Bove's Café: A Dive Worth Looking For

After being featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay, this little restaurant should be the hit of the town  

Story and photos by Sandi Fairbanks

While watching the Food Network one night, a show came on called Throwdown with Bobby Flay. It was a battle between Chef Bobby Flay and an American-Italian chef named Mark Bove. They were battling to see who could make the best lasagna. Little did I know was that Mark Bove was the owner of Bove’s Café in Burlington. And after watching that competition, I wanted to take a trip to Burlington to try a little bit of Bove’s Italian cooking.

Weeks later, I got my chance to taste the delicious Italian cooking in that little dive on Pearl Street in Burlington. Walking up to the restaurant, I was surprised at how small it was. It was the only building on the street that looked old. Everything around the tiny restaurant was built modern, but Bove’s stayed with its time. Opening the door and walking inside was like walking back in time to the 1940s. It had the feel of an old diner. Red and white cushioned booths, an old jukebox at the entrance, texture ceilings, paint peeling from the bottoms of the walls, a mural of Venice on one wall, and a bar situated at the back with Bove’s famous sauce to purchase. It was a gloomy February day, and the lighting was dim in the little place.

We seated ourselves, and there were about five other people dining in different areas, a slow Saturday lunch hour. Our waiter came over and the first thing I asked was, "I hear you have great lasagna?" And a smile that gave me hope spread across his face: "We have been told we do, unfortunately we only serve it on Wednesdays." My hopes of eating the delicious dish that I had seen on television were lost, so I had to pick another of my favorite Italian dishes, ravioli with my choice of vodka sauce.

Our waiter brought our drinks in small glasses, which seemed too small, but the amount of juice turned out to be just right. He also brought a basket of bread, which was delicious. So delicious that we ate it and wondered where it had gone once the basket was empty. Not even ten minutes later, our food arrived, smelling delicious and looking hot.

My plate was set down in front of me. it wasn’t a huge portion, just big enough to fill a person up for lunch. Steam delicately came off the freshly cooked ravioli. The smell of vodka from the sauce hit my nose and woke me up. It awakened all my senses when it hit my tongue.

One bite of my ravioli had me wanting more. It was so delicious. There was tanginess to the sauce that was so evenly distributed throughout it. What I didn’t like was there was an excessive amount of sauce for my taste. The ravioli was al dente, not too overdone and not unde cooked. The whole dish was at a perfect temperature to eat right when it got to the table. I was very happy with the outcome. It was filling and comforting.

Once we were done, our check came. The waiters and the cashier were extremely nice and thoughtful. The prices were very good; each person paid around $12 for their whole meal which included a beverage, bread, and dish of your choice. It was worth every penny of the $12.53 I paid.

Have you ever been to Bove’s?