by Bob McClain
(www.wordsmithbob.com)

Luci Ancora

Passionate About Your Meal

Before you go to Luci Ancora, you have to ask yourself a question. Do I want to experience a meal like an Italian family? Because that’s what they offer at Luci Ancora. Don’t come here expecting to eat and rush off to somewhere else. The dinner won’t be a part of the evening. At Luci Ancora, dinner will be your evening. You’ll be eating the same way the owners eat at home. And that’s an experience worth treasuring.

Maria Gans, owner and general manager of Luci Ancora, told me about the yearly vacations her family took to Italy. This was part of their motivation to become restaurateurs. The other was to expose customers to the joy of sharing a long, leisurely meal with courses and paired wines. When you eat here, you’ll feel like family.

Maria suggested the best way to introduce yourself to Luci Ancora was through the Four Course Taster’s Dinner, which on Tuesdays is only $20 per person. She also felt that discussing the available courses with your waitperson was the best way to discover what works best with your palate.

I won’t bother telling you what’s on the menu because it changes daily. I’d rather talk about where the food comes from. First of all, they make their own prosciutto. They also make their own mozzarella. Unfortunately, real mozzarella is made from water buffalo curds and they can’t get those anywhere in the US. So they use Jersey cow curds which are the richest curds they can find. Maria’s father and I had a ten minute discussion about their search for the perfect curds to make their mozzarella. These people are really serious about their food.

In addition, they have a paragraph on their menu that names the local farms where they get their eggs, produce, poultry, butter and pork. They also mentioned that they always try to procure wild, line-caught fish from small, independent fishermen. That’s why the menu changes daily. Their chef creates it based on what is available locally, just like they do in Europe. How passionate. How wonderful.

Luci Ancora is at the corner of Randolph Avenue and Cleveland Avenue in St. Paul. Dinner is served 7 days a week and lunch is Tuesday through Friday. Call 651-698-6889 for hours and availability. Luci Ancora is also a popular destination for small corporate parties. Call for more information.

>>To Profile Page
>>To Website

© 2004 - 2011 Twin Cities Dining Guide, LLC, Minneapolis, MN 763-591-9087 | Built by Net Dynasty | Designed by Blue Over Blue