Pizzeria LUCA - Lancaster, PA

Having enjoyed many a meal at LUCA, I was looking forward to trying Pizzeria LUCA, which opened recently in The Crossings in Lancaster, across from Long’s Park. I had the opportunity to swing by for lunch this weekend, flying solo this time.

The restaurant itself is not large. The seating capacity is around 100 inside the building. Unsurprisingly, there was a wait for a table for one, even at 1:30 in the afternoon on a Saturday. I was fortunate, though, and a seat opened up at the bar, so I removed my name from the waiting list and took a seat.

Pizzeria LUCA uses a site accessed via a QR code to order and pay. I’ve seen some people griping about this, but personally, I like it a lot. In my opinion, it streamlines and simplifies things. And there’s less to touch – bill folders, pens, etc. Yes, I do carry hand sanitizer with me, why do you ask?

After being greeted, I settled in to take a look at the menu. I ended up starting with warm olives, then moving to a Funghi pizza, and ending with dessert. I also ordered a drink that sounded interesting.

For my drink, I ordered the Garibaldi, made with Campari aperitivo and fluffy fresh-pressed orange juice, for my drink, served with an orange wedge. It certainly was fluffy! I loved the citrusy taste of the drink, complete with an almost bitter flavor reminiscent of an orange peel.

The warm olives came out next. Nothing fancy here, but very satisfying. The olives were nicely warmed and aromatic, making them a nice start to the meal.

For my pizza, I ordered the Funghi pizza from the Pizza Bianco section of the menu. The pizza was good but it felt like it was missing something that would have made it great. I think it needed the garlic to be roasted, or it needed the addition of a stronger cheese to make it awesome. It came out looking gorgeous, with a perfect crust that was not meant to be left behind on the plate.

Moving on to dessert, I had La Dolce Vita. This is soft-serve vanilla ice cream, with extra virgin olive oil, wildflower honey, sea salt, and fennel pollen. It was a lovely way to wrap up the meal, with the sweetness of the honey and the fruitiness of the olive oil blending together nicely.

I will say that I took home leftovers. While I’ve heard many comments on the cost of the restaurant, you do not need to order one pizza per person. These will easily serve 2 – 3 people, especially if you order a starter or two.

The only complaint I had is that the pizza was served too quickly. I had only just received the olives when the pizza was brought to my seat. Very efficient, but maybe a little too efficient. It made me feel somewhat rushed. However, if you've got a movie to get to or other places to be, it's perfect.

Some things to keep in mind if you go:

• Reservations are not being taken for this restaurant, it is first-come, first-served

• Take-out must be ordered in person – there is no phone number for ordering and the promised online ordering option is not yet available

• This is a loud and echoey venue; keep that in mind if you’re looking for a quiet place to have a bite

Is it inexpensive? No. Is it good? Yes. Very much so. I will definitely return on another day to try another pizza on the menu.