2022_09_New_Jersey_Monthly

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Buon Appetito!
CHEF
ANDRÉA
Di Meglio
Prepares
Really Good
Food, Worth
A Drive
A
midst the boilerplate takeout
restaurants and the traffic of Route
27 is possibly the best bona fide
Italian cuisine in the state. Known for
exceptional quality and taste, Luca’s
Ristorante and Owner/Chef Andréa
Di Meglio have been a staple of Somerset’s
growing landscape since 1994.
Hailing from a small fisherman’s
island off the coast of Naples called
Ischia, Andréa has woven his background
into every detail of Luca’s,
both through the menu as well as the
decor. Walking into Luca’s Ristorante
is nothing short of being transported
to the very island where he was
raised. A slew of hand-crafted Italian
ceramics covers nearly every inch of
this cozy BYO.
The menu boasts both fresh seafood
and homemade pasta with classical
and modern expressions. Dishes
such as the “Luca” (homemade linguini
with jumbo shrimp, scallops
and lumps of crabmeat in a creamy
white wine and roasted garlic sauce),
Lobster Stuffed Cannelloni Pasta
H
House-Made
Organic
Pasta
and pan-seared Bronzino are just a
few of the mouthwatering seafood
options available daily.
Aside from seafood, Andréa and
his team are famed for their braised
dishes. With options such as a
Veal Ossobuco (in a truffled plum
tomato sauce), Cognac sauce roasted
Lamb Shank and a massive on-thebone
beef short rib there’s plenty to
satisfy even the most carnivorous of
appetites.
Luca’s pasta all being made fresh,
in-house and their 100% organic
ingredients are just some of the reasons
why Luca’s has received praise
from the likes of the New York Times
and a handful of magazines across
the state of New Jersey. Famously
known for the Agnolotti Di Cacao
(a cocoa infused pasta stuffed with
roasted butternut squash, prepared in a
herb infused cream sauce and topped with
roasted pumpkin seeds) Andréa enjoys
pushing the envelope when it comes
to creativity and balances in flavor.
Although Luca’s remains unknown
to many, reservations, especially on
the weekend are a must. This small,
sixty-seat restaurant has become a
weekend staple for many and books
up quickly.
If you’re looking for a distinguished and extraordinary meal,
LUCA’S RISTORANTE should be on your list.
2019 NJ ROUTE 27, SOMERSET, NJ 08873
732.297.7676 | lucasristorante.com