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Every Saturday and Sunday Lucca is open for Lunch/Brunch from 12 noon until 3 p.m. Call today for reservations.
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"Let me tell you why Ivy got that elusive 5th star - $26 bottles of wine. I'm not just talking about some of them...I'm talking about ALL…" read more »
Talk about froo-froo.
I can't say that I'm a huge fan of trying to make what is actually peasant food super complex & uppity. But.. Novertheless, it was damn yummy.
My fat kid companion & I started off by devouring the plate of bread they pass out with garlic butter & some kind of bean spread. OMG, I don't think I've had bread like this in quite some time. It might have also been the fact that we were STARVING.
Then we moved on to the House Chianti & split an Antipasto, which was absolutely delicious! Did not want that plate to end.
My friend got the boar, which was heavenly & I got the spaghetti with maine lobster. Both were delicious.
All in all, the food is great & the service is exceptional, but there is something that I can't quite put my finger on that makes me slightly "meh" about the place. I wouldn't cry if I never want back.
Too-fancy Italian food that's pretty highly priced. Ordering anything simple was nearly impossible. I had rigatoni with wild boar as one of the simplest things I could find. The carpaccio was good.
My real complaint was the sommelier who pushed us hard towards an expensive caberbet franc that wasn't very good, despite my insisting that I don't like cabernet franc! He should have just let me order the Ducale gold chianti classico, like I wanted to.
So if you like "fro fro" Italian, I suppose you could go here, but I suspect there's 10 better places in Boston. But, either way, hold your ground with the pushy sommelier.
This review should have been done a few months ago, but I never got around to it. This was my first time here and I have to say this is one of the best Italian meals I have had in a while. One of my friends from Japan came back to Boston for a visit and so five of us went out to dinner and chose this place for a Saturday night. The place was packed on the first level but was semi empty on the lower basement level where we sat.
I must admit that the location of our table wasn't ideal as it was in front of the stairs to the upper level and thus there were traffic of the wait staff walking back and forth. Although the decor was very nice and comfortable and the wine rack that surrounds the place was pleasant as well.
But let's get on with the food. First we order a few appetizers including the Prosciutto and Bruschetta. Man was it good and the flavour and freshness you can just smell and then taste it. After that, I ordered the "Vitello" or veal chops and OMG, it must have been the best veal I had in my life. It was juicy, tender and full of flavour. I definitely felt like it was the best veal I had at the time of chewing it in my mouth.
We also order a bottle of wine which I forgot what brand or type since I am not really a big wine drinker but it fit the need of quenching my thirst and enjoying my veal. My other friends order steak, duck and something else which I tried but felt that my veal was still the best. So overall, I really love the veal that I had and I would definitely come back again when I get a chance.
Of course, the price was crazy expensive as the final bill came out to over $300+ for a group of five which includes wine, etc..... So you can figure that out. But for the meal that I had, I thought it was worth it since the veal was so tasty. So as a value-oriented eater, it was consider expensive but my motto is as long as the food is good, then a higher price is not so bad.
The only negative I have was that the wait staff did take a while to get our order and wasn't responsive when we requested a table location change. Other than that, I am fine with the place. Don't forget that finding parking was crazy hard and we had to drive around a few times to find a spot.
As a final note, I see that other Yelpers have some complaints and I do sense that this place is a bit over priced. Thus my response is that if you do decide to come here, you have to come here when it's busy such as Friday/Saturday night and order the right dishes.
Lucca's is a more of a high end North End Restaurant- but for the price you pay, you do get good food. It was delicious. Had great wine list and also great desserts-- the portions were rather large as well. (No worries about going home hungry) A wonderful, upscale dining experience!
Work dinner here earlier in the week and had no expectations. I thought this place was really good. The service was a little spotty at first though it got better when we ordered a bottle of wine that was several hundred dollars. I had the bolognese which was excellent. The caesar salad was very tasty; despite the simplicity I've found it's hard to get a great caesar.... Everyone was happy with their dishes, the rigatoni I tried was even better than my bolognese.
By the way, at first I freaked out because one of the pieces of the bread had what appeared to be green mold on it.. however, upon pointing it out to the waiter, I was told it was the side of pesto butter which did appear to be the exact hue. That being said, I still stayed away from it.
Overall, it was good food and I would go back.
