Luca's Ristorante, Somerset

The more I pay attention to my own reviews, the more I realize that New Jersey really seems to be home of the strip mall gem. Once again, Matt and I have found an amazing place (with some help from my boss, who told us about it) that we normally would have passed by without a second glance. While it's easy to pass by, it's hard to forget once you've been there. The inside is adorable, with lots of paintings, hanging plants, and adorable knick knacks throughout. The service is professional; courteous and friendly but not overbearing.


We started our meal with what Luca's calls a 'grizza'... which is just a grilled pizza. This was a very wise choice by us (and I guess moreso by them for having it on the menu). The one we chose was topped with mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula and shaved asiago cheese. this was one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten... part salad, part sandwich, part pizza, all good. The prosciutto is sliced super super thin, but it's salty presence was pronounced. It worked really well against the cold, slightly spicy arugula. The cheese was perfectly melted onto the grilled dough.... it tasted outdoorsy and charred, salty and bitter, had a great pizza chew, but also some crunch from the greens. This was killer... a really spectacular dish. I would say that it is probably best to order this as a dinner.... we split it as an appetizer (its personal sized, but has so many toppings!) and we ended up taking half home so we didn't fill up before our meals. This may be a smart thing to share as a starter for 4 people, but for 2 it's too much food (although the leftovers were AMAZING).


For dinner Matt ordered the gnocchi de spinaci Genovese, aka delicious, hand made spinach gnocchi smothered in large chunks of braised sirloin steak in a delicious beef reduction. This was a manly man's dish.... soooo much food. There was a surprising amount of meat considering this was listed underthe pasta dishes... I would have called this a beef dish that happened to have gnocchi under it. The meat was amazingly tender... literally soft and falling apart, braised to perfection. The gnocchi didn't have much flavor on their own, but the the beef and wine reduction had plenty, so the slightly under cooked (in a good way... al dente not hard!) home made pasta got a nice, thick coating. This was superb... Italian comfort food!


My dish was, hands down, one of the best pastas I have ever had, anywhere, ever. Home made cocoa (yes... like chocolate) agnolotti stuffed with lucious roasted butternut squash puree, topped with a creamy herb sauce. It sounds confusing, I know, but it was out of this world. The pasta didn't have a huge chocolate taste, but the scent was unmistakeable... combining it with the thick, autumny squash made for the perfect combination. I thought that all of this divine sweetness and hominess would be muddled with an herby, slightly salty cream sauce, but it wasn't at all... the contrast was a sheer delight. Salty, sweet, thick and hearty, chewy and creamy, it was all there. My only regret was that I didn't order more to take home. I will continue to go back to Luca's for... oh, I don't know... ever, if for no other reason than to have this. It was simply amazing.

Luca's Ristorante may be my new 'go to' when taking out friends who are new to the area, a central meeting spot, a special occasion, or just anytime. I think that the atmosphere is cozy and cute, the dining room is inviting, the menu extensive, and food is outstanding. From old standards (think lasagna or chicken parm) to the somewhat adventurous (they have a dish that is squid, raisins, and pine nuts in a garlic sauce?) you'll find what you're looking for here. Call me.. I'll come with... you can have a bite of my agnolotti.

Luca's Ristorante
http://www.lucasristorante.com/
2019 Route 27
Somerset- 08873
732 297 7676