Scarsdale: Italian restaurant Lucia’s owner chats with Jeanne Muchnick
lohud’s Jeanne Muchnick speaks with the owner of Lucia’s, a new Italian restaurant opening in Scarsdale
A new Italian restaurant opens in ScarsdaleThree longtime restaurateurs are behind new fine dining Italian eatery in ScarsdaleA chef from Italy, premium ingredients and a commitment to customer service are the ‘secret sauce’ to this new Westchester restaurant
Luke Laigi isn’t concerned about opening Lucia’s, a new Italian restaurant in Scarsdale where there’s already a considerable amount of similar spots.
“Competition is good,” said the longtime restaurateur (he owns three dining establishments in New Jersey). “It gives you drive. Plus, we think we bring something else to the table.”
That something else is a fine dining experience emphasizing a chef from Rome, authentic dishes and a European ambiance.
What had been Via Forno tentatively opens Oct. 2 (check their social media as the date may change) with a redesigned interior featuring white tablecloths, slate gray furniture, stucco concrete walls and Mediterranean-inspired shelving decorated with multi-colored vases.
There’s also new floor to ceiling windows which open to the street as well as a separate alcove (behind glass) that houses one of Via Forno’s old pizza ovens.
Laigi said he got the décor ideas thanks to his many travels. “I’ve been to more than 50 countries,” he said. “And I take bits and pieces of things I see everywhere and try to put them together.”
The influence for the shelves came from Santorini, Greece.
For the most part everything is new, though Laigi, who owns the space with his brother Donny and business partner (and old friend) Tonny Mirukai — the three have been in the business more than 30 years — kept the bar front and center upon entry. Overall, the space feels lighter and more intimate, with a muted palette and a nod to Italy with Roman-style floor vases and a replica of a wine press.
“Our goal was to make it feel like your home, like a place where you’re comfortable and don’t want to leave,” said Laigi. “The only thing that’s different is that we give you a check at the end of your meal.”
What about the food?
Expect entrees cooked on the wood-burning oven. “We want to take advantage of it,” said Laigi, who said they will use it for everything from bread to clams to steak. “Plus, when it’s cold out, and you walk in, it smells amazing and helps make the space feel cozy.”
The menu emphasizes traditional Mediterranean and Sicilian dishes with ingredients from Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. Entrees include a variety of pastas, seafood, chicken, veal and steak. Specialties include Pollo E’Juliette (fresh chicken breast slices with vegetables, roasted garlic, onions in a black and green pressed olive oil), Pollo Alla Griglia (fresh cut chicken breast pounded thin cooked in wood-burning pizza oven served with fresh arugula, chopped tomato, onions, drizzled olive oil), Rigatoni Con Melanzane (rigatoni with roasted eggplant, Roman-style garlic tomatoes, basil and homemade mozzarella cheese) and Paglia E’Fieno (housemade black squid pasta with lobster in a lighthouse homemade creamy tomato sauce).
Laigi, who was born in Albania but who grew up with Italian food (his grandmother is from Calabria), is particularly proud of Pollo Portofino, similar to chicken parm but with smoked mozzarella and a creamy red tomato sauce and Chicken Fiesta, which mimics Chicken Scarpariello but is sautéed with Italian peppers and sausage.
There’s also a variety of pizza options such as traditional margherita, Cacio E Pepe (with mozzarella, black pepper, and Parmigiano-Reggiano); mushroom, sausage and four cheese.
Customer service is key at Lucia’s
The three business partners all grew up in the restaurant business — Laigi owns Donatella’s in Harrington Park, Zola in Randolph, and Woodcroft Steakhouse & Seafood in Nutley — and have been in the business for more than 30 years. Together, they believe strongly in catering to the customer.
“We pride ourselves on doing whatever our guests want,” said Laigi. “That’s our specialty. If they don’t see something they like; we’ll make it. And if they’re not happy with something they got, we’ll redo it to their liking.
“All our customers, regardless if they’re wrong, are right.”
If you go
Address: 2 Garth Road, Scarsdale, 914-574-5656, luciascarsdale.com
Hours: Noon to 10 p.m. daily.
Good to know: Saturday and Sunday brunch to come along with Happy Hour. There’s also outdoor dining on the sizeable patio.
FYI: Pizza is available to go.
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Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.
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