Cantinetta Luca on Dolores St. in Carmel-by-the-Sea has become our haven amongst the fog. Luca is kind of what you would imagine Pottery Barn would do with an Italian restaurant—giant vintage posters for Italian apertifs, brick ovens, hanging salamis, even a wall of wine in a cellar right out of a catalog. Don't get me wrong, the feel is super comfortable, the noise level on par with a happening spot, and the atmosphere is hip for an on-the-sleepier-side type of town.You can go crazy at Luca. I've done it. Fresh artichoke ravioli with lemon pesto in the fall or pumpkin with sage butter in the winter. Tuscan bean soup or savory tomato with crusty croutons. The lamb itself is fall-off-the-bone tender but when paired with the broccolini with raisins and crushed pepper, it's heavenly.
But I'd been hearing how fantastic Luca's antipasti was, specifically their house-cured salumi. So I was eager to check it out Saturday night, prepping myself for meat overload! The salumi platter arrived with 8 selections, including 2 made on the premises. By far, the treat was the Speck from Suditrol, Italy. I enjoyed the housemade Genovese with it's strong fennel flavor as well as the Prosciutto (who doesn't love prosciutto?!)
To stay light following the salumi indulgence, I opted for the arugula salad with beets, orange, and hazelnuts. Recommended for the beet-obsessed like myself. I'm looking forward to my next stop on the Luca menu: pizza.
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