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Luci Ancora
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| In Praise of Mediocrity | The Dull Italian | |
| Who first decided that
striving for excellence was a good thing? It takes time and energy to
"Be all you can be," to make the "Quest for
Excellence," to live up to "Nobody’s perfect, but we can all
try to be." A few ulcers, hypertension drugs, and shrink sessions
later, you finally start to put things in perspective, as they say. Life’s
short, why make it shorter? Drink that extra glass of vino rossi; forget
about those pesky red-flagged e-mails. "Waste" an hour in
front of the fire, gazing into the flames and embers. Read a mystery,
not Christensen. Eat Italian food, but don’t be so analytical about
it.…
Was the pasta perfectly done at Luci Ancora? (No, it was overcooked slightly … but it doesn’t matter.) As for the crostini con prosciutto cotto, the thick-cut prosciutto was succulent and the mild cheddar and tomato salsa topping made for a mellow, savory, garlic-rich antipasti; that’s more than good enough … if the bread was spongy and the portions too big, well why would you want to be so critical? And do you think the prototypical Italian is drinking her glass of Amano Primitivo while meticulously noting the moderate tannins, the spicy brightness, the Mission fig depth? Or remarking to her companion at the American wine bar (recently reopened after the demonstrators against the Iraq war had sent rocks through the window and straight into the wine racks) that there’s a bit too much vanilla and cinnamon in the Castle Rock pinot (that was B’s order)? Going back to the pasta, it was actually ravioli, made on premises. The filling was a sweet butternut squash and the dish included generous amounts of diced celery root and crumbled bacon. Celery root does good things when you braise it, in this case providing a yielding yet crunchy texture. If the bacon didn’t have much flavor, it’s still good for you if you’re of the Atkins persuasion. Ignore the small details, no matter how numerous, and be happy with your dish.… But I have to admit I was glad I didn’t get what B got, a Cabrales cheese risotto. Much though I like blue cheeses, I prefer them used sparingly in risottos … but there I go, being judgmental again. Time for dessert.… B makes a show of not wanting the tiramisu but I’m happy to be manipulated into ordering it. Tiramisu is B’s department, and his pronouncement is "I’ve had better." It would be no less accurate, and so much more neighborly, to say "I’ve had worse." Luci Ancora used to be a neighborhood restaurant with Twin Cities-wide appeal. Now it’s no longer trendy, but as a result it’s even more of a neighborhood place. Although large, the interior has a cozy and comfortable, if dated, feel, with an attractive stone hearth and fireplace, large windows looking out on the St. Catherine grounds, and salmon-peach walls featuring art from or of Italy—I sat across from a large-format aerial photograph of the main Siena square. I can imagine worse ways of spending an afternoon than enjoying that second glass of wine while pondering whether winning is really everything. A
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A New Year
should start with some attempts at self-improvement or so the world
tells us. Never mind that these plans are made every year only to be
abandoned by St. Valentine’s day like a jilted lover. My plans involve
a new exercise regime and eating sensibly; to this end I visited my
doctor for a general checkup. I have to confess that when the doctor
asked me if I found myself out of breath when exercising, I wanted to
say, like John Mortimer, "How would I know? I have never
exercised." That’s not quite true but I thought an answer like
that would surely liven up the examination! Eating sensibly brings us to
the subject at hand. I got a dispensation from the doctor for The Lunch
– if I eat "sensibly" during the week then one act of over
indulgence for The Lunch would be allowed. I suspect my quota for this
week was wasted on the Luci Ancora (sounds like a ship, doesn’t
it?), Italian restaurant, in St. Paul.
Luci Ancora sits a block away from its simpler named sibling, Restorante Luci. I am at a loss to describe the difference between the two. Both appear to be very similar, small white-linen dinner places. They have common owners, sit next to each other, and I am dashed if I can see what good this does. The location is a very spartan part of St. Paul and sits across the road from an austere looking St. Katherine’s. Have a gaggle of St. Katherine’s undergraduates dined here over the years? Well there were none on view this afternoon as I sat by a large, but sadly unlit, fireplace waiting for A, swirling a glass of Castle Rock pinot noir. The colors are, I suppose, Mediterranean, the walls are a light salmon shade. The windows have colorful fabric draped over them, which at a pinch might double as curtains. The floor space is rectangular with dinning tables arranged around it. In one corner there is a small serving bar. This could be quite a cozy spot on a winter day, especially if that fireplace was going full blast. The waiter tried to give me a pinot grigio when I wanted a pinot noir but I soon rectified that. The dinner menu also passes as the lunch menu with a few daily-specials missing. It’s organized in an appetizer, salads, first course and second course. I am sure a tasting menu is offered at dinnertime. The standout appetizers on the menu include baked clams, shrimp potato croquettes and crostini con prosciutto cotto. We started with a shared order of the aforementioned crostini con prosciutto cotto a most robust dish with large, meaty crostini. This alone could have been a meal for one person. We were unable to finish it. I thought the dish lacked flavor and one piece was all one could manage; A, on the other hand, liked it. There are only two salads listed: mixed green and Caesar salad. The first course has several variations on the tried (tired…?) and true: ravioli, spaghetti, fettuccine, spaghetti freschi (with Berkshire ribs!), trenne and risotto. The second course is definitely dinner oriented and seemed a bit excessive: seared duck breast, beef brisket (and never mind BSE), grilled pork tenderloin, grilled lamb chops and an assorted shellfish dish. With visions of future New Years that might never come I chose the risotto from the primi piatti. An uninspired choice with the risotto served with what I swear tasted like blue cheese. This would make it a novelty dish but certainly not one worth eating. The risotto itself was drier than it had any right to be. A terrible dish which I couldn’t help but contrast with the risotto that I had earlier in the week at Café Barbette, which was delicious with small dollops of olive oil and of the right consistency (Café Barbette for my money is the best casual place to dine in the Twin Cities). I forget what A had but I thought he struggled with it but again perhaps not. The desserts include a flourless chocolate cake, tiramisu and a crème brulee. I didn’t want the cake and could have had either one of the other two desserts. To my surprise A opted for the tiramisu. Surprise because tiramisu is a dessert that A holds in contempt. Perhaps he was trying to be nice to me since he knows of my fondness for tiramisu. Having said that this particular tiramisu would make anyone forswear this dessert for good. The ladyfinger that gives the dessert it’s slightly solid texture was old and crumbled disquietingly when bit. I am not sure what A made of this but he didn’t order his customary coffee. The whole thing set us back by $43.00. On an unrelated note I am contemplating a vacation trip in February. The choices have been narrowed down to Eastern Europe, Southwest Africa or Patagonia (Argentina) and Chile. The last two destinations have climate to recommend themselves whereas going to Eastern Europe would be a case of from the frying pan into the fire. But I’d be interested to hear any recommendations you might have about any of these places (or somewhere entirely different) with regard to mixing culture, food/drink and the unusual. B
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