RESTAURANTS > RESTAURANT PROFILES > Lucca

Lucca
Lucca 226 Hanover St. 617-742-9200
Christopher Wallenberg

During the heady days of the 1990s, the face of Boston’s Old World neighborhoods began to change. Alongside traditional eateries, a deluge of new dining destinations sprouted like high-tech businesses along Route 128. The restaurants usually featured some sort of nouveau or fusion cuisine, and like so many dot-com dreams, many of these eateries never found a foothold.

Although the North End restaurant Lucca showcases decidedly nouveau leanings, its reverence for the traditions of northern Italian cuisine proves that this almost two-year old restaurant is here to stay. The chic yet inviting Lucca has not only earned raves as one of the best eateries in the North End, it has also gained a reputation as one of the finest newcomers to the Boston dining scene.

The contemporary decor is soothing to the eye, with subdued lighting, stained glass windows, marble floors and white linen-adorned tables. The two most striking features in the milieu are the mahogany bar and open-air French doors in the front.

Like its surroundings, the Tuscan-style fare possesses a confident swagger. The torta d’anatra—a rustic duck, spinach and goat cheese tart—is one of the most popular appetizers. Dressed in a rich berblanc and mustard sauce, the dish offers an intriguing contrast of flavors, with the sharp cheese serving as a counterpoint to the savory duck. Other noteworthy starters include Prince Edward Island mussels and a warm potato and wild mushroom lasagna.

The grilled halibut entree features earthy shiitake mushrooms, sweet tomatoes, juicy artichokes and pungent olives accenting and enlivening the light, tasty fish. The classic, perfectly cooked beef tenderloin is lathered in a roasted shallot demi-glaze and cooked in a wild-mushroom risotto. Don’t miss desserts either, which include irresistible confections like warm flourless chocolate cake and the zabione, an Italian version of creme brulee.