Jake and I celebrated our second anniversary the same way as our first, by visiting one of the best restaurants in Lancaster City!
Located on the west side of the city, on 436 W. James St, LUCA offers authentic Italian cuisine under a trendy, rustic roof.
LUCA's wood-burning hearth and carefully picked ingredients makes for the most delightful experience, no matter what entrée or appetizer you chose.
Their website sums up the heart of the restaurant perfectly:
"We enjoy a deep love for the “Old Country” where the mingling of food, drink and family still remain the highest pleasures of life. LUCA combines the culinary traditions of Italy rooted in the heritage of Lancaster County."
Upon entering LUCA, every guest is greeted by the staff and welcomed by what looks like a stocked Italian pantry; the perfect introduction before diving right into the fresh Neapolitan pizza and drinks.
You can tell that LUCA treats their employees with as much care as their dedication to great food. The servers are delightful and eager to help which I feel always sets up a positive dining experience.
When Jake and I stepped in the door, they congratulated us on our anniversary and started us off with little shot glasses of prosecco!
Like I said, I have never had anything on the LUCA menu that I didn't enjoy. I want to include everything I've had there (from last anniversary and this one) to give you more variety and options we tried.
On our first trip, we tried scopa which is pickled veggies, salami, cheese, and olives served with house-made grissini (a crispy type of bread stick.)
On our second visit, we had the squid which is served with crispy lemons and a "green goddess" sauce. Both were tasty, but we liked the scopa for all the variety in one dish.
For the entrée, we went for the fire-oven pizzas. The left picture is of the classic margherita pizza and the right is the pisellino and the piccante pizzas. The Piccante I ordered both times, because the meat with the hot honey sauce is deliciously spicy.
But after trying the pisellino (green garlic crema, buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto di parma, basil, pea tendrils) we decided it is our new favorite.
There are several other menu items that aren't pizza that Jake and I are eager to try such as the heritage pork, the gnocchi, and the salad.
Fun fact: LUCA salad is actually world renowned in the eyes of Food Network's Alton Brown who said that it's the best salad in the world! Click here for the Lancaster Online article.
Of course we treated ourselves on to a little sweet end to the evening.
The first time we ordered the cannolis, which were great but are no longer on the menu.
Both times we ordered the Salted Butterscotch Bundino and let me tell you, this dessert is one of my favorite things I've ever had in my life. It's butterscotch pudding with caramel, whipped mascarpone and malt flakes; simple yet perfect.
Whether you snag a seat inside under the tall ceilings of the restaurant, sit out in the patio area, park yourself at the bar, or even reserve a room for a family gathering, LUCA is one of those restaurant gems in the heart of Lancaster City that you have to visit.
I highly recommend indulging in a glass of wine (they have an extensive drink menu!) and trying out a pizza and dessert for the full LUCA experience.
This month, LUCA is celebrating their anniversary in Lancaster! This is their third year in the city with hopefully many more to come! So look out for specials and events on their Instagram, luca_lancaster, in celebration of three successful years serving Lancaster City.
Thanks for reading and happy eating!
-KB
