At Lucca’s

We are usually ‘out of the loop’ here in Oysterville, but yesterday, perhaps because it’s the time of the Pleiades, the stars aligned so we were firmly in the thick of things.  It was the opening of the new bar at Jimella and Nanci’s Market Café in Klipsan Beach.

To be fair, we had heard via the ever-present Peninsula Oystershell Telegraph that a bar was in the offing and we assumed that it would be at the north end of the café, taking the place of the gift shop that has been there since there was no café at all.  And, we had heard that there was an informal contest going on to give the bar a name.  The soft opening was to be from 4:00 to 6:00 yesterday.

Things were in full swing when we arrived a few minutes after five.  Even though it appeared to be crowded, there was a table-for-two that looked to be just waiting for us.  We knew almost everyone there and within two minutes we were asked by the folks at the big round table in the middle what we thought of the name Lucca’s.

It sounded just right!  Jimella’s last name, of course, is Lucas and in Italian “Lucca” means “bringer of light.”  And, not only is the play on Jimella’s name appropriate, but Nanci who is in charge of the ‘front of the house,’ has been all about those little strings of lights as a mainstay of the décor since the old Ark Restaurant Days.  Lucca’s!  Perfect!

Maggie and Pizza

We ordered calamari and French fries – our favorite appetizers since back in the day, and we marveled at how cozy-yet-spacious Lucca’s was.  We weren’t the only ones talking about how inviting it looked and felt – the perfect spot to meet a friend or hang out for a bit before dinner.  I kept trying to think how the gift shop had fit into the space and couldn’t quite conjure it up.  Lucca’s just seemed like it had always been there.

Afterwards we went over to our friend Maggie’s in Ocean Park.  We had been invited for dessert but due to the generosity of a friend and the magic of UPS, she had received two Chicago-Style pizzas that afternoon and they were in the oven when we arrived.  Well, of course, we accepted her invitation for an impromptu pizza pie dinner.

We had not experienced that deep-dish three-inch-tall-crust type of pizza before.  I loved it!  I’ve never been a big pizza fan and now I know why.  I’ve been waiting all these years for the Chicago-style.  Dessert, as originally intended, followed – a plum and apricot galette.  Another pie of sorts and absolutely heavenly.  With vanilla ice cream.

Today?  Salad.  Period.