Market Surveys of America
“Best of the Best”
Winner “Best Waitstaff”
2002~2003~2004~2006~2007~2008~2009~2010~2011
Winner “Excellence in Dining”
Eight years running
2004~2005~2006~2007~2008~2009~2010~2011
Reader’s Choice Awards
Monadnock Shopper News
Best of Monadnock 2010
Gold
“Best Restaurant”
"Best Service/Waitstaff"
"Best Wine List"
"Best Romantic Dining"
"Best Lunch"
Silver
"Best Outdoor Dining"
"Best Late Night Dining"
"Best Desserts"
"Best Homemade Soups"
Bronze
"Best Italian Restaurant"
"Best Ethnic Dining"
Best of Monadnock 2008
Gold
“Best Restaurant”
“Best Outdoor Dining”
“Best Romantic Dining”
“Best Service/Waitstaff”
“Best Wine List”
Silver
“Best Desserts”
Bronze
“Best Late Night Dining”
“Best Ethnic Restaurant”
“Best Homemade Soups”
Best of Monadnock 2007
Gold
“Best Romantic Restaurant”
“Best Late Night Dining”
Silver
“Best Restaurant”
“Best Ethnic Restaurant”
“Best Outdoor Dining”
Bronze
“Best Italian Restaurant”
“Best Wine List”
Best of Monadnock 2006
Gold
“Best Service/Waitstaff”
Silver
“Best Outdoor/Patio Dining”
July 2009
"The Very Best of New Hampshire"
"FavoriteRegionalRestaurant- Monadnock Region"
July 2007
"The Very Best of New Hampshire"
"FavoriteRegionalRestaurant- Monadnock Region"
July 2006
"The Very Best of New Hampshire"
"FavoriteRegionalRestaurant- Monadnock Region"
July 2005
"The Very Best of New Hampshire"
"Best Fine Dining Restaurant in New Hampshire"
"FavoriteRegionalRestaurant- Monadnock Region"
July 2004
"The Very Best of New Hampshire"
"Best Mediterranean Restaurant"
"Luca's Mediterranean Cafe in Keene (358-3335) touts itself as a "culinary journey." It lives up to its billing with a menu that travels the Mediterranean and serves up such palate-pleasers as, shrimp and scallops El Greco, Salmon Balsamico, and Mediterranean Chicken in a Chardonnay wine sauce. In warm weather, dine al fresco on Keene's charming Main Street"
July 2003
"The Very Best of New Hampshire"
"Best Homemade Mozzarella"
July 2002
"The Very Best of New Hampshire"
"Best Al Fresco Dining"
"Keene is not quite Paris, but at Luca's Mediterranean Cafe on Central Square (358-3335) the wine list is excellent and the cuisine is superb - and maybe Paris is just a state of mind!"
As Seen in the Valley Advocate - June 3, 2004
Never Too Heavy
A bouquet of spring flavors lightens the more substantial elements as Luca´s presents seafood, pasta, filet mignon and indulgent desserts. Luca´s offers a highly successful combination of simplicity and flair.
A bouquet of spring flavors lightens the more substantial elements as Luca´s presents seafood, pasta, filet mignon and indulgent desserts. Luca´s offers a highly successful combination of simplicity and flair.
There are certain times of year--Bag Day, Northampton Pride, graduation, parents' weekend--when dining out in Northampton or Amherst can involve long waits and daunting crowds. On one such weekend, David and I ventured to Keene, N.H., and stumbled upon an astonishingly good restaurant, one well worth the trip from the Valley even on a quiet weekend.
Luca's Mediterranean Café is the creation of Gianluca "Luca" Paris. The food is French, Italian and Spanish, with specials that also reflect North African, Greek and Turkish influences.
Luca himself was outside the restaurant saying goodbye to a diner when we approached. He held the door for us and then showed us to a table. Polite yet never obsequious, with a lively sense of humor, he immediately put us at ease.
The rest of the staff was equally friendly and extraordinarily attentive. Used silverware was whisked away; a burned-out candle was quickly replaced; the pacing of the meal was perfect. Rarely have we found such professional service in this area.
