Luca's Bistro: Pizza on Fresh, Homemade Dough is Specialty

Overview: Luca’s Bistro is a small Italian restaurant on the lower level of Treesdale’s Market Square that features fresh, homemade pizza, submarine sandwiches, tasca (dough pockets) and salad. The comfy shop is located on Warrendale Road (Red Belt) in Pine Township.

Decor: Luca’s is a new, contemporary bistro with limited seating. The little shop is decorated with funky hand-painted trees on the walls, earth tones and has an open kitchen. We were there for lunch and it wasn’t crowded, but my guess is that it could get really crowded on a busy night. If you have a large group, you may want to call ahead and see how crowded it is before driving over.

The drinks: Luca’s serves Coke products and traditional beverages such as ice teas and coffee.  If you are like me and enjoy a good cappuccino, you will love the espresso, coffee, tea and smoothie bar. Although Luca's does not serve alcoholic beverages, you can BYOB for a $2 surcharge per person.

Stop for espresso in the morning and you can grab a muffin and to-go lunch as well.

Appetizers: Order the delicious breadsticks made out of hand-rolled dough to dip into the marinara sauce. Or you can try the pepperoni rolls – make sure you share them so you leave room for the entrees. The side salads are very generous and my side Greek salad was delicious as well.

Entrees: Luca’s is known for its pizzas, handmade to order and delicious. The crust was soft and chewy, but not too doughy. The restaurant serves traditional pizzas along with some specialty pies including my favorite -- white (I ordered anchovies and the server told me I was the first person to ever order anchovies while she was there). Luca’s offers some unusual fare including: upside-down pizza where the cheese is placed under the sauce; bleu steak pizza with steak, grilled onions and mozzarella and provolone cheese; and a pierogi pizza with mashed potatoes, sautéed onions and cheddar cheese.

Bonus: They sell pizza by the slice and it usually is ready to go.

Desserts: Desserts were rather limited and included chocolate cookies and cheesecake.

Services: You order at the front counter, then sit down and are served. I’m not crazy about ordering at a counter, but I am sure that is an efficient way of handling the tiny dining room and takeout services. The front server and the cook both talked with us and were friendly.

Address: 610 Warrendale Road, Wexford, Pine Township. 724-625-3000.

Hours: Monday: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Website: http://www.lucasbistro.com/

Costs: Pizza by the slice: $2.99 - $3.49; traditional pizza: 10-cut is $13, 4-cut is $8.75; specialty pies -- large white and upside-down pies are $14.50; salads, $3.50 - $9.50; breakfast panini, $3.75.