Guest Post by MikeG
La Luce

Among old school Italian places, La Luce has never seemed to get much Chowhound attention compared to La Scarola a few blocks away, or other spots like Bruna's.

(photo of the movie-perfect awning under the El)



But I always heard good things about it, even including lavish gifts of free wine to a newly engaged couple and so on, from my friend Wyatt and his various friends. So tonight I made him go there with me.

Charming old Victorian building with tin ceiling, wooden meat locker with milk glass front, and so on. Food was generally simple but not screwed up-- big scallops lightly breaded in a lemony sauce were light, almost Chinese food-like grilled calamari was exactly what it should be.



Homemade "8 finger" (whatever that means) cavatelli in a vodka cream sauce was an argument for the metallic trumpet blast of San Marzano canned tomatoes as superior to the fresh kind.



The only non-Old School note was the total absence of Frank music as we walked in-- but then we realized that The Sopranos was on over the bar, so that made sense.

Anyway, I didn't experience the lavish hospitality on this quiet Sunday night but the meal was satisfying and I'd go back on a busier night for the full effect...

By the way, all these food shots I keep taking have inspired me to put them all together on a page. Go there and you'll also see some interesting Japanese product packaging that Wyatt picked up at Mitsuwa, and some wonderful vintage shelving from an old fish shop in Winnetka that probably won't be around forever (judging by the age of the owners).

Mike's chow photos-- now a blog or something, resident on a friend's site that has open server space