Lucca Wood-fire Bistro, located in the village of Victor, is a hidden gem that offers a wide variety of delicious pizzas and Italian appetizers that make eating there worth the drive. The quaint restaurant specializes in hand-tossed wood fired pizzas prepared with the finest and freshest of ingredients which make the restaurant in the running for having the best pizza in Rochester. As a huge lover of pizza and Italian food, I was overjoyed to be giving this place a try.
The restaurant itself, painted in a deep shade of red, is incredibly inviting. The first thing I noticed as I was walking into the restaurant was a sign that warned, “THIS IS NOT FAST FOOD: EXPECT TO WAIT FOR YOUR FOOD DURING PEAK TIMES.” The food at this restaurant is obviously not meant to be ordered, cooked, and brought out all in the time span of five minutes—it took a more traditional sit-down approach, almost like the restaurants of Italy. I was pleasantly surprised with the ambiance of the interior-- the area inside is cozy, the kitchen is open to the rest of the restaurant and you can see the chefs preparing the food. There were probably six or seven tables spread across the lively interior, but I chose to sit on their expansive patio which had a calming atmosphere.
Because the sign addressed long waits, I decided to order the pizza chips and the bruschetta, bread topped with chopped tomatoes, to tempt my hunger. I had never seen pizza chips on any Italian restaurant’s menu before and I was immediately intrigued as it seemed like a genius idea. Within ten minutes, the appetizers arrived and starving, I was ecstatic to dig in. The pizza chips were triangular pieces of pizza dough cooked and then topped with olive oil and parmesan cheese. They were cooked just right but the name is a little misleading as they were softer and chewier than crunchy. The parmesan brought the dish together and gave the pizza chips a flavor I couldn’t resist. The bruschetta was a flavor bomb in my mouth. They used the perfect bread, and the tomatoes and garlic were extraordinarily refreshing. Within seconds, both appetizers were gone, and I was eager to eat the main course. Although the bruschetta was comparable to the ones I ate in Italy, I preferred the pizza chips because of the genius idea and flawless execution.
About another ten to fifteen minutes later, two glorious pizzas entered on large pizza stands and I was overwhelmed at how good they looked and smelled. All their pizza specialty options didn’t really appeal to me, so I decided to create two of my own wood-fired pizzas to share with my family. I constructed one pizza with tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella, basil, and red onion and the other with herb oil, shredded mozzarella, and banana peppers. The crust was perfect—in my opinion the right texture for pizza—and kept my mouth wanting more. I usually don’t eat pizza crust but this time, I devoured the crusts because they resembled breadsticks and weren’t too bready. On the banana pepper pizza, the flavors and ratios complemented each other, and the banana peppers were especially tangy. The other pizza was also quite tasty, but I felt like there was too much cheese—maybe that’s just how they do it in Victor. Nonetheless, it was still one of the best pizzas I have had in Rochester. Additionally, if you are not in the mood for pizza, they also serve a variety of paninis and salads that you can order. I saw other people eating paninis and they looked luscious.
To finish off, if I wasn’t full enough already, I ordered the restaurant’s homemade Cannolis. Wow were they huge, drenched in chocolate sauce and dolloped with whipped cream; they were definitely a spectacle worth ordering. The flavor of the filling and the crunchiness of the outside worked together flawlessly to create one of the best chocolate chip cannoli’s I have ever had. One word: perfection.
Named after the beautiful walled city of Lucca, Lucca Wood-fired Bistro contains bits of Italy and Italian language that linger around the restaurant. Reading the large menus at Luca, you can instantly recognize Italian words like “bruschetta”, “panino”, “antipasto”, or “primo.” These words with the addition to the American flare of chicken wings perfectly blend traditional Italian cuisine with American staples.
Many believe that the beloved language of Italian, which is learned by many Americans and especially Italian Americans, is the only real languages spoken in Italy. However, the truth is that Italy boasts 34 different dialects and related languages. Prior to the unification of Italy in 1871, the region consisted of many independent city states each with distinct cultures, identities, and languages. In fact, there are 4 endangered languages in Italy which consist of Cimbrian, Friulian, Piedmontese, and Sardinian. Today and in the future, these languages are threatened by being replaced with Italian, which would destroy the identities and cultures of these peoples. Many of the Italian languages are romance languages which evolved from Latin, which means that they have many similarities to Italian. So, the next time you go to an Italian restaurant like Lucca, don’t think about Italian—think about Piedmontese or Sardinian instead.
All in all, I had an exceptional experience at Lucca Wood-Fire Bistro and would 100% recommend it to all pizza and Italian food lovers out there. The attractive atmosphere, great service, and high-quality food work together to create a memorable outing for anyone who eats there.
Arrivederci!
- The Linguistic Foodie :)
Parts of this blog post were adapted from work I did in the Trapezoid newspaper of Brighton High School
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