We found a North End restaurant that we'll go back to for sure. It's definitely one of our favorites. The pasta with veal was delicious. We went here on a Saturday night and it was really busy on a long holiday weekend. The service was great considered how busy it was. This restaurant is on top of our list.
I went to Lucca with some friends for a late night dinner. This place was what I would expect it to be for "the Boston north end experience": inviting, warm ambient lighting, great lounging music, and etc. We started out with a cocktail and the antipasto which sampled the best poached calamari, fresh mozzarella, olives (black and green), citrus flavored salmon and cured meats (Salomi and Prosciutto). For our main course I had the wild boar rigatoni. All the ingredients tasted fresh and clean. Every bite was like a Mendelssohn symphony where the hint of basil, grated cheeses, chunks of tomatoes, red wine, the wild boar, and the rigatoni pasta all played in harmony while each ingredient not overpowering one another.
There was a team of waiters all knowledgeable of the wine list, food, and cocktails. The waters were always full and the vino was always half full. Overall, it was a sensational place to wine and dine. Every moment from start to finish was incredibly delicious. I recommend this place for a nice quiet dinner for an intimate date or catching up with friends and family. Thanks Lucca's staff for a great epxerience.
This is my favorite restaurant. I have never had anything here that wasn't amazing and anyone I have ever gone with has felt generally the same. Try the filet with the risotto and broccoli rabe. Amazing. Didn't know steak could be that good.
Almost everything about the place is what you want in a restaurant. a.)Everybody gets the rock-star treatment. b.) food is excellent from app's to entrees to desserts c.) ambiance is good not great as it has been loud in there. d.)service is good but I have an occasion or two where I felt there was a push for more expensive wine. So, just be aware of that possibility.
The only consistent downside is price. It is expensive. That said, you won't be disappointed with the food. So, check out the menu. If it looks good but you're concerned about whether it will be worth the price, well, I can confidently say if you're willing to pay for it will be worth it.
This is the kind of place you go to if you a) have a job, and thus have money to spend, b) want to escape the younger annoying college crowd, or c) are invited. You do not go to this place if you are in between jobs lest you starve for a week. Fortunately, I fell into category C this time. (Someday, category A... someday!)
Staff is a little bit pretentious, but very knowledgeable and quick. Also, be prepared to be stared at if you walk in wearing a t-shirt with a Mario Mushroom on it that says "Natural Male Enhancement" just below it. Just sayin'.
The shrimp risotto was excellent - and I don't like shrimp. See? It's that awesome. The fig salad is also very tasty, and a refreshing departure from the usual caesar or house salad. The introductory bread was very chewy, and although the butter was green I didn't find that it tasted any different from regular butter.
My grandma had some spaghetti bolognese, which wasn't very special. I'm pretty sure she could make a superior with the same ingredients dish for a fraction of what you'd pay for it here. Order that dish if you have kids with you as a safe alternative to them throwing a tantrum because they don't like anything on the menu.
My steak was cooked just the way I liked it with melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. It arrived on a bed of broccoli that was far too salty, but it came with a side of risotto as excellent as the shrimp risotto. The extra side of potatoes was also a good idea - can you say "truffle oil goodness?" I certainly can, and it sounds like this: "Mmmmmmm..."
It was late, wasn't really hungry..ordered the antipasto figuring it was a safe bet. The antipasto plate is gold! roasted peppers, caramelized onions, calamari salad, fresh mozzarella, cured meats, ricotta in a tomato, olives, breadstick. (there might have been one or two more items) The calamari was my favorite! I was ecstatic with my great pick!
It seemed everyone else enjoyed their orders, but none expressed anything amazing.. next time, i'll have to go back to try an entree. but for now, lucca antipasto fan right here.
Haven't been here in a little while but I might as well recount the experience.
Ended up here a few months ago in the winter with some family friends. I was impressed with the service, attentive and quick. I had the Bistecca con Risotto and it was FANTASTIC, the glaze went very well with the steak and risotto. We also shared the antipasto plate, which was tasty in its own right, with a good blend of different items but not too much of any single one to get boring.
Lucca is slightly pricier than I would've liked, but tolerable. Great low-light atmosphere, good for dates!
Lucca is definitely on the "slightly overpriced" side, but it's still good and is a good go-to for date night.
I prefer their summer menu over their winter menu by far. As a vegetarian who isn't too into mushrooms, the winter menu doesn't thrill me much. If you aren't a vegetarian, you'd hardly notice the difference as they have the same meat-based menu year round.
