Lucca - Pittsburgh

So... Lucca. I gave it 3-stars for a few reasons. I 'll say our waiter was very kind, and with the business of Mothers Day afternoon, he did really well and I appreciate him for that. The three-stars is mainly because of the decor. Lucca feels very.... outdated. Especially the back room with the faux glass windows and godawful carpet. Seating needs to be reworked because there was a table in the far back, as far back as you can go, in the farthest corner out of every possible sight, if I had been asked to sit there I would leave, that 's basically nook for storage. Yeah.. the place definitely needs a facelift, Including the menu 's that were faded, hard to read and felt kind of gross to hold. The food was also.. just ok. Where is the basil? Where is the parm? Sure the pasta was well made, and I appreciate the San Marzano tomatoes sure.. but it was very bland. Again, where is the CHEESE?? Where is the PARM?? Like it just needs more ooomphf . The portion size was pretty good, and I 'll say the prices are pretty good.. but I 'm having my leftovers today and you better believe I added seasoning and more to it. Appetizers were also good sized which is rare. Lucac is in a great location, and unfortunately their balcony seating was closed off. This place has potential to be a very high-class go-to spot for out of town parents visiting their kids, or a dinner spot after a day at the museums. There 's so much potential for this place.. but for now.. there 's plenty of other Italian restaurants out there to try.

Absolutely what we were hungry for... homemade noodles, tagliatelle with Bolognese sauce, made with veal and pork. Noodles were delightful. Another entree was the gnocchi, covered, and I mean covered in marinara sauce with bites of tomatoes. Added was slivered Parmesan cheese that melted with the heat of the sauce. The gnocchi are soft and light, I love them.This is not our first time here, and the Italian bread was as good as I remembered, hard and crispy outside and soft and moist on inside. It is served with olive oil, and my only request would be butter. Ted was perfect and so was our wine, by the way! Very enjoyable evening. Can't wait till next time.

The pasta was good with the chicken piccata. The gnocchi was good. Don't order the steak or the caesar salad. The steak was the worst cut of meat I have ever seen. It was fatty, and so grisly it was nearly impossible to cut. It was allegedly a NY strip steak. Service and ambiance were average. The salad was skimpy and not very tasty.

Second visit: Tried their Truffled pappardelle and Alla chitarra for dinner, light portion with their home-made delicious but not heavy sauce. I'd like to recommend for lunch since the quality and quantity keep the same while the price is lower.

Had a wonderful work holiday meal at Lucca! I didn't even know this place existed. Everyone's food looked great and everyone enjoyed their cocktails as well. The service was good she was very busy and could have used a hand when there were several parties and we were a bigger party. I had the sausage and mushroom risotto which was delightful! I really enjoyed the sundrjed tomatoes on top and felt like it could have been throughout for a little brightness, just because it was so rich. Also thought it was a little light on the sausage. I enjoyed the hazelnut crunch cake but wasn't wowed by it. I might be back if someone else is paying! A little steep to be a regular!