[Irvine] [Italian] Lucca Cafe

Lucca Cafe
6507 Quail Hill Parkway
Irvine, CA 92603
(949) 725-1773
http://www.luccacafe.net

A few restaurants has extended their OC Restaurant Week special to March 13.  After looking over the lunch menus of these restaurants, Dr. P and I both liked Lucca Cafe's $15 three course lunch menu.  Off we went for a relaxing Sunday Italian lunch!



Why are all the shopping plazas in Irvine so big?  We found Lucca Cafe inside this giant plaza after circling around it.  It was a gloomy Sunday.  It was supposed to rain I think.




A lot of Italian wines on display by the entrance.  They have really cute outdoor patio area.  It was a little chilly, so we decided to sit indoor.



3 course lunch + drink = $15.  What a bargain!


Coffee ($1.95) / Lemonade ($2.95) / Iced Tea ($1.95)

Lunch came with lemonade or iced tea.  We got one of each, and Dr. P ordered an extra coffee.  Lemonade was tasty, but no refill though.  Their coffee was strong, but it was a good cup of dark roast coffee.  As I was taking the picture, Dr. P was looking at the drinks like "Hmmmm which one should I drink first?"  haha....


Lucca’s signature Minestrone Soup ($3.95)

Minestrone Soup tasted http://www.eileenlikestoeat.commade.  It had a lot of vegetables, all cut up in little cubes with the same size.  It was a warm and hearty bowl of soup.


Organic Mescalun Salad
roasted sweet peppers, kalamata olives, and our own Balsamic Vinaigrette

I love the Organic Mescalun Salad because of their Balsamic Vinaigrette.  The salad dressing tasted so good that I think they should sell it in a bottle.


Chef Cathy’s Family Recipe for Lasagna Bolognese ($13.95)
with Certified Angus Beef Chuck, Pork Sausage, Béchamel and Ragu Sauces and Parmesan Cheese

Dr. P ordered Lasagna Bolognese.  Portion was pretty big.



It was a meaty lasagna.  The sausage in the lasagna made it tasted heavy, but yet the ragu sauce was light.  The dish had a good balance between the pasta and the sauce.


Grandma Bottari’s Eggplant Parmesan
with fresh Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheeses, http://www.eileenlikestoeat.commade Ragu, crispy Eggplant and fresh Basil

I ordered Eggplant Parmesan.  This is a vegetarian dish.



It was kind of like a lasanga, but instead of noodle, layers of eggplant were used.  Between the eggplants, there were zucchini, basil, spinach, and lots of cheese.  This dish tasted lighter than the lasagna.  Both dishes tasted great.


A Duo of Mini Cannolis
with Mascarpone and Chocolate Chip Filling

Dr. P liked Mini Cannolis, but I thought it was just ok.  It was a bit too sweet for my taste.


Lucca’s signature Bread Pudding ($5.95)
with Apples and Cinnamon

I didn't pay too much attention to the cannolis because of the amazing bread pudding.  The bread pudding was moist and soft, and filled with apple.  Love this dessert!



All that food for only $15.  If ordering off the menu, lemonade + soup + lasagna + bread pudding = $28.  So it's almost 50% off with Restaurant Week special!  We like this cute little Italian cafe a lot.  We saw some other customers ordering off the weekend brunch menu, and the food looked really good.  Next time we'll come back on a sunny weekend morning and enjoy brunch on their outdoor patio.

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