Being perfectly honest, after first arriving at Lucca, my expectations were set pretty low. From the outside, it looked like a restaurant/bar that places more importance on being a bar than being a restaurant. Other midtown restaurants instantly came to mind like a post-war flashback, places like Bistro 33 (recently went out of business) and the always popular and consistently less than satisfactory Hanger 17. Perhaps my judgment was a bit hasty, because my opinion began to change quickly following being seated.
"Cozy" is definitely what the decor aimed to be. High ceilings, brick walls, tiled floors and warm lighting is usually synonymous with somewhere that you would go to relax, or to take a date. As for whether it actually achieved the vibe it was shooting for... I would say not completely. The large, colorful, and ultimately jarring paintings of animals that hung on the wall clashed with the overall theme. Also, wicker chairs aren't usually the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about a comfortable environment.
Given that we arrived within the 3-6 p.m. time frame, we were given a small menu that said "Happy Hour: Bites from the Kitchen" in bold print on the top. In an attempt to bring as much variety to the table as possible, we ordered all 12 appetizers on the menu. The thought of ordering multiple appetizers at a restaurant would usually make my wallet cower in fear, however, the prices during Lucca's happy hour are mind-bogglingly low. The most expensive appetizer on the happy hour menu was $3, which is low enough to boost even my bank account's confidence.
Not so surprisingly, the happy hour drink menu was just as moderately priced. A selection of about 14 different beers, wines, and cocktails were available for around $2 each. Paul and I ordered the "El Toro" Amber Ale, one of the three beers on tap. We were looking to come up with a meaningful critique of the beverage. "Well, it tastes like... Beer," said Paul, which pretty much summed up the entirety of our opinion on the drink.
The service staff was helpful, friendly, and definitely more than aware of the fact that we were going to be writing critical reviews of the restaurant. Them being aware of our purpose probably had a drastic effect on the level of service we received. But really, how could you ever complain about such excellent service? Regardless of the situation, the waiter seemed to be very attentive to the quality of the food. He even went so far as to return one of the plates to the kitchen because he thought it wasn’t up to standards.
When the appetizers came out, the quality of Lucca as a restaurant was demonstrated in the perfect little morsels of food that each plate contained. There were zucchini chips perfectly cut into thin slices and fried to a crisp golden brown, surprisingly fresh mussels in a rich white wine sauce and perfectly cooked steak on a skewer with a tasty pesto blend. These weren’t conventional appetizers by any means. The highlight was the meatball with polenta and marinara. The meatball was perfectly cooked and balanced with Italian herbs, but it was the unbelievably smooth and creamy polenta that stole the show. Polenta has never quite reached that level of creaminess before, and it was a textural phenomenon that I’ll not soon forget.
One of the low points of the meal was one of the appetizers brought out that was supposedly off the menu. It was the cauliflower fritters with harissa sauce. The fritters had an interestingly light texture, but had really no flavor to speak of. The Tunisian harissa sauce didn’t make up for the missing flavor in the fritters, and it lacked a spicy kick that might’ve saved the dish. Also, the salty and spicy almonds along with the walnut and brie plate weren’t necessarily low points so much as they were dull in comparison to the other appetizers. These two appetizers felt more like food that one would only order to accompany a strong drink, but nothing that could ever hold up as an individual dish.
Contrary to my low expectations, Lucca proved to deliver an excellent dining experience. The happy hour menu provides a very small taste of the type of food that the restaurant is all about. Thankfully, that small taste was delicious enough to make me want to return for a more complete meal. The passion for ingredients and extra attention to execution came through in the petite bites that we were given, and it was more than enough to grab my interest. If the intent of this happy hour is to present a teaser in hopes that it's enjoyable enough to come back for the dinner menu, they've succeeded.
The writer put plenty of detail into this review - maybe more than we even needed.
ReplyDelete"One of the low points of the meal was one of the appetizers brought out that was supposedly off the menu. It was the cauliflower fritters with harissa sauce."
Harissa sauce? That's way past my knowledge base of food stuffs.
Still, the writer's details in most cases did a good job of informing readers abut the restaurant.
Also, by taking his first paragraph and connecting it to the last, the writer brings the column full circle.
With some harissa sauce on the side.