Good food? Check.
Good service? Check.
Good atmosphere? Check.
I loved Luce! I stopped by for dinner last night and was thoroughly impressed with everything. I was greeted immediately upon entering the restaurant and was seated right away. I dined alone but certainly did not feel that I was alone. The staff came by to check on me every once in a while to make sure that I was happy and enjoying my meal. They did not ignore me or give less than ideal service because I was by myself either. My server, was knowledgeable about the menu and gave great suggestions and told me about the specials.
It was really hard to make a decision because everything on the menu sounded so delicious that I wanted a little of everything. I opted for only the spinach pappadelle pasta with oxtail ragu. I was not disappointed one bit. This was the first time I had pappadelle pasta and enjoyed it immensely. The restaurant makes their pasta in house and you can definitely tell. It was cooked perfectly and the oxtail ragu was nice and tender and they do not skimp on the dish. I ordered the smaller plate because I wanted to save room for dessert. I'm glad I did because I was getting quite full by the time I got to my third to last bite of the main entree.
For dessert I chose the creme brulee infused with rosemary. The combination sounded really odd but I decided to go for it. I love trying new things. The manager stated that if I did not enjoy it that they would switch it out for me. I had no regrets whatsoever. I loved how the creme was soft and smooth and there was a touch of rosemary lightly caressing your tongue. My server said that they only put the rosemary in for a few seconds to infuse the creme and take it out. (I'm going to steal this idea the next time I make creme brulee.) The creme was not to sweet because it was balanced with the crunchy torched sugar on top. The strawberries, raspberry and blueberry topped off a perfect dessert. I ordered coffee to go with my dessert to cleanse my palate.
This is a home run for Luce in my book. I plan to visit every time I am here in Charlotte for a business trip.