At Luca's the food is center stage
Luca's Italina Deli and Cafe
By Mina Williams
NorthSoundDining.Com Restaurant Reviewer
It’s dubious, the Italian restaurant in a strip mall in Lake Stevens. Then you open the door and the lilt of acoustic guitar hits your ears and scents of simmering sauce hits your nose and suddenly the dropped ceiling floats away and a delicious evening begins.
Celebrating the
third anniversary this month, Luca’s Italian Restaurant has expanded beyond the
sandwich deli businesses it originally embarked upon. Now Chef Luca, himself
from Naples, brings the traditional flavors of authentic Italian dishes to
dinner diners delight within the 46-seat space.
Keeping with the
Neapolitan tradition, at Luca’s it is the food that takes center stage. The
sauces are slow simmered, the meats cooked exactly as ordered, the pasta served
toothsome. In short Luca’s promises exactly what you get. One surprise, and a
very pleasant one, is the Eggplant Parmiggiana. Expecting the usual presentation
of thick sliced eggplant topped with cheeses and tomato sauce, this dish is
presented lasagna-style. Each thin layer of eggplant is layered with basil,
mozzarella, parmesan cheese and tomato sauce so each mouthful contains the best
blend of Italy’s heart. Meatballs are another pleasant surprise. No bread bound
balls here. Only tightly packed meaty creations, worthy to earn a line of the
side dish section of the menu, are served.
The chef’s specials
are special. Lamb Chops, prawn dishes and the perfectly prepared Chicken Marsala
with tender white meat and the traditional wine-influenced sauce. In the
value-oriented tradition of Italian spots, Luca’s entrées come with a dinner
salad. Chef’s specials are plated with a bounty of vegetables and, of course, a
side of pasta.Even the humble Antipasto is crafted with care. The obvious salami, provolone cheese and olives are married with grilled yellow squash and eggplant drizzled with olive oil along with marinated carrots, red peppers, mushrooms and artichoke hearts.
With his Italian
heart, Luca creates each dish from scratch. When it comes to desserts, those too
are made in the restaurant’s open kitchen that makes Luca’s even more alluring
for dinner guests. On the sweet side, there are rare places indeed that offer
cannoli, the crispy shell encircling the sweet cheese filling so popular with an
espresso. Luca’s creation does not disappoint. A fresh shell and smooth filling
that is not too sweet. Even those who do not crave sweets at the end of a meal
find the cheesecake haunting enough to finish.
The refocusing of
the restaurant on dinner does not mean that Luca’s has backed off on its lunch
time offerings. A full compliment of ten Panini sandwiches is available on house
made bread. In addition to the expected meat with cheese versions there are
vegetable only pleasures such as fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and bail with
sun-dried tomato pesto and grilled vegetables with Fontina cheese and artichoke
pesto. An Italian tuna salad offering comes with oven roasted tomatoes. These
noontime creations are accompanied by a salad of fresh romaine hearts.Lunchtime guests, wanting more hearty fare, can also order from the list of daily chef’s specials or from the main dinner menu.
Capping off the experience is the more than attentive, yet not intrusive, service staff. Beyond refilling water and dropping off food, servers explain each of the chef’s specials, talk through the attributes of the various wines and Italian beers and answer guests’ questions with honesty and helpfulness.
Great food and great service. It’s no doubt that a good portion of the dining room are returning guests, chatting with each other and with the staff in that Old World way that just seems to go with slow simmered red sauce and freshly made pasta.
Mina Williams can be reached at: webfeedback@heraldnet.com
NorthSoundDining.com restaurant reviewers accept no invitations to review, but readers' suggestions are always welcome. Ratings reflect the reviewer's reaction to food, ambiance and service on the day they visited. Price is also taken into consideration. Reviewers arrive unannounced, and NorthSoundDining.com pays their tabs.