In summer, I absolutely love their cold soup (it's an heirloom tomato soup). Their summer ravioli is topped with halved cherry tomatoes and is delicious. In winter, they have a good potato leek soup and even for someone who isn't too fond of mushrooms, their ravioli con funghi is still pretty good. All in all, it's a good date-night restaurant, as I said.
Where to begin...the other reviewers were right on track when they said this place was over priced. The food is quite good. I went with 5 others and we all enjoyed a variety of dishes but the price was outrageous for what we got. There are so many great restaurants in the North End where you can have a fabulous dinner without that price tag.
I agree with the wine list being great but be aware that easily half the list is over $100 per bottle...At those prices they better be fantastic. You'll also find after dinner drinks for $77, a little decadent by my standards.
I'm glad I tried it but I won't be back.
So we went to Lucca
The main idea which is the food was delish, I got some yummy backed oriechiette with sausage and stuff and my companion got some beef tenderloin (so good) which he loved
Service and wine...ugh the waiter was so rude and like pompous. Every time he walked away were like uhhh ok. Didn't know we'd get insulted. It'd be one thing if I had no idea what I was talking about but I work at a restaurant a couple streets over. When I go out to eat I expect to have my questions answered (politely).
Also, when you have an extensive wine list and I tell you what I like and ask you to point me in the right direction, don't give me some half assed answer like I don't know anything...
He could have upsold, the wine, antipasto but more than anything he turned me away and made me want to finish my food and get outta there.
spendy - more for the atmosphere than the cuisine. after a few days, i can't really remember much about the meal.
i wasn't here with anyone i really wanted to impress, but after a late flight in, it was open, and when hungry on the north end, open is good.
food was good-ish, but not really impressive. presentation and service were formal, but not over the top. just sorta average food in a fancy wrapper. there are better places in the north end, but their kitchens all seemed to close @ 9:00
I've been to Lucca a few times but this was definitely the worst experience I've had so far- not just there, but at any restaurant in Boston in a while.
I went to Lucca tonight and though it started off alright (restaurant was empty around 7pm Monday night so we were seated right away), the waitress, Jessica, didn't come to take our order for over 15 minutes (until we asked someone to bring her over) even though the restaurant was almost empty and there were other servers. No apologies. Did not bring us water, and forgot our drink orders until we reminded her. Didn't bring us bread for the table until we asked. (Keep in mind these events were about 10-15 minutes apart because she never came over to us) Still no apologies or explanation but definitely a condescending attitude. My scallops came out grainy with one piece of shell/sand that was like a small rock, and my risotto was way too salty. The lobster spaghetti was too greasy. The garlic bread was way too pungent and cheese was cold in the middle. The chardonnay was decent (too bad it came so late in the meal). Finally, Jessica bumped the back of my chair multiple times on her way to the kitchen though there was plenty of space and never apologized...
I've gone here a few times and usually have had a decent experience but tonight must have been an off night because the food was subpar and service terrible.
If you're going to pay $80-$100 for appetizer+dinner+drinks+dessert per head and looking for better quality food & service, go to Marco, Fiore, Giacomo (though touristy), or Via Matta in Back Bay...
I am wondering if something has happened here. I used to enjoy Lucca so much, but as of the last six + months, I has been mediocre at best. Service is aloof and slow, the food bland, greasy, and just uninspired and their wine list is ridiculously overpriced. Add that they seem to slowly be increasing the prices of their food as well.
I hope management/ownership reads these so they can bring back the old Lucca I loved. I live in the North End and have loved having this place in the neighborhood.
This was a very busy place on a Saturday night in late May and we were lucky enough to get seated right away at 8pm without reservations. Our table was way in the back off to the side but we were just glad to be seated and being tourists in town, we chose the restaurant using the "busy rule", ie. for a chance to find a half-way decent meal, only go to a place that's busy. And for sure, this place was busy!
But it took quite awhile to be greeted by our waiter and even longer to be served water - yes, we just wanted water, no drinks. Then we didn't receive any bread, and it seemed like the table next to us was being served before us by our same waiter. You know how it is...as we anticipated good food, we waited and waited and then started to notice the lack of service and what seemed to be unfair treatment (in relation to the table next to us).
