LUCA — Restaurant in Lancaster

I've been to Luca many times as well as their pizzeria, but this is just a rating on my last visit. IMPORTANT: If going on the weekend, have a reservation or BE PREPARED TO WAIT. I had a reservation two weeks in advance but there were many people who had to wait for long periods of time.

The menu has been trimmed down since they have Luca Pizzeria elsewhere now, which was a great move because it allows focus on specialties they do really well.

Our cocktails were an egg white foam + ginger + sugar honey flavored type drink (I dont believe is on the menu), and she had a more fruity cocktail. They were both delicious and sadly, I don't remember what they were called. But the pictures tell the story. My drink was stronger and the foam was very delicious!

I ordered the beef tongue appetizer, which was slow roasted and basically like a brisket in texture. It's served with a smoked buttermilk sauce and winter greens that pair well. I was pleasantly surprised as it was my first ever tongue dish, and I would order again.

My lovely girlfriend ordered the Foccacia, which was mainly fluffy sourdough type bread lightly drizzled in oil. She liked it, but I believe it would've been better paired with a little dish of oil or other topping.

Our entrees were the Bolognese pasta, and I ordered the Luca Chciken. Her Bolognese was good, and the noodles tasted very delicious. The sauce and meat reminded me of Chef Boyardee flavor, but it was way healthier. It wasn't salty like other places, and the classic Ragu sauce was smooth tasting sauce, which was delicious, but personally, not great. I would try something else in the future.

My chicken was good, but it was in a brine before it was cooked according to the description. However, it was much dryer than a chicken that I would brine at home, and this ruined some of the experience. The flavor itself was excellent, and it was paired with pickled red onions that paired well, and the broccolinj was in a delicious glaze. However, again, the chicken was too fry to get the full effect. I would not go as low as a 3, but I would say a 3.5 if allowed to give a half-star.

My dessert was the salted butterscotch budino which was a thick custard type pudding with marscapone and caramel on top. This is delicious and you should share or try it. My lovely lady had Tiramisu. The texture, fluffy of layers, and cream were delicious. However the cocoa or chocolate was a little bitter. It wasn't overly sweet which I appreciate but may have paired better with a drink that goes with it. I thought it was good enough but my girlfriend believes she has had better. I'm not a coffee person and I appreciated it not being sweet, so I am not sure my opinion was valid.

Customer service was great. We actually received a free little glass of prosecco while we waited as the server was in the way of our table. The environment is like a flower shop meets garage meets trendy bar. If you have never been, you should go. The Pizzeria...

From the moment we walked through the door, we were treated like we were expected family! The genuineness of the staffs initial greeting through to the introduction of our server Kayla (SP) was centered on us - our seating, ensuring we understood the recent menu changes (we have been here before), and giving us the time to select our drinks. She was well trained, made excellent suggestions and knew exactly when to drop by to assist us! Perfect on every level!

Our selected appetizer was the braised & wood-grilled crispy ARTICHOKES with arugula, mint, and young tuscan pecorino. They were cooked to perfection - we believe they were steamed and poached until they were supremely tender and flavorful! The mint was great as it approximated the herb Romans used for this dish. We could only hope people of Rome enjoyed such a flavorful dish!

We both selected Pasta dishes as our entree’s. I selected the GNOCCHI with english peas, prosciutto cotto, pea tendrils, and parmigiano reggiano. I loved the different flavors and textures – the pillowy gnocchi (the best I have ever had - even that I have had in Italy), the salty and crisp prosciutto, the fresh peas and parmigiano reggiano made this dish amazingly fresh tasting and OMG delicious! This vibrant recipe transforms sweet seasonal produce into an elegant dish that will melt in your mouth!

My wife selected the VEAL CRESPELLE with wild ramp crepe, slow-roasted veal, mustard greens, fontina cheese, and snap peas. Crespelle are Italian savoury crepes - and these are a gourmet, very Spring-like makeover - swapping traditional filling with slow roasted veal for tenderness, mustard greens for a slightly bitter and peppery bite, fresh snap peas for a crisp element, wild ramps for a unique oniony flavor in the crepe, and fontina cheese for richness and melty goodness! Fontina cheese = LOVE. This cheese sauce is to die for, Fontina is a perfect melting cheese and has a lovely strong flavor! This was a delicious and elegant creation, combining the delicate texture of crepes with a rich and savory filling.

As foodies and formally caters, LUCA exceeds every expectation we could have! Outstanding homestyle Italian food prepared with care to presentation (we eat with our eyes first), well seasoned, flavorful, and perfect temperature! Staff well trained and knowledgeable, very personable. And an ambiance of an Italian trattoria. What more...

Since Covid I haven't dined out as much, but am getting back into the swing. Went back to LUCA for the first time in 4 years - they dropped one star for me, almost two.

The place looks unchanged - an update would be nice - nothing major, just some tweaking. The room off to the left upon entry looks cheesy - I would complain if I was seated in there. The bar is an excellent place to also have your meal.

For my cocktail I tried their version of a mule - a little smaller than most places, but it was excellent. For my meal (pasta) I had the only cabernet on the menu, and it too was excellent.

I gave my son (21) a sip of my drink, and the server immediately came over and somewhat brusquely said "I cannot serve cocktails to him without an ID..."; as usual, he left his ID at home. I said nothing, but subsequently all of us at the table agreed that the server could have handled it more tactfully. Slightly in addition, the server was either too busy or simply didn't notice the several times I was trying to get attention for this and that.

Dishes ordered: halibut, tagliatelle bolognese, focaccia flatbread, breaded pork loin and crispy potatoes.

Flatbread: excellent, 5 stars. Crispy crust, soft interior, delicate taste.

Bolognese: mediocre, 3 stars. Definitely not al dente, more like soggy. The sauce, while excellently prepared, was somewhat flavorless.

Halibut: excellent, tiny, 4 stars. The fish itself was excellent and cooked on point, but the portion was more of an appetizer size.

Pork loin: fantastic, 5 stars. Perfectly cooked, full of flavor, beautifully crunch crust, generous size, the smattering of thinly threaded greens (I think mostly cabbage) was a super nice delicate touch. This dish was the real winner.

Crispy potatoes: very nice, 4 stars. Flawlessly prepared - soft inside, crunchy outside, they just lacked a tad in flavor.

Overall, very nice experience. Fully one star off for the pasta. I don't like to deduct stars for "correct" service even if impersonal, and the server was of course technically correct, but it left a slightly bad taste because it felt more "cop like" than deft. I think she thought she ordered the drink for him, which was clearly not the case.

Almost one more additional star off for the overall service, because I will assume the server was over-worked - they appeared to be servicing every table in my section, and if so that is not...