In all the dishes we tried, excellent ingredients were permitted to speak for themselves, clearly and simply. A good example is the crespelle, two vegetable crêpes halved diagonally and served with diced tomatoes and fresh spinach. The crêpes were filled with thin asparagus spears and expertly julienned zucchini, summer squash and carrot. The crêpes were tender and the vegetables lightly cooked, with no cheese or cream sauce to mask their spring-like flavors.
Equally successful was the soup of the day, a rustic roasted tomato soup with an ornate swirl of crème fraiche. The soup was mildly spicy and delicately seasoned, allowing the sweetness of the tomatoes to take center stage.
In European fashion, San Pelligrino is the standard "water" option (at $4.50 a bottle), served here with a plate of lemon and lime wedges. The wine list is diverse and interesting, with a wide range of French, Italian and Spanish options.
The bread basket featured an assortment of homemade rye, pumpernickel and crispbread. On the side was a tasty roasted red pepper hummus.
The menu was focused, with three salads and a page each of appetizers, pastas and entrées. Also on offer were quite a few specials, from filet mignon with an oyster mushroom duxelle to grape leaf-wrapped flounder.
I opted for the risotto of the day, a mussel and crabmeat risotto. Piled abundantly around the bowl, the mussels were mild, incredibly tender and very fresh. Beneath them lay a mascarpone- and crabmeat-laced risotto that was creamy but not too rich. The sweet crabmeat was finely flaked and had been fully incorporated into the rice. A bed of raw baby spinach had been placed on the plate first, allowing the heat of the risotto to wilt the spinach to verdant perfection. At $19.95, this dish was pricier than the regular entrées, but still very reasonable.
The menu featured one vegetarian main dish, orecchiette and carciofi ("little ear" pasta and artichokes). The substantial, chewy, perfect al dente pasta seemed to have been fresh or frozen, not dried. The orecchiette were combined with quartered artichoke hearts, earthy diced portobellos, roasted tomatoes and thin asparagus. The Pinot Grigio sauce was rich and flavorful but not at all heavy.
In addition to crème brulée and tiramisu, the dessert menu featured a "chocolate pyramid." The pyramid turned out to be one of the most elaborately constructed desserts we'd had in ages, not to mention one of the tastiest. A seamless coating of dark chocolate, swirled with white chocolate, covered the perfectly formed pyramid. It was filled with chocolate mousse, with a rich hazelnut mousse at the center and a base made from a thin layer of an authentically French chocolate sponge cake. The plate was attractively garnished with raspberry and mango sauces and a deep purple pansy. Like all the desserts, this one was a very reasonable $5.95.
The summer opening of the Northfield Drive-In, located on the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border, is fast approaching. If concession-stand hot dogs are not your thing, an early dinner at Luca's just might be the perfect precursor to a double feature.
As Seen in the Manchester Union Leader-April 17, 2002
Our Gourmet:
Luca’s Cafe, good food, great service — and save room for dessert
Luca’s Cafe, good food, great service — and save room for dessert
By OUR GOURMET
AN EXPECTED rain shower kept us from taking advantage of one of the four or five tables on the sidewalk outside of Luca’s Mediterranean Cafe, a spot on Keene’s Central Square overlooking one of New Hampshire’s most beautiful commons. Come May, the tables will look out on a profusion of flowering trees and azaleas as the common comes into its full spring glory.
But the interior of Luca’s is equally as pleasing, with warm, rich earth tones the color of the Duomo in Florence, original Mediterranean art in gold frames, candles and white tablecloths. Class personified.
It’s a small, elegant space with only about 10-12 tables: decidedly upscale but not pretentious. We noticed a family sitting nearby and the staff made a real effort to make them feel welcome and at home, but this is not a place to bring very young children.
And Gourmet invites everyone to make a trip to the bathroom (whether you feel the need or not) simply to take it all in. It’s large, ornate, with mirrors and framed art in stylish metal holders, lotion, mints, toothpicks and thick, plush napkins to dry one’s hands. I found myself wanting to linger there — this room was, hands down, the most luxurious bathroom I’ve seen in my travels through New Hampshire.