But we overlooked it since the food seemed worth waiting for however, when the waiter finally came to get our order, he was noticeably irritated with our questions and requests for slight changes to the various dishes to accommodate our diet needs, ie. low-salt diet and lactose-intolerance diet requirements. The 3 of us each had a different diet need and by the time he took the 3rd person's order, he said - "no, no more changes! the kitchen is going to go nuts!"
Isn't this supposed to be a service-oriented business? What kind of service is that?!!
Needless to say, we then said in that case, maybe it's better if we leave and the waiter said "yes, you're right". Can you imagine that?! He didn't even try to apologize or anything.
It's a very classy sort of restaurant but way too arrogant - they aren't the only restaurant in town, especially in the North End.
Went to Lucca with travel friends as our last night of vacation. Definitely a repeatable experience. The food was excellent and service very attentive. Great martinis and extensive wine list at lots of price points.
Had the Orecchiette al Formaggio which was really good but too heavy for my dining mood; my own fault. My friend had the Bistecca con Risotto which was mouth watering (wish he'd shared more!)
My husband and I went to Lucca on a Tuesday night at 6pm. We were early for dinner and were told they had "the perfect" seat for us. I thought it was odd, there was only one other couple in the entire restaurant (what can I say, we're early birds!) and we were seated next to them- the tables were only about a foot apart. A little bit more privacy and space seemed like more of a "perfect" seat to me.
Anyway- the waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable regarding the menu. I started with the tomato risotto which was superb. My husband had the Insalata con Frisee which was also very good.
For my meal I had the orecchiette which was delicious- a good sized portion and there was a ton of sausage in it. I only had about three bites though, and was stuffed. The sauce was rich and creamy-sinful!
Husband had cinghiale (wild boar)- it was a first for us and it was delicious, tender, and very different from anything we had ever had.
Overall, a nice restaurant but I would probably not go back. There are too many other places to try. I agree that it is also a bit overpriced. The bill for the two of us was $119, and I don't think we ordered anything that would be considered extraordinary.
This place has really good food, and the service was good, too. I took my mother out to this place for her bday and it seems like everyone had a good time. I had the Pappardelle alla Bolognese, which was very good. They serve good portion sizes, so you're bound to have some left overs.
Came back again after a while (I didn't recall having reviewed this place before) and the food is still great. I had a little half ravioli, stuffed with goat and ricotta cheeses and adorned with a sparsely satisfying Tuscan style tomato sauce featuring cherry hot peppers and olives; this was really stellar, though the pasta - though good - left perhaps just a little something to be desired. Getting a little hyper critical there as I was generally pleased with the dish.
My main was a halibut special, pan seared and served atop a little pool of truffled potato puree and some whole hericort verts. This was really quite stellar, and displayed none of the over-richness I commented on way back.
Dessert was a pure delight, carrot cake with pumpkin spice gelato and vanila bean creme anglais. get into some of this real soon. The gelato was ridiculously amazing and the whole thing was so satisfying, not overly sweet but totally songworthy.
Lucca is a very solid option for Italian in the North End, and is every bit as worthwhile as it's… Read more »
My work colleagues and I ate here during a conference evening. It was tough making reservations at a number of the high end Italian places in the North End. But we were able to make one at Lucca. We were seated right on time.
The place was busy and it took our waiter a while to drop by our table to take our order. He eventually became more attentive, but we weren't happy that we couldn't get his attention at times.
The wine list is extensive and expensive. The breadth of the menu is ok. I had the papardelle pasta with bolognese. It was just ok. It didn't knock my socks off. I had a braised beef short rib bolognese with fusili at Amelia's Trattoria in Cambridge, and it was much much better than what I ordered at Lucca.
Romantic first date?
Party of Two?
Your table is now available.
Well, not quite...but all's well that ends well. After walking into Lucca unannounced on a Wednesday evening, the host promised us a table quite soon and we sauntered off to the bar to have a cocktail while we waited. Two seats open on the end were calling our names and we saddled up and chatted over a beer and a martini. The bartender was quick and friendly and the atmosphere was bustling, the patrons all looked pleased and every breath filled my nostrils with the mouth-watering smell of truffles. All good signs.
Then we realized how long we'd been sitting at the bar. And how many tables were open. And that people who walked in after us were getting sat in front of our eyes. An investigation quickly took place and our suspicions were confirmed: The host completely forgot about us! Not a good sign.
