Happy Happy at Lucca

At first glance the old brick building is almost missed by the sidewalk traffic.  The restaurant is partially obscured by a large fall-colored tree and is easily diminished by the neon lights of the neighboring tattoo parlor.  After a closer curiosity-peek through the open sidewalk windows the casual décor of the exposed brick walls and open-beam ceilings invite guests into the renovated auto garage, home of Lucca Restaurant & Bar.

The popular California-Mediterranean eatery is nestled in the ultra hip corner of Midtown Sacramento’s 16 and J Street and is rumored to be one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s, the Governator’s, favorite dining spots; he has often been spotted smoking his infamous cigars and enjoying a meal on his separate and private dining patio.

The happy hour at Lucca is popular among the state workers waiting out traffic, business casuals holding informal meetings and young locals looking for an affordable meal and drink. 

After glancing at the menu, it’s clear why the happy hour is so popular.  The overly-reasonable prices on the 12-item menu range from $1 for roasted spicy almonds to $5 for a burger and the drinks average about $3 each.

While waiting for my academic colleagues and happy hour “dates” I decide to partake in an adult refreshment, the margarita seems like a good choice for only $3.50.  Unfortunately the margarita mix overpowers any tequila and the drink quickly becomes heartburn central on ice.

As my colleagues arrive and we begin to peruse the menu it becomes obvious, from the many delicious sounding selections on the menu, that a decision on what to eat will not easily be made.  So we order one of everything to share.  Why not?  Family style dining is after all an Italian tradition.

The attentive and informative waitress begins to bring out each dish one by one, introducing the most popular zucchini chips first.  Thinly sliced baby zucchini wheels fried and salted to perfection for $2.  No need for any dipping sauce with these addicting treats.  The table quickly fills one-by-one with the happy hour dishes, and we all dig in, sampling and commenting on every bite.

The best dish for the price was a tie between the mussels in a garlic white wine sauce for $3 and the all natural Lucky Dog Ranch Burger for $5.  The mussels were served with seven perfectly steamed mussels in a delicious white wine sauce floating with paper thin slivers of fresh garlic.  The sauce was so mouth watering that an extra order of bread was needed to soak up the remainder of it.

The all natural LDR burger was delivered last, and cooked to a perfect medium to medium-well temperature.  The bun was simple and complemented the thick and flavorful burger patty all accompanied by the traditional accoutrements of fresh lettuce, pickles, tomato and onion.



The All Natural LDR Burger





 

The all natural LDR burger receives its name from the ranch where the beef originates, The Lucky Dog Ranch.  Ron and Terri Gilliland, also the owners of Lucca, offer all natural beef from their ranch named after their herding dog Lucky.  The Gillilands run 3,500 head of commercial cattle on all natural open pasture of alfalfa with no antibiotics or hormones on their ranches in Dixon, Calif. and throughout Northern California. 

The Black Angus beef used for their restaurants, Lucca and Roxy Restaurant & Bar, are hand picked from calves, raised to full weight on open pasture instead of in traditional feed lots and then are processed in a small meat processing plant in Orland specializing in the niche beef market.  The extra care and natural diet can be tasted in every bite of this delicious burger.

Although the happy hour menu offered at Lucca is not the typical Italian fare of gnocchi, risotto and lasagna, the entire happy hour menu was delicious and not a bite was wasted on us starving college students.  The total bill for 12 food items and four adult drinks was about $45, with tip included the smorgasbord meal was approximately $15 each.

Lucca’s happy hour menu receives 5 out of 5 stars for price and affordability, 4 out of 5 stars for taste, and 4 out of 5 stars for service. 



The Aftermath