Lucia

10/07/2008 Posted by wellcraft19

Lucia was a GREAT place before its transformation to "hip". Be aware of the crowd, since it can be too noisy to even carry out a conversation while dining. I took my wife to be to our VERY first lunch at "Mama Lucia's" back in 1999. It was then a great place, and continued to be so until the recent remodel/expansion. Earlier it was a great "hole in the wall", with great pasta and good wines, but now it feel more like any chain restaurant (even though it isn't). All said, if you can get a table at the patio, it'd still be worth it, even if the view might not be the best, but location is still great with walking distance to "everything".

Pros: Location, pasta

Cons: Can be far too noisy

08/31/2008 Posted by JennaB44

We ate here last night and I thought the food was very good. My husband had the lemon chicken and I will admit it was a bit salty but still good. I had the chicken parm and it was very good. I tend to be picky when it comes to chicken parm and was pleasantly surprised with there's. We both agreed the new look was nice but a bit retro for a down home Italian spot in a strip mall on the eastside but the ambiance inside was nice and there bar looks like it would be a great place to hang out. All in all we enjoyed our meal and will definitely go back.

Pros: good food and friendly service

Cons: hard to find parlking

08/18/2008 Posted by changnan

This is a great little restaurant in Kirkland - very good pasta dishes, a pizza on the side or as an appetizer. Great salads. Fun nightlife starts to happen later in the evening. It's a very fun, vibrant restaurant - much like you'd expect to see on vacation in New York and LA. Fun but great food as well...The A+ distinction here: price. Great prices. We'll be back for sure - as regulars...

Pros: Food, Value, nightlife, fun bar, wine

Cons: its in a 'strip mall' but you don't feel like it when you're there...

05/01/2008 Posted by martinenterprises

First off its called Lucia now. Citysearch needs to change the name From Mama Lucia's Kitchen to just Lucia. Bonnie and I know the owner Michael very well. He absolutely treats us like royalty. As for the kitchen goes I don't know what that other review was about. This place is awesome. We have had everything from the pizza(fabulous), the salads, to the outstanding Kobe beef burger. This place is so classy and the food is on the top of my list. They have a great upstairs bar for parties and gatherings. Oh and I almost forgot the best part the wine......some very different wines, Michael knows what he is doing and you better call ahead because its always busy and there is a reason for that, great food, great atmosphere and an owner with allot of class. Thanks for the great service and making us feel like were at home when were there! Chris and Bonnie....

Pros: Ambience is the best in Kirkland and the food is fabulous

Cons: The only bad thing is if you don't go there to eat and drink, cuz its fun!

03/29/2008 Posted by asilwo

I say this because it is located right next to the kitchen where the wait staff dumps dirty dishes in to a plastic bin (crash, thud), the entrance to the bathroom and the computerized pay station where the wait staff also gathers and is rewarded with a loud beep each time they successfully swipe their card! Since Lucia reinvented itself from the reliable red checked table cloth local favorite where the food was always great and the atmosphere unpretentious I have been 4 times. (3 of which seated unluckily at the above referenced table!) The new Lucia style a wanna be hip wear black dot com standard complete with white slab marble tabletops which are always cold to the touch, low lighting mostly black décor and wait staff dressed in, you guessed it, all black. The service is always average, entrée arrives at mid salad, appetizer forgotten entirely, my plate removed before my guest has finished eating; average service experience. The menu can’t seem to find its groove, offering some traditional Italian fare, but also crab cakes with an Asian flair. Except that the Chop Salad is mostly a huge pile of romaine lettuce with a few garbanzo beans, a handful of cubed chicken and no salami! What?! Where am I?! The house Chianti and Sangiovase is clearly a $5.00 bottle of wine but reasonably priced for cheap wine at $6.50 a glass. The saving grace, the pizza is pretty darn good even though the sausage is again cubed. The location saves this place, if the old Mama Lucia’s and the new kid on the block could meet in the middle I would go back, provided I can be seated at a different table.

