Lucia
222 Parkplace
Kirkland WA 98033
Ph:425-889-0200
Same name, new modern look
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Lucia's may look brand spanking new, but it's actually just the newest incarnation of the Mama Lucia's Kitchen. Gone is the warm and friendly atmosphere that tries to instill a home-style experience. In its place is a newer, darker, and more sophisticated look, that is sure to pull some people away from Purple just a stone's throw away. The entire interior is jet black with a numerous amount of marble tables. In the background you can hear the remnants of its old look, as a good ol Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra is playing in the background though I wouldn't put it past them if there was a little trance music put it.
On the menu, they have a mixture of pizzas, panini sandwiches, and entrees that are all of the standard fare you would expect to see at an Italian restaurant. During the lunch hour, they offer an express menu that promises to get the food to your table in 10 minutes or less. These specials with six different choices of entrees that also come with a Caesar salad, choice of soup, and foccacia bread, all for the price of $8.95.
We started off with the Carpaccio di Manzo ($11.00) thinly sliced raw filet mignon w/ mustard dressing, arugla and shaved parmigiano cheese. Bryan ordered the Chicken Parmigiana ($12.00), while I ordered the Chicken Cannelloni ($13.00). Grant opted for the Prosciutto Pizza ($14.00).
If you're a fan of very rich and heavy sauces, you'll probably want to give the cannelloni a try. Those that don't know, cannelloni is a crepe that is stuffed with some sort of filling, usually veal or chicken, and covered in a delectable rich sauce. Lucia's does not fall short on the sauce as it was the best part of the meal. The chicken was merely so-so as it tasted a little too dry and relied heavily on the sauce for all of its moisture. I had no real problem with it, except for the fact that it didn't come with any type of side item. Throw in a few pieces of bread and I'd say this dish is a winner, so be sure to ask for some extra bread on the side or you'll be left feeling like I did.
Bryan's Chicken Parmigiana didn't score as many points with him as my chicken cannelloni. The breaded chicken was a bit on the tough side and just a little dry. A sure sign of the chicken being slightly overcooked. Much like the cannelloni, the marinara sauce was the highlight of the dish, tasting very robust and fresh with a slight hint of sweetness.
Made Neapolitan style, the prosciutto pizza was a thin crust pizza topped with fresh arugula, parmesan cheese and prosciutto ham. The overall taste was very salty and smoky due in part to the prosciutto and the arugula helped balance out the flavor by diminishing the salty flavor. The taste can be a little daunting when eating by itself, so you may want to order something else along with it to break up the strong salty flavor.
Overall, the experience at Lucia is decent, though we preferred the older look of Mama Lucia's which was a little bit more welcoming and warm. Maybe it's just a sign of the times in Kirkland with more condos sprouting up around the area with increasing speed. While it may not be the definitive Italian restaurant, it's definitely a good spot to try out if you're looking for Italian food in Kirkland.
