By Just Your Average Joe

Tonight we dine Italian at LUCCICARE Italian Restaurant. Located at 4727 E. Bell Rd., Ste. 59 in Phoenix, LUCCICARE is a central for anyone living in the north valley.

LUCCICARE boasts one thing the loudest…FRESH. Each of their pastas are house made and the ingredients are all brought to the kitchen at their peak. The menu has its staples however it does change regularly and for good reason; if you want fresh, you have to work with what is in season.

Facing Tatum in the plaza, LUCCICARE sparkles with its café style lights. As you walk through, you feel as if you are in an Italian café with a slightly modern twist on décor. The tables are well spaced so there is no issue with elbow room, or there is bar seating if you are dining alone. There are even a few tables for patio dining, if you want to sit outside and take advantage of this gorgeous weather.

The staff is small, but the waitress took her time with us and was extremely helpful with the menu. The menu itself was full of favorites. Appetizers included Brushetta, a Charcuterie Board and mussels. Pastas each had multiple choices of styles and included Ravioli, Lasagna, Penne, Tagliatelle and more. The entrees options all looked spectacular; Italian sausage, Meatballs, Parmesan (your choice of chicken, eggplant or veal), Osso Bucco and seafood. If you’re in the mood for pizza, they offer a Neapolitan and a deep-dish Sicilian pizza, as well as an authentic Stromboli loaf. Traditional desserts cap it off with tiramisu or Cannoli’s. My choices tonight included a Caprese starter, house salad and an entrée of Chicken Piccata. The Caprese was excellent. The flavors complimented each other, and it was obvious that everything was at its peak of freshness with their house made mozzarella, Roma tomatoes and basil. The house salad was a crisp spring mix with tomatoes, cucumbers, pepperoncini, olives and onion. As for the main course – as any true Italian house would have it, the plate held enough to ensure I would not leave hungry. The hand pounded chicken was juicy and the sauce was extremely flavorful without being overpowering. While I hardly had room for a dessert, I couldn’t turn down an opportunity to try their cannoli’s. After all was said and done, I was in for one more surprise – a complimentary Limoncello. For those of you unfamiliar, this is a fantastic way to end a meal and help with digestion. This little detail genuinely put this meal over the top for me. It may not seem like much but for me, it’s the little things.

As luck would have it, I live just up the road from LUCCICARE. This will become a regular stop, even if it’s just for a pickup order; but I think the location is part of the dining experience. Slowing down and enjoying the meal, either with the staff or with friends and family makes it all the better. Oh, and I would be remiss if I did not mention that they cater too – the holidays are upon us!

Check out LUCCICARE online at www.luccicarephx.com.

LUCCICARE
4727 E. Bell Rd., Ste. 59
www.luccicarephx.com