Lunch at Enzo and Lucia–My Mouth is Watering Just Thinking About It

Disclaimer: My husband and I were provided a complimentary meal in exchange for sharing on this blog my honest thoughts about the experience.

My husband and I had the opportunity to try a restaurant that we have known about for years but, for no particular reason, have never tried.  Enzo and Lucia is an Italian restaurant in historic Long Grove. I will start by saying that this was a wonderful place for my husband and myself to share an anniversary lunch (we celebrated here one day before our 20th wedding anniversary–it just worked better with our schedules)!

We had an 11:30a reservation.  The restaurant was nice and quiet at that time, and we had a table right next to the window which provided us with a lovely view of a courtyard.  Yes, there had been a lot of rain recently, and it was still cloudy, but the grass was such a bright green and the colors of the flowers were so vivid!  How often do you get a window seat at a restaurant and have a pretty view, not a view of a street or a parking lot?

We met Glenn and Renata Cardelli who have been owners of the restaurant for 12 years.  It was great chatting with them and getting to know a little about the real people who helped make the restaurant what it is today and what it will become in the years ahead.

When I started this blog, my “Beckie Lives and Learns” project, one of the main goals was to meet people in the area and learn from them.  Yes, that happened, but, let me tell you about the food! YUM! (Don’t worry–more details and photos are coming!) Our server, Claudio, helped us make some decisions, and he was spot on.

Not unexpectedly, crusty bread was on the table as well as oil, Parmesan cheese, and a garlic dipping oil.  This bread was just the way I love it–soft in the middle and crusty on the outside. I tend to be liberal with oil and Parmesan cheese when dipping my bread, but the garlic dipping oil took over and became my go-to dipping oil for the bread.  I ate A LOT more bread than I intended because I just kept wanting to dip (and did just that)!

We placed our meal orders, and we had a choice of soup or salad.  We each chose the cup of minestrone soup. This cup had a delicious, well seasoned, hearty tomato broth and was loaded with vegetables.  I felt both satisfied and healthy (very important considering that there was dessert later ; ) ).

For my main entrée, with the help of Claudio’s guidance and expertise, I chose eggplant parmigiana.  This was a winner! It was just the right balance of eggplant, cheese, and sauce. Sometime eggplant parmigiana can be oily or greasy.  This was just right! It came with a side of pasta with sauce (as you will see in the photo). Normally, I don’t make a big “to-do” about pasta with marinara sauce at restaurants; I can make that at home.  I actually mentioned to my husband how good this was, and he agreed. There was something different about it that really made it stand out. (Unfortunately for me, though, there is now a higher bar for when I eat pasta with sauce at home.  I have to figure out how to get closer to it so that I can enjoy my meals at my own kitchen table.)

My husband was gifted with not having to make a tough decision when it was his turn to order.  He could not decide between the chicken Marsala (he loves chicken Marsala; we even had it as part of the meal when we got married) and a cappellacci special of the day– a ravioli which was stuffed with short ribs and served in a creamy Marsala sauce with mushrooms on top.  Claudio brought him the chicken Marsala plus a small portion of the cappellacci to try.

My husband loved them both! Per him, “The Chicken Marsala was tender and delicious, with just the right amount of “warmth” in the wine sauce.  Definitely one of the best I’ve had in many years.  The Cappellacci (Beef Short Rib Ravioli) was so savory, with a smooth mushroom cream sauce complementing the delicately wrapped beef.  My mouth is watering again, just recalling how delicious it was!”

I tried the pasta, sauce, and mushroom part of the cappellacci.  I agreed that it was delicious. From my vegetarian standpoint, it was a shame that it contained meat.  ; ) Let’s just say that that plate was completely devoid of any sauce by the end of the meal. The bread and its soaking/wiping ability were put to perfect use.  (Yes, I ate even more bread, but it was worth it.)

We shared two desserts.  Normally, if tiramisu is on a menu, I will go for it, but considering that I am now all about trying new things, I stepped outside my dessert box.  Once again, relying upon our server’s recommendations, we ordered chocolate tartufo gelato (it included chocolate–not very far out of my “box”) and limoncello mascarpone cake (no chocolate=much farther out of my dessert “box”).  I am drooling as a type this! The tartufo was a chocolate gelato with cocoa powder and nuts on top with a heart of vanilla. Delicious! Just look at the photos–they can tell the story better than I! The cake was a lemon cake made with mascarpone cheese and limoncello liqueur.  Normally I am not a fruity cake type of person (especially if there is a more chocolate type of option on the menu), but I thoroughly enjoyed this as well! The lemon flavor was obvious but not overpowering, it wasn’t too heavy, and I enjoyed every bite. My husband and I were in complete agreement!  

All I can ask myself now is “Why have I not eaten there before?”  I highly recommend it and will be back.

(Follow up:  Since this lunch, we have already been back and brought other family members with us.   They will be back, too!)

If you find yourself wandering around historic Long Grove before or after enjoying a great meal at Enzo and Lucia, I recommend stopping by The Olive Tap and checking it out as well.