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Luce: Bring a Camera But Not Your Appetite

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Luce, I'm sorry to have to say this, but you seem to be all about the presentation. You're that chick who is great to have as arm candy for the night, but behind the exterior, there's not really much there. Great looking decor, great looking bar, beautifully presented food. And while it's clear the the dishes are really thought out, ingredients aren't just thrown on the plate in a haphazard or traditional fashion, I think that you should spend a little less time making the food look pretty and a little more time thinking about the flavors you're putting on the plate.

I had the foie gras, served with candied kumquats, figs, and an assortment of other bites. It doesn't take a lot to make foie gras taste wonderful - just give me some toast and salt. But somehow, it ended up being lackluster at best. My friend had the mackerel, which also did not leave a lasting impression on me, just relatively bland. For an entree I had the black ink trofiette "carbonara," which, although relatively tasty, was nothing I couldn't do (or do better) at my apartment. Finally, the best course was my friend's pork belly fregola pasta - the pruneaux sauce was amazing and the sweetness was a perfect compliment to the salty pork belly.

Being that Luce recently received a Michelin star this year, I feel like I must've had an entirely different dining experience than the Michelin people, because I left feeling rather let-down by the food. For that reason, I feel like I should try it again - maybe I just ordered the wrong things? But frankly, at a Michelin-starred restaurant, there shouldn't be such a thing as "ordering the wrong thing."

I think the best part of the meal was when my friend and I were talking about how medical sales reps make great money, work ridiculously easy hours, and that they are basically exclusively hot women. It was at the point that the waiter, who had been pretty formal and not very friendly up until that point, decided to join the conversation. The scene went something like this:

Me: "Man if all they are lookin' for are cute girls then sign me up! Why haven't I gotten into that industry"

Waiter: "I don't think they would hire you"

Me: "Oh really? ouch"

Waiter: "No, no, I don't mean that offensively. But your beauty is more....real, or natural. They are looking for almost unrealistically beautiful women, like the top 1% percent of women."

Me (laughing, as he was stumbling over his words): "Man you really don't want a tip do you? You should really just stop talking before you dig yourself a bigger hole."

Luckily he did just that, and brought me a complimentary glass of champagne to make up for his unintended insult.

I think if I was in the area I would go back to have a drink, as they had a good looking cocktail list and a pretty swanky atmosphere. But if I'm looking for great food, or looking to get a self-confidence boost, this would not be my number one destination.

Luce
888 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 616-6566
www.lucewinerestaurant.com

Luce on Urbanspoon

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