We were sat, with apologies, quickly at a table overlooking Hanover Street, in a nice quiet part of the restaurant. A plus. But, with 10-15 tables open around us throughout the dining room, it puzzles me as to why they sat a couple at the table right next to us.
The service from this point on was very good..attentive, knowledgeable and well-paced. The food was very good to excellent..the oyster were fresh, the proscuitto app was good but not exciting and the main course were good-sized portions, perfectly cooked and elegantly plated.
When our plates were cleared from dinner, we asked for the dessert menu and the waiter promptly brought it over and replied, "we have a dessert selection on the way to our table, as well as a dessert wine pairing...on us." We of course accepted our alcohol and sugar-packed apology with relish...a zabaglione with fresh fruit and two glasses of moscato.
Lucca, apology accepted.
Very nice little joint on the very famous Hanover street. Nice decor, sliding windows, dim and relaxing setting. Valet is quick and efficient and the service is great. I highly suggest you try the stuffed mushroom, tuna tar tar with a little italian twist to it or the Gnocchi. They have great portions and pour once killer glass of Riesling. Never tried the dessert.
Also has a very trendy bar seen after the dinner crowd starts finishing up. If your really craving dessert, you can swing by one of the North Ends many famous little pastry shops. So although the protions are huge, save some room for something like the Modern Pastry ......
A
I had the scallops. They were so good. My husband was not a fan of their steak =( . Both meals served with amazingly delicious risotto. I loved the ambiance. Great cocktails.
This isn't the best place I've eaten at the North End, but it's ok. We came here for one of our date nights. I was pleased with the atmosphere, really comfortable. Our waiter was kind of rushy and was just all over the place. Our meal was good, but it wasn't memorable. We had this chocolate pear dessert, which was very delightful, but we had it with coffee and cappucino and our milk had little curds in it. I wasn't too crazy about that and didn't touch my coffee at all.
For my birthday my boyfriend got tickets to Improv Asylum (next door) and dinner at Lucca's. Improv Asylum offered a ticket deal for their show and dinner for $70 per person. We arrived prior to the restaurant opening, didn't realize it doesn't open until 5.
One of the fanciest places I've been for dinner. The waitresses were a little stuck up and my group of friends joked that they probably thought we were just ''south coast trash'' since we're from south of Boston. After one of us got up to use the restroom our waitress would promptly arrive to fold his/her napkin back up into a triangle. Talk about a little anal. The food was good though.
Since we bought the tickets to dinner as a package deal we got a separate menu. We picked an appetizer, main course and dessert. We had to pay for our wine.. which we asked for the cheapest wine and it was a whopping $50.
Overall it was a good experience. I had mushroom (funghi) ravioli for my main course. And don't get the salad if you have a choice, ask for the potato slices with mushrooms in between, it was amazing.
This place has really good food, and the service was good, too. I took my mother out to this place for her bday and it seems like everyone had a good time. I had the Pappardelle alla Bolognese, which was very good. They serve good portion sizes, so you're bound to have some left overs.
While my 1-star rating won't severely affect the overall rating of this place, it really deserves it. Food was "eh". You know? You go to the North End and pay a little premium, and expect a little more, not a little less. Save the money and time and try one of the many better Italian restaurants in the Boston area.
I know you'll still go. You read my review, and then the others, and say to yourself, "Maybe the Nitz was having a bad day". Then you'll go there, pay too much for mediocre Italian food, and realize the Nitz was right. Here's a better idea: go to Vinny's (76 Broadway, Somerville). You'll think you're in the wrong place (it's in the back of a superette), but definitely THE place to go for authentic Italian.
Happy feeding!
As The Joker would have said, "... why so serious? "
The attitude of the waitress we got really made you wonder if she was in one of the Sweet Sixteen episodes on MTV where the girl is made to work as some sort of punishment. Or maybe that is the attitude that yuppies that frequent that place like. But enough about her, I am sure the other staff are nice.
But as far as the food is concerned, it was quite sumptuous (I have a funny feeling when I say that). I ordered the Pollo con Navone, chicken breast with potatoes and spinach. The outside of the chicken was really paper thin and crisp with a serving of the perfectly cooked baby potatoes.
On a different day, this is a place that one could come and relax some really good food. But since I was really short on time, I have this place on the must go a second time list.