The menu is compact and refined, as is the atmosphere, but we were pleasantly surprised to find the prices exceedingly reasonable, with entrees running between $11.95 and $16.95, with an average of about $13.95.
Luca’s gets its name from the owner, Gianluca Paris, who was born in Italy but moved to New York as a toddler. After obtaining a degree from the prestigious Johnson & WalesUniversity, he and his wife, Lindy, owned and operated an Italian gourmet shop and catering business in New York City, as well as a fine dining restaurant in Westchester County, New York.
They opened Luca’s to showcase the flavors of not only Italy but France and Spain as well, and to offer an Epicurean tour of the Mediterranean. This was evident immediately, when the bread basket included crisp, grilled pita bread, along with regular bread, and hummus dip.
We found the appetizer of the evening ($8.95) to be unique, with lightly marinated, grilled scallops, sliced thin and layered between slices of grilled eggplant and served on a bed of spinach, with a garlic-custard on the side. The custard was to-die-for, made, I imagine, with eggs, garlic, cream cheese and spices: rich and creamy, but yet fluffy, like Yorkshire pudding.
We also enjoyed the crespelle ($5.95): homemade crepes filled with vegetables and garnished with a tomato and spinach chutney. This dish is delightfully simple; the crepes are filled with matchstick carrots, zucchini, summer squash and roasted red peppers. No sauce, no cheese, just a simple topping of tomatoes and spinach tossed with a bit of vinegar and olive oil.
Gourmet also managed a taste of the Greek salad ($3.95/$5.95) enjoyed by one of our foursome. Large slices of artichoke aren’t the only touch that sets this salad apart; it also has a large slice of grilled tomato (which brings the natural sweetness to a fever pitch), red onion, pitted kalamata olives, baby greens and a simple, very light dressing of olive oil and vinegar.
The Greek influence carries over into the entree list with the shrimp and scallops el Greco ($15.95), with plum tomatoes, feta cheese, and baby spinach over linguine with a Chardonnay wine-sauce.
And about half of the 11 entrees offered have an Italian influence. The chicken Francaise ($12.95) gives a nod to France, with a chicken breast sauteed in lemon, butter and a Pinot Grigio wine sauce. One of my companions found the sauce to be the star of this dish (just as any good French sauce should be): slightly sweet, slightly acidic, with a fabulous, buttery consistency.
The risotto della casa changes daily, and this day came with smoked salmon, capers and dill. It was surprisingly mild considering the strength of the flavors of smoked salmon and capers and, while very good, could have used a few more capers or a bit of lemon juice or wine to give the starchy, creamy rice a little more pizzazz.
I greatly enjoyed the rigatoni alla segreta ($13.95): sauteed chicken breast chunks with gorgonzola cheese, red grapes, roasted red peppers and artichokes in a brandy cream sauce. The short, ridged tubes of the rigatoni held the sauce beautifully. The brandy cream was mild, taking on the essence of the sweet, roasted red peppers and red grapes and the Gorgonzola cheese.
The last of our party was thrilled with the Florentine steak ($16.95), a grilled, 12-oz. Delmonico steak topped with a thick demi-glace, served over the sweetest, most succulent red bliss mashed potatoes, resting atop fresh spinach. The marbling on the tender Delmonico provided great flavor, it was well seasoned, and the rich sauce, in the words of blustering Emeril, “kicked it up a notch.”
But dessert was the crowning glory to our experience. When we ordered the chocolate pyramid ($5.95), we figured the word “pyramid” was a mere euphemism meant to relate the idea of vertical height. But when the chocolate creation arrived looking like a mini Great Pyramid, replete with a smooth outer casing of chocolate in place of the original marble covering (now mostly missing from the pyramids), we were enthralled. This presentation was exquisite. Too amazing to eat — that thought lasted about a second.
The inside held kingly, culinary treasures fit for a Pharaoh: layers of chocolate mousse alternated between layers of hazelnut mousse, with a drizzle of white and dark chocolate running down the sides of the pyramid. The outer shell of chocolate was delightfully thin and cold, and contrasted well with the soft, whipped inside. It just felt good to dip your spoon into it. This dessert really knocked our socks off.
