A Birthday Evening at Luca Ristorante Italiano

Ah, Luca Ristorante Italiano. The definitive area hot-spot for exquisite Italian cuisine. But with the average entree priced in the $30-$40 range, these days it's not exactly a spot for the budget-conscious. Still, for those willing to splurge, Luca provides a truly enjoyable fine-dining experience.

I visited Luca for the first time, courtesy of my boyfriend's wallet and with the excuse of my birthday. We arrived just as the sun was setting for our 7:30 p.m. reservation. Inside, the dining room was warm and inviting, with a fairly decent crowd of cheerful diners for a Thursday night. The back wall was adorned with bottles of wine and a small, handsome bar. We decided to enjoy the late summer evening on the quieter outdoor patio, and were told we could choose any table we liked. Be warned—the outdoor seating puts you right on the road. But the tent, candles and twinkling strands of white lights help you forget about any passing traffic.

After choosing a table, we were given menus, water (served in wine glasses—a nice touch) and a basket of fresh, crunchy Italian bread served with a tasty olive tapenade and, of course, a bottle of good olive oil. Since it always takes me an abnormally long time to settle on what I want and place my order, I had spent some time browsing through the dinner menu online that afternoon. I knew I wanted the 'Fiori di Zucchine Ripieni' to start, but I was torn between the 'Ravioli di Zucca e Ricotta' (homemade pumpkin and ricotta ravioli tossed in butter and sage sauce), 'Risotto alla Lombarda' (risotto with saffron, wild mushrooms, artichoke hearts and pancetta, finished with Robbiola cheese) and the 'Cavatelli all Toscana' (handmade cavatelli pasta with cherry tomatoes, trentino speck, porcini mushrooms and black truffle in a garlic olive oil sauce). In fact, I don't think there was one dish on the menu that didn't make my mouth water.

We put in the order for our appetizer and, after several more indecisive minutes, I ended up having our waiter, Fabio, help me make a decision on my main course. He explained that the risotto and cavatelli were both very different and more substantial than the ravioli. He also mentioned the cavatelli is one of the most popular items on the menu, and is the only one that hasn't changed since the restaurant first opened. Sold. My boyfriend chose the 'Costoletta di Vitello Ripiena,' described as an "extra thick French cut veal chop, stuffed with truffle cheese and fresh pear in a delicate Madeira wine sauce and finished with touch of truffle oil." At $39, I think it was also the most expensive entree on the menu.

By far the most daunting task was choosing a wine. Fabio left us for a few minutes, although he probably knew we'd soon need his help. We joked about the $1,100 bottle of wine and who might order it before getting back to business and looking at the more reasonably priced $40-$50 bottles. Right on cue, Fabio came back to offer his advice. We went with a $50 vintage red, which was brought out with perfect huge wine glasses that I instantly wanted to take home. There are few luxuries I enjoy more than red wine in enormous goblets, especially rich, pleasant reds ala the one Fabio helped us choose.

Our appetizer arrived hot and delicious looking, albeit different than I was expecting. Described on the menu as "Zucchini blossom filled with imported ricotta Romano and spinach, pan fried and served with a touch of tomato sauce and sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano,"  I think I was anticipating something of an Outback Bloomin' Onion in zucchini form. Instead, we got a fairly small plate with three stuffed and fried zucchini "fingers" atop marinara sauce. They were absolutely delicious, a perfectly crisp outside enveloping a melt-in-your mouth inside, complemented by a zesty, hearty tomato sauce that was undeniably homemade. At $14, I think it was a little overpriced, but it was definitely delectable.

Round two began when our steaming main courses were laid before us, and fresh black pepper added to the mouthwatering smells of good food. I couldn't wait to taste my cavatelli, and after taking the first bite, I was not disappointed. The pasta was hearty and dense, and the sauce was a scrumptious blend of savory with a touch of smokiness. My only complaint was that about halfway through the dish, it became a little boring to me and I started wondering if I should have gone with the risotto instead. My boyfriend was raving about his veal, which he dubbed "one of the best meals I've ever had." Naturally, I needed a bite. Oh, it was good. The meat was tender and flavorful, and the oozing truffle cheese filling took it to a whole new level of taste bud heaven. I was very happy with the way our wine complemented both dishes so well.

Feeling comfortably full and satisfied, we let our happy bellies rest while we thought about whether or not we were up for the challenge of dessert. Fabio cheerfully told us there were no calories in looking, so we perused the dessert menu and sipped our seemingly bottomless glasses of wine. While there are many desserts on the menu, it was the tempting assortment of homemade goodies that caught our eye, and we decided to give the tiramisu a try.

Several minutes later, I saw Fabio making his way over to our table with a plate of tiramisu, a candle flickering in the middle. My boyfriend hadn't even made the request... he must have just overheard it mentioned in our conversation that we were celebrating my birthday. That about sums up the quality of service at Luca.

The tiramisu was, in a word, perfect. It was moist and delicate without being soggy, light and creamy, sweetly satisfying and everything you want in the dish. We polished it off with ease, and sat back in a delightful food coma, sipping the last of our wine.

We were ready to call it a night, but then Fabio offered us after-dinner drinks on the house. How could we refuse? I went for the limoncello, while my boyfriend opted for some grappa. Mind you, he'd never tried it before and, out of no fault of Luca, probably never will again. It smells kind of like a deadly mixture of bad whiskey and sambuca. My limoncello was very good, perfectly chilled, but a bit on the strong side.

Overall, I was extraordinarily impressed with Luca, from the pleasing, comfortable ambiance to the exquisite food and exceptional service. We never felt ignored, despite being the only people outside for most of the evening, nor did we feel rushed. Fabio made sure we never saw the bottoms of our wine glasses, on hand with impeccable timing to top them off throughout the night. Luca certainly is pricey, perhaps a little more than it should be, but the atmosphere, level of service and quality of ingredients undoubtedly balance it out.