Extremely mediocre Italian food with absurdly high prices. The wait staff was nice, if a bit awkward. The bread came out cold and bland. The chilled corn soup to start was tolerable, but the risotto with scallops and boar ragu dishes were both pretty bad. The boar ragu tasted more like tart tomato paste than anything else. Save your money and make your own pasta with canned sauce; it will taste better.
We walked in with a party of 7 and they were able to seat us pretty quickly on a Saturday night. The bartenders were very friendly, the waiters were prompt, the bread was awesome, the Duxbury Oysters were divine. Everything else was just kinda OK.
I ordered the rabbit gnocchi special. The way the waiter described the dish it sounded amazing.....I think my expectations were too high because when it came out I was a little disappointed. The dish was good, but just not amazing. All the others in our group seemed to like their food, but nobody was jumping out of their chairs.
Oh my lord. I must admit, when I read about the reviews of this place, my curiousity was piqued. The menu seemed eccentric to say the least, and the use of truffles is the surest way to sucker me into having dinner at a particular place.
Lucca is awesome. It is rare for me to sit down in a restaurant (and I eat out a lot), and think - this city is worth coming back to because of this place -. This is what happened to me tonight in this pseudo-posh, loungy, italian restaurant in the North End of Boston.
I started off with an "off the cuff" (i.e. spur of the moment, I was not planning to have an aperitif) Appletini, which came to me promptly, and with a slightly opaque color... which is a good sign (could they have used real, fresh squeezed apple juice ? Who knows...). A sip.... aaaah.... perfect. Just enough sour, just enough apple, and a generous splash of vodka. Enough to get my appetite going as I run through the menu...
For appetizers, there was a fair bit of choice, but only a few items caught my eye... the Lasagna ai Funghi (crispy potato and cheese galettes layered with a wild mushroom creamed spinach finished with a balsamic glaze) sounded good, but I decided that it might be too heavy considering I was going for the 3 courses, so I ended up with the Carpaccio di Manzo (Thinly sliced seared beef, with extra virgin olive oil, parmigiano, and pickled vegetables). What can I say ? As far as carpaccio's go, it was excellent (the beef was thin, raw, and the garnish was fresh, and parmigiano pre-dated the American revolution). Loved it.
For my entree, I hesitated between the Rigatoni al Cinghiale (Fresh rigatoni pasta tossed with slowly braised wild boar and a sweet and sour tomato ragu), the Gnocchi Primavera (Homemade potato gnocchi with market fresh spring vegetables and wild mushrooms, finished with basil puree and shaved parmigiano). I ended up having a "plat du jour", which was a pasta bake that nearly demolished me it was so rich, creamy, and delectable.
All of the above was accompanied by a Avignonesie 2003 (Montepulciano Vino Nobile)... which as some of my friends know is one of my favourite Italian wines... (that and Piedmontese wines of course)... which although acid when fresh out of the bottle, settled nicely and become a perfect accompaniment to my meal.
Did I have space for dessert? The answer is no. However, the server recommended the Budino di Cioccolate (Warm flourless chocolate cake with vanilla bean gelato, 8.5$). Given that my wife is allergic to gluten, and that flourless chocolate cake is something that we're always on the look out for, I just knew I had to have it - if only for my wife ;-) - And boy oh boy... it's the best friggin' dessert I've had since I left Paris (cf. Le Deci in La Buttes aux Cailles, Paris 13... Moelleux au Chocolat avec son coulis de Poire). Soft, moist, tender, with an intense aroma of vanilla from the dense gelato... the chocolate sauce melding with raspberry. I usually hate fruit with my chocolate... but you cannot taste the fruit here... its only purpose is to underline the dark tones of the chocolate sauce...
I could not finish dessert... total bill was 88$, which is 100 including tip. I've blown a couple days per diem here... but I didn't choose the cheapest of wines, and I could have skipped on appetizers. I think you can eat year with 2 people for 50$ pp. Not cheap, but in my eyes, definitely worth it.
Why not 5 stars ? Service was a bit sterile... lack of experience of some of the staff....
For a nice dinner Lucca is probably one of your better choices in the North End. Its very intimate and the food is solid although not particularly memorable. And its expensive.
Recently, we stopped in here with friends after eating at Antico Forno. One friend used to live in the N End and had been a regular here. When we got in she started gabbing with the host and the bartenders who all remembered her. Once we were seated and ordered drinks, the waitress carded us. That's bad form - when you know everyone in the restaurant including the bartenders I think the assumption should be that you've been served there before.
