luce - opposite of how my pants fit after eating here. what a snazzy place of a restaurant, in a strip center no less. you can tell from the pictures here that the place is classy and well designed without having an uber-modern, faddish decor. the gazebo roof might need some attention, but the outdoor garden seating area is an unexpected green space in an otherwise concrete jungle of shops.
white tablecloths covered with paper - an efficient and frugal way to deal with red sauce spills, but not the most elegant treatment. complementary fresh bread squares come with basil butter, plain butter and sundried tomato in ricotta cheese spreads to stave off your hunger as your entree is prepared.
an appetizer of arancini was agreatchoice to begin our lunch. 4 large orbs of breaded and golden fried rice balls with a melted mozzarella center and grated parmigiana on top. spoon on some of the mild bolognese sauce and you have a real winner. salad or soup choice with the meal - we had the caesar. fresh lettuce with a very light dressing. did not detect any anchovy flavor at all though.
the excitement came when the waiter served my wife's lobster ravioli. she's a saucy kind of girl and ordered extra suga-rosa (red sauce with cream). as the waiter tried to serve this molten pool of sauce and pasta, he managed to tip the dish enough such that there was a trail of pink drops that led from a foot away right to my arm and short's leg. hot! while he danced around trying to cool his non-heat proof hand, i wiped the sauce off my arm and shorts - red stain! application of club soda was a lost cause. to his credit, the waiter was thoroughly apologetic and did his best to help with the stain removal.
never-the-less, my wife loved the ravioli with big chunks of lobster and that tasty suga-rosa. my veal piccatta was a little less than stellar. though the meat was tender and nicely piquant with lemon and capers, the garlic seemed to have a little bit of a sharp edge. not unlike the flavor you get when you use elephant garlic vs. regular. i also prefer the dish with lightly egg battered veal medallions. this veal was served "plain" and in one long strip. the accompaniment of sauteed mixed vegetables and roasted rosemary potato hunks were fine. at this point i was just too full to have much of either though.
as we paid the bill, i had expected a visit from the manager, joe, who had witnessed the sauce accident. at minimum, an additional apology would have been nice. at maximum, a discount on the bill, an offer to pay for the cleaning, a drink on the house, or a complementary meal on our next visit would have been appropriate in return for my white columbia shorts that may not recover. not a word as we exited.
plenty of points for atmosphere, service (the waiter was actually very good - overall), and food quality. minus points for customer relationship management..