Riverside guest Andrew Weiss and I accompanied my extended family to dine at Luca tonight. Located in the Flats, Luca is a gorgeous Italian restaurant that overlooks the city of Cleveland and boasts traditional Italian food. My mother deemed the restaurant perfect to host my dad’s birthday dinner—and she was right. Despite serving twenty-four people, our waiter Jim was considerate of each guest, tried to speak to all of us, and never allowed a glass to be only half-filled. If Jim is representative of the rest of the service in Luca, then I highly doubt any customer would leave unsatisfied with their experience. Due to the large party, a small menu was selected from which we got to choose an entrée from four options. The appetizers were served family-style, and we were all given a caprese salad. Afterward, a dessert platter was brought out with cannolis, pastries, and a large slice of tiramisu. 

Our appetizers were calamari in tomato sauce and ricotta-stuffed sacchetti in a white truffle cream sauce. The calamari was unremarkable, but the sacchetti was my favorite food of the meal, and Andrew claimed it was one of the best things he had ever eaten. Unfortunately, we both only got one sacchetti due to the family-style appetizers and the dish’s popularity. If I return, I’d order this for my main course, as would Andrew. The caprese salad was a simple classic, and the freshness of the mozzarella was apparent. 

I selected lobster ravioli for our main course, and Andrew got pappardelle bolognese. The presentation of the ravioli was notable. The dough was striped black with squid ink and was overstuffed with ricotta and lobster. They gave me generous lumps of lobster and shrimp mixed into a tomato cream sauce. The ravioli wasn’t too heavy and was a meal I wouldn’t mind ordering again. Andrew also enjoyed his dish. The bolognese consisted of veal, duck, wild boar, and filet tips. Paired with the homemade pappardelle, the hearty sauce was delicious. I did prefer the lobster ravioli in the end.

Luca was a restaurant with a lovely ambiance, fantastic service, and delicious food. It’s pricey but makes a perfect choice for a night out in Cleveland. If you visit, I do highly recommend the sacchetti. Whether your order it for a main course or appetizer, please give it a try.

Winner of Dinner: Sacchetti al Tartufo Bianco

Price: Expensive

Rating: 8.8/10