Then without asking, the bus boy opened a bottle of water. We would have been fine with ice water. He proceeded to fill our glasses, but only made it 3/4 of the way when he ran out. So he opened another one. That's even worse form. I was hoping they would be comp'd, but no. $11 for water.
We sat for a little while, ordered a couple of drinks and a dessert each. Nothing crazy. We wound up with a $60 per person tab. Yikes.
I must confess; I am no pasta connoisseur. My thought, how hard can it be to make and why so much? With that admission, I have done this establishment twice now. First time was decent. The experience was nothing to Yelp about. The second trip: much better. I had a dish that I could not have prepared at home: Linguini alle Vongole. I am sure the clams would have thrown my intense cooking nature out of balance. The Tiramisu was simply amazing.
Sure, the place was crowded, but this is the North end. I am always amused at people driving in the North end. Why?
So, my thoughts. Go to Lucca and don't drive.
Wine list: The list itself is great, as there are a lot of hard to find and expensive wines. But good luck trying to find something to drink if you dont want to pay a few hundred. Anything cheap (under $60) was pretty crappy.
Food: OK. but glorified mac and cheese with sausage isnt really worth $30.
Good venue. Many North End restaurants are tiny and cramped, which can be nice for a couple to enjoy a cozy meal. However, if you've got a corporate group of eight, you may want some room to spread out. Lucca has a large bar/upstairs area and the downstairs portion is nicely laid out so you don't feel like you're eating dinner on your neighbor's table.
Very nice service. We were seated immediately, even after I had called to push our reservation back a half hour. Wait staff immediately approached us and got our drinks together. Our waiter was knowledgeable on the menu and answered all questions very well.
This is a good pick if you have a large party from out of town.
The bar was available for 4 of us on a Sat night around 9. A nice gentleman scooted down for us to all fit. The bartender was prompt with the wine list and waters. The bottle of wine was excellent and not overly expensive either. A sangiovese, cab, syrah blend. Very nice place. Looks like a nice place to take a date too.
The boyfriend and I visited Lucca for an early dinner on a quiet Monday evening as we were given a generous gift certificate to spend. The first thing I noticed were the stained glass windows at the back of the restaurant. Really lovely. It was dark inside and the large windows at the front made for prime people watching seats.
The wine list was impressive--as one would expect from a winner of the Wine Spectator award 7 years in a row! But we settled for cocktails and started off with a basket of delicious bread served with creamed butter and chickpea pesto spread--a nice change of pace from the usual olive oil accompaniment at Italian restaurants. The antipasto platter changes daily, but we had a varied selection of sliced meats, cheeses, pickled cauliflower, poached squid and limoncello cured salmon.
As for entrees, I immediately gravitated toward the orecchiette baked in a cream sauce casserole with Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, tomatoes, breadcrumbs and a grand flourish of truffle oil. While I realize that most truffle oils contain no real truffles, it doesn't deter me from eating anything that is infused in the stuff....the scent is just heavenly! But suffice it to say that the dish actually smelled more amazing than it tasted. I dug in with gusto, but I think the dish was lacking some key seasoning. The pasta seemed slightly undercooked and I wasn't really a fan of the sausage either. I was stuffed after eating just one-third of the dish and had plenty leftover to take home. The boyfriend thoroughly enjoyed his wild boar rigatoni and I snuck a few extra bites of his perfectly al dente pasta. We couldn't determine if it was handmade, but the texture and sauce was really delicious. The meat was predictably gamey. We were too stuffed for dessert, but luckily had the foresight to pick up cannolis at Modern Pastry before dinner so we could enjoy them later.
I'm a bit torn on Lucca. On the one hand, the food is solidly good and the portions are generous but I think you could probably have a meal just as delicious elsewhere in the North End without emptying your wallet. However, the service was very attentive and our waiter even offered to call us a cab when we finished our meal. They also offer to take your coat at the door and fold your napkins when you step away from the table, so I'm going to give Lucca 3.5 stars for food and 5 for service.
Pre Fixe Menu
Neighborhood: Back Bay
3 Course Prix-fixe Dinner
Somerville, MA
Neighborhood: North End
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: North End
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: North End
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: North End
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: North End
Category: Italian
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