Casa Luca is Fabio and Maria Trabocchi’s osteria grounded in the rustic spirit and traditional recipes of the Marche region of Italy. Whether you are celebrating a family occasion, enjoying a date night, or a working a power lunch, Casa Luca offers many choices to customize your meal. Closest Metro is Metro Center.We have been to Trabocchi's other restaurants Fiola and Fiola Mare and was looking forward to a little more casual Italian fare. However, we found the interior to be designed quite similar to his other restaurants. It was loud and impersonal, and service was a bit slow to start. We felt ignored sitting squeezed in between other tables. The menu itself was quite limiting. We were not sure if it was because restaurant week was going on, but they did not have much else to choose from.
We decided to skip the RW option, and choose from the remaining items. We started with the Main Lobster & Farro Salad with artichokes and blistered red peppers. It was a pricey item at $24, but was a large portion that they split for us. The lobster tail was sweet and a bit overdressed but the farro was filling.
For my main dish, I stuck with the seafood theme and ordered the Fettuccine Nero with tiger prawns, grilled calamari, and clams in a spicy tomato sauce. This Amalfi style dish was fresh and satisfying. The pasta was black from squid ink and the tomatoes gave a nice tart balance. The clams were plump, the calamari tender with nice charcoal flavor, and the prawns were large and pink. All in all, this was a lovely dish.
Casa Luca provides fresh pasta and great appetizers, but I would not recommend for a romantic night out. Instead, if you are looking for a spot to catch up with friends or colleagues, the bar is a happening spot.
Total Rating: 3.6
Food: 4, Price: 2.5, Service: 3.5, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 5
