Reetsy Reviews: Ristorante Luci

St. Nick stopped by our house in early December and left some spending money for us, so gerg and I treated ourselves to a romantic night out at Ristorante Luci in St. Paul, MN.

Chef Stephen Smith has an approach to food that I haven't found in many Italian restaurant in the Twin Cities:

"We work with local farmers who organically grow fruits, vegetables, produce and meat. Our collaboration goes beyond buyer-seller; we discuss our needs with the farmers and they set out to prepare ingredients that will complement the other flavors in our kitchen.

Everything is made on-site daily at Lucis, including the pasta, bread, and pastries. We make what we need when we need it to ensure that our guests are always getting the best and freshest taste in town."

Organic, local, AND Italian??? cin cin!

We made a reservation for two on a Friday night around 8pm. When we arrived the candlelit dining room was full. This is a perfect date night place. Linens and candles and coziness.

After a brief wait, we were seated and shortly thereafter, homemade breads, Hope Creamery butter, and Col Vetoraz "Valdobbiandene" Prosecco arrived at our table. Cheers!

For an appetizer, we ordered grilled Berkshire pork over polenta with pork au jus. A simple and hearty dish, perhaps lacking in seasoning, but pure in flavor.

The insalta caesar was typcial in terms of presentation, just romaine lettuce tossed in caesar anchovy dressing with homemade croutons. But the dressing was awesome. Packed with anchovy saltiness, it is perhaps my favorite caesar dressing the the Twin Cities.

For an entree, I ordered homemade spaghetti with divers scallops and shrimp. The sauce was tangy and full of cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and white wine. The fresh pasta was top notch.

gerg ordered the 10oz ranch steak. It was served up with a risotto of shitakke mushrooms and fontina val d'aosta. He loved it the risotto. Unlike risottos concocted with asiago or parmigiano reggiano, it wasn't salty at all. Nor was it overcooked.

I paired my meal with a glass of La Rendola Chianti. I have a thing for chianti. It's a love affair. Nuff said. And there is no shortage of chiantis at Ristorante Luci. A nice wine list is always an adventure.

Gerg ordered creme brulee for dessert. It was extremely custardy, which I like. And the sugary topping was thick and perfectly sweet.

Somethings you should know about Luci:

• Make a reservation for weekends. People love this small and romantic dining room.

• 2 For Tuesdays For $40.00: On Tuesdays The Four Course Tasters Dinner is Featured at $20.00 Per Person with the purchase of 2 Four Course Taster’s Dinners (2 For $40.00)

I'm thrilled to have cozy dining room in the Twin Cities serving up top notch Italian with sustainable and local offerings.

Ristorante Luci
470 Cleveland Ave S
St Paul, MN 55105
Phone: (651) 699-825