We also ordered the creme brulee ($5.95), with obvious specks of fresh vanilla and a crispy, crunchy coating of sugar on top of the custard. It was a good version, but in this instance it was shadowed by the chocolate pyramid and, comparatively, seemed less spectacular than it would have seemed had it been standing on its own.
All throughout the evening the service was exemplary. Our server was well-informed, cleared everything away with masterful precision, checked back to make sure everything lived up to expectations, and all of the staff seemed to work together to ensure that patrons never wanted for anything.
We had a lovely evening all the way around. Luca’s is an asset to Keene, offering refined food and ambience, affordable prices, and promises of al fresco dining opportunities in the grand months to come between now and October, across from the picturesque common in charming downtown Keene.
Luca’s Mediterranean Cafe
10 Central Square, Keene
358-3335
10 Central Square, Keene
358-3335
As Seen on about.com Restaurant Reviews
Luca's Mediterranean Café
10 Central Square
Keene, New Hampshire
(603) 358-3335
10 Central Square
Keene, New Hampshire
(603) 358-3335
Guest Review submitted by: John Parks
Submitted: 10/13/01
Submitted: 10/13/01
Rating: Five Gold Leaves. The best!
I found myself in Keene on business without a place to stay, and I was turned on to "the best restaurant in this small, quaint town," one, I may add, that can rival restaurants in Manhattan, Boston and maybe Europe. We were so excited to hear of the many Chef Selections for the night. I had Homemade Mozzarella as an appetizer. WOW. My wife had a very nice Butternut Squash Soup. Then we also heard about their featured wine of the evening (I am sorry I don't remember it, but what a great choice to go with a Hazelnut-Crusted Rack of Veal and also with my wife's Tilapia Cilantro).
Dinner was perfect, and getting to meet Dave, the Chef, and Luca, the owner, made it even better. We chatted about how Luca came from New York to open the restaurant he always dreamed of since he was young.
If you're near Keene or have to go there, stop at Luca's Mediterranean Café
The menu reads, "Luca's Mediterranean Café... a culinary journey," and from the moment I entered and was greeted by Luca--the owner himself--I was on my way. The original artwork on the walls, the wonderfully decorated bar and bathrooms transported me to another land, one my wife and I discovered vacationing in Europe this past year.
As Seen in "Culinary Trends Magazine"
Volume XII * Number 3
Keene Sense by Linda Mesinga
All the New England clichès are here: white-steepled church, main street, and central green with stately old trees and gazebo. Keene is a picture perfect place to sample New Hampshire’s attractions. The town itself, population 10,000, is central to the Monadnock Region of southwestern New Hampshire and home to New Hampshire State College. Better known for historical sites, political campaigns and fall foliage, New Hampshire may not be generally noted for its cuisine. But food trends and knowledgeable diners are everywhere, as are chefs and restaurateurs eager to meet and exceed their guests’ expectations. When a new restaurant opens in a city the size of Keene, other restaurants take note. They also borrow ideas and concepts to enhance their own operations. Inevitably, choice and quality are driven by such competition and consumers find their dining options changed for the better.
Luca’s Mediterranean Cafe
Such is the case in Keene. When Gianluca Paris, 35, opened Luca’s Mediterranean Cafe, his plate presentations, wine selections and polished service had a ripple effect. Wanting to bring a touch of New York sophistication to rural New England and find more time for his family, Luca has suceeded in both. His efforts to drive business to his own restaurant have also benefitted his new home.
Such is the case in Keene. When Gianluca Paris, 35, opened Luca’s Mediterranean Cafe, his plate presentations, wine selections and polished service had a ripple effect. Wanting to bring a touch of New York sophistication to rural New England and find more time for his family, Luca has suceeded in both. His efforts to drive business to his own restaurant have also benefitted his new home.
Born in Turin, Italy, Luca moved to New York as a toddler and grew up there, but spent many summers in Italy with family. At the age of 14, Luca had his first day in a restaurant as a busboy. After one day, “I knew I wanted to open my own restaurant.” His focus never wavered. After high school, he chose Johnson & WalesUniversity in Providence, Rhode Island because its culinary and hospitality curriculum was entreprenurial and business oriented. It was there he met his wife, Lindy, who also earned a four-year degree.