Pros: Near the movie theatre and other full restaraunts

Cons: It's always cold!

02/17/2008 Posted by Werder1

Yesterday was the first time that we went to Lucia. Reading the reviews I did not know what to expect since they were mixed but must say that I was impressed. We had a very friendly waitress who was knowledgable about the food and able to make recommendations. We had bruscetta as a starter and then Tagliatelle with Shrimps and the Chicken Milanese. The food was freshly prepared with very tasty ingredients. Everything was cooked right and came very hot. We had sufficient time between the courses to enjoy the wine and conversation (what is it about people wanting to be in an out of a restaurant in an hour?). I would definitely recommend this as a true Italian restaurant - it felt very European and a nice change to all the family style restaurants with portions no one can finish.

Pros: Ambience, Food

Cons: Maybe I'm old fashion but I like table cloth

01/30/2008 Posted by RKGSN

We had eaten at Mama Lucia's a few times before the remodel. We liked the atmosphere (kid friendly) but I didn't like the food. Being Italian, I thought the food was just okay. Last night we decided to eat there for my husband's birthday and was SHOCKED to see the changes. We decided to eat there anyways and complained about how 'fancy' the place got. However, the food came quickly and was WAY better than before. The fries were light and crispy. The bolagnese sauce was delicious and the calzone was great! We will definitely go back again but w/o the kids. Conclusion: sad to see the old family style decor gone, happy to have some good Italian food!

01/29/2008 Posted by krissy_247

Personally- these other people are crazy!! This place is perfect whether your on a date, or with your friends- it has a great atmosphere and great service! The prices for the quality of food they have are very cheap!! Great food, great wine - You have to try it!!!

Pros: Great food, wonderful dining experience!!

Cons: Nadda!!

01/24/2008 Posted by adinfinium

My wife and I ate at Lucia's this evening. Having eaten at Mama Lucia's in the past we were encouraged from the website to see what the new restaurant and menu offered. Sadly we were massively disappointed. After getting a table against a wall and set far too close to the tables around it, we had to ask for someone to find our waiter 15 minutes later. My wife's Tuna Tartare starter was bland and served with 4 pieces of unseasoned toast -- also with no oil or butter. For her main, my wife ordered the Pasta Angelina which she described as slightly overcooked and nothing special. My Braised Kobe Beef with Pappardelle was excellent, though the menu describes it as "Kobe strips, red peppers, mushrooms. red wine sauce". The beef wasn't strips, more like a fine mince of beef, as were the mushrooms and peppers. For dessert, we ordered the Creme Brulee. I'd never seen a Creme Brulee with a slightly sunken center and hard edges before. The caramelized sugar was soft and one bite let my wife to describe it as "Horrible!". I couldn't agree more. It was clearly overcooked, with a texture more like a cheesecake and certainly not made to order. We sent it back. Overall, the service was mediocre, the food overpriced and not all that good, and the general feel noisy overcrowded with barely a few inches between tables. Not a place we'll be returning to.

Cons: pricey, food, noise

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01/22/2008 Posted by Reviewperson

I am also horribly dissatisfied with the changes to my once beloved eatery. The interior renovations did add needed seating, but on my mid-January visit, it seemed there weren't enough customers to half fill the old space. I suspect the few other customers were remnants of the old clientele, not new hipsters restaurant is so desperately trying to appeal to. The interior looks like a modernist chic from a decade ago, it is a boring black and white and grey. The stark unflattering interior is well complimented with the freezing temperature of the dining room. The food has lost its appeal, the fancy touch of cooked vegetables do not over come the under cooked noodles and small portions. The pizza is greasy and the sauce is little more than a can of pureed tomatoes. The service is equally abysmal and oblivious to their glaring failures, the table next to me ended up passing around their own plates, drinks went unfilled, but it did appear the staff had very good social chat at the hostess booth. I will be surprised if they are in business next year, they wasted money on the remodel, and drove away their customers.

Cons: expensive, unfriendly

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