From Ken and Tricia Martino, the founders of Charlotte’s TRUE Crafted Pizza, comes Osteria LuCa, a more upscale take on the two’s passion for Italian fare.
“We created Osteria LuCa to celebrate the simple, straightforward restaurants found throughout Italy,” Ken says. “We wanted Osteria LuCa to be reminiscent of these restaurants where delicious preparations are served in a warm, inviting space by people who genuinely care about the guest experience.”
The name, LuCa, is a nod to family, made of an abbreviation of the couple’s children’s names: Lucas and Caroline.
The newest Park Road eatery is features their signature artisan pizza, hot and cold antipasti, housemade pasta, wood-fired meats, fresh seafood, specialty cocktails, craft beer, and a wide array of Italian wines.
Chef Chris McDade, who worked for Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group at Miaolino and Marta worked with Brendan Treyball, the executive chef at TRUE Crafted Pizza, to create the menu.
The inside provides a little respite from the shopping center’s busyness, an open and inviting area with a long marble bar, high ceilings, soft lighting, and communal tables and banquette seating. They also have an interactive eight-seat pizza bar with a view of the open fireplace.
Osteria LuCa is open 5-9 p.m. on Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and 5-10 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday (closed Monday).