After graduating, he began working at DoralArrowoodConferenceCenter. Although happy with his position, he quickly decided to go into business for himself with his mother and brother. They bought a deli that specialized in sausage and mozzarella in the Bronx. “I went from wearing a suit and being in charge of 25 people to wearing jeans and t-shirt and washing floors myself,” he said. The deli was transformed into a gourmet specialty shop.
Luca admits to making mistakes in his first venture. “Over-ordering, not keeping track, not organizing myself enough to have constant stock,” he said. But the shop prospered and started catering on the side. “When I got my first catering job, I took the order and cooked all night. After I did the party I got another order from the same guy,” he recalled. When Luca discovered his brother had a talent for cooking, he passed the chef’s toque to him. Luca concentrated on growing the catering business and eventually invested in a restaurant in Bronxville, New York. During the 12 years he ran the business, his hours were long, “ I started at 4:00 AM and worked until 11:00. I never came home.”
That was part of the reason for the move to Keene. Luca wanted to have a restaurant but keep reasonable working hours. He told his wife, a New Hampshire native, “Let’s go see your folks. We’ll look at properties and houses but don’t get your hopes up.” Lindy quickly lined up several potential homes and restaurants to see during their visit. After seeing the spot that would become Luca’s they thought, “We’ll make an offer and find out how serious he is about getting out.” Right on Keene’s central square, the location appealed to both of them. The owner asked for $100,000 but accepted their offer of $50,000. “If we’d stopped to think we’d never have done it. We were making good money in New York,” Luca said.
After moving, they plunged into redecorating the restaurant with Lindy’s father helping. The restaurant is elegant but friendly with candles, pottery, paintings and photographs of the Mediterranean. The bathrooms, in particular, are a thoughtful extension of the restaurant’s theme. Artwork, toothpicks, lotions, candles and a comment book all make the bathroom a spot to linger.
Word-of-mouth was their best and only form of marketing for a while. “I didn’t get a salary the first six months,” Luca said. But their business grew and they started doing wine and theme dinners such as Bastille Day French Wine Dinner, Italian “Big Night” and Wild Game Dinner.
Luca gives credit to his staff and relies on them to carry out his vision of great food and service. “I teach them to read people, not just accept what they say but look at their eyes and listen to their tone of voice,” he said. Comment cards, though overwhelmingly positive, are carefully scrutinized. His chef Dave Lagon writes menus, does the ordering and has a free hand to create the dishes that draw customers. “Dave is my man. He knows what I want,” Luca said. The size of the restaurant, 48 seats, allows him to visit every table.
The outgoing host is a regular guest on a live weekly local radio show, “What’s Cooking with Luca?” Never one to miss an opportunity, Luca was serving the general manager of the local radio station for lunch one day and heard that their money segment guy could not continue. “So we bantered back and forth a while and I said it would be cool to do a food segment,” Luca said. The first show with host Dan Mitchell was done on a let’s-see-what happens basis. The response was immediate and positive. Listeners call in to share recipes, ask questions and occasionally tell about dining at Luca’s Mediterranean Cafe. Luca usually brings in food for Dan and other staff to sample. A recent show focused on Luca’s homemade mozzarella, which he serves as an antipasto with tomatoes and fresh basil and on a flatbread pizza.
The success of the radio show encouraged Luca to try television. The Manchester ABC affiliate runs a food segment every Friday with a local chef preparing a recipe for viewers. Luca simply called and volunteered. He now has a once-a-month cooking spot where he shares a recipe and cooking tips.
The birth of son Xander is keeping Lindy busy at home but she contributes to the Cafe’s prosperity with an email newsletter. A simple card offered to guests at the end of the meal asks for comments and whether the guest would like to be notified by email of chef’s daily recommendations or special events. The emails go to 1300 now and every wine dinner has been sold out.
“Best Service/Waitstaff”
“Lunch”
“Best Wine List”
"Best Romantic Dining"
Silver
“Best Desserts”
“Outdoor Dining”
“Late Night Dining”
“Homemade Soups”
Bronze
“Best Ethnic Dining”
“Best Italian Restaurant”