese and roasted pepper aioli (probably forgot a couple of things) while she chose a personal pizza , grilled in an imported (from Naples) wood fire oven with a whole bunch of stuff, the show stopper being figs and a balsamic glaze. Her first comment was, "This is the best pizza I have ever had". The obvious question from me, " better that your grandma"? "Yep" was the immediate response and I knew we were on to something! Come to find out, Bocca is owned and run by a ,young man whose parents helped him get started , shared their recipes, and most importantly their love for preparing all dishes with fresh ingredients and per order. It showed and tasted. We don't consider ourselves "high dinning" experts but we do know good, maybe great, when we taste it. She saved some of her pizza and I some of my sandwich to be shared that evening before bed. As with most left overs, they want from great to outstanding. 'nough said. You need to try it. We don't think you will be disappointed! Jean & Tom W.