dinner menu available all day

Lunch menu monday to friday noon to 3pm
dinner menu available all day

salads

pisa salad
     spinach, chicken, roasted peppers, roasted tomatoes, portabella, 
fresh mozzarella, red onions, & balsamic vinaigrette  12
pear
spinach, poached pear, goat cheese, walnut,
white balsamic pear vinaigrette 9
panzanella
wedged tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, olives,
capers, toasted bread, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil 9
caesar
romaine, croutons, grated parmigiano, caesar dressing 8
mista
mixed greens, tomatoes, assorted olives,
red onions, balsamic vinaigrette 8

sandwiches
our breads are homemade and baked on premises    

toscano
chicken breast, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, roasted tomatoes, 
balsamic vinaigrette. on focaccia bread 10
sirloin
new york strip steak, fontina cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onions,
& balsamic vinaigrette. on focaccia bread 13
Italian sub 
roasted ham, genova salame, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato,
oil & vinegar. on italian bread 10
meatball parmigiana
chuck, short rib & sirloin petite meatballs, tomato sauce,
& mozzarella cheese on italian bread  10
siciliano
chicken breast, eggplant, olives, caramelized onions, tomatoes,
capers, pine nuts, red wine vingar. on italian bread 10
salsiccia
broccoli rabe, ground sausage, provolone cheese,
garlic & olive oil. on italian bread 10
vegetables
grilled vegetables, wild mushrooms, caramelized onions,
fontina cheese, & truffle oil on focaccia bread 10

soups

pasta e fagioli
cannellini beans, prosciutto, pasta, light tomato broth 7
wild mushrooms & crab
creamy mushrooms & jumbo lump crab chowder 11
minestrone
classic italian vegetable soup 7

fresh pasta
all pastas are homemade by luca

paccheri
large hollow tube pasta “paccheri” italian for slaps 
slow braised bolognese meat sauce 12
fiore
flower bloom shaped egg pasta
broccoli rabe, assorted olives, roasted garlic & olive oil 11
pappardelle
large, broad,  flat pasta
wild mushrooms with a creamy truffle essence 12
bucatini
long hallow pasta
calamari, assorted olives, capers, anchovie, spicy seafood tomato sauce 13
trenne
triangle shaped penne pasta
prosciutto, sausage, julienned salame & ham, artichokes hearts,
white wine bechamel sauce 12
integrali
multi grain spaghetti
assorted grilled vegetables, roasted tomatoes, garlic & extra virgin olive oil 11
spinaci
spinach fettuccine pasta
chuck, short rib & sirloin petite meatballs
with a shallot red wine fresh herb creamy beef essence 12
gnocchi
potato based dumpling pasta
fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, & parmigiano 11
rigatoni
semolina flour rigatoni pasta
sliced chicken breast roasted garlic tomato cream sauce 12

Luca's transports authentic flavor of idyllic Italian isle to Flemington

Friday, June 25, 2010

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
By Susan Sprague Yeske

For Luca Di Meglio, it's all about the food.
The gregarious chef, born on the lush Italian resort island of Ischia and raised in Lawrenceville,
lives and breathes his country's native cuisine.
His day is filled with cooking for his customers or crafting new dishes for future use at Luca's,
which he opened five years ago in a small strip center in Flemington.
"I live that lifestyle," he says of his love of classic Italian dishes, and has lived it for the past 25 years.
Di Meglio fell in love with cooking under the tutelage of his aunt, Nancy DiMeglio,
whom Chambersburg aficionados will recall as chef at the former Francesco's,
a popular eatery during the glory days of Italian restaurants in Trenton.
"Aunt Nancy was a huge influence on me,"
he says, repeating her adage that "there are no shortcuts in the kitchen."
That means he and his staff make everything on the premises including stocks, soups, most pastas and desserts.
Additional inspiration comes from his home island,
where he grew up eating local meats and produce grown in the volcanic soil, and enjoying the culture.
His restaurant is decorated to reflect that heritage, which has an ethic defined as "use what you have" and "do it yourself."
His aunt, who is now retired, dines at Luca's in Flemington,
as well as at Di Meglio's first restaurant, Luca's in Somerset, which is now operated by his brother, Andrea.
Di Meglio will debut his summer menu soon, with 15 new dishes that reflect his adaptations of classic Italian cuisine
to reflect the desires of contemporary Americans.
"What works is I try to make it acceptable to today's palate," he says.
"It's a little healthier with more vegetables and less frying."