San Jose closing leaves Bay Area with 2 Buca di Beppo restaurants

The holiday season saw the shuttering of the Buca di Beppo restaurant at Oakridge Mall in San Jose.

That closing resulted in 40 job losses and left the Bay Area with just two Bucas: One at the Pruneyard in Campbell and one in downtown Palo Alto.

Buca di Beppo grew out of a group meal in 1993 in the basement of a Minneapolis apartment building. Since then, the restaurant group has always encouraged whole-table dining — long before today’s trend of shareable plates. The concept ranges from starter courses (chopped antipasti, Caesar salad, bruschetta) to entrees and pasta (baked ziti, eggplant parmesan, pappardelle sugo) to dessert (tiramisu, cannoli, Italian creme cake).

The chain now operates more than 100 restaurants worldwide. Besides the two in the Bay Area, there are two in the Sacramento area and 14 in Southern California.

Details: 643 Emerson St., Palo Alto, and 1875 S. Bascom Ave., Campbell. Both are open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. www.bucadibeppo.com