As it can reveal itself somewhat gradually, La Cucina is yours to uncover. The heavier design of dark wood tables and black leather chairs framed by brick walls are nicely balanced by candles throughout and the lighting sparkle repeating in