Since I was craving Italian (and baby Strager gets what baby wants) I started searching for highly-rated Italian restaurants in our city that we hadn't been to before. We decided on Luce Italian Ristorante in uptown Charlotte. They had a great Yelp rating and I had always heard good things. I jumped on Open Table and snagged us a 7:30 reservation.
We hit a few snags after that. Apparently, Luce isn't the easiest to find uptown. The restaurant is tucked away in the courtyard by RiRa's and does not have street valet parking on the block that it faces. Instead, your GPS will take you to the Hearst Tower which is a bit confusing because the entrance is in the back of the building. After driving around the neighborhood a few times, and two calls to the restaurant we finally maneuvered to the parking deck, through the lobby of the Hearst Tower and into the restaurant. However, at this point, we were 20 mins late for our reservation and our table was passed over, so we had to wait another 15 mins for a new spot. Typically this wouldn't be a big deal but being pregnant and in heels, after walking a city block, I was pretty wiped not to mention starving.
When we finally sat down in the small 30 tabletop restaurant we were greeted by an Italian man from the north of Italy name Emmanuel. Emmanuel was friendly and accommodating, especially when I couldn't decide between Gnocchi and the Carbonara. He offered to make me a special plate with a little of both! I thought that was so kind of him and both were amazing. Dallas ordered the Seafood Mare in broth and it was also delicious.
Of course, no dinner is complete without dessert. Although Dallas and I were pretty full we attempted to force down one of my favorites, Tiramisu, and I am so glad we did! It paired well with Dal's cappuccino and it was the perfect cap to our meal.
I am happy to say after a rough start, I was pleasantly surprised by Luce and I will be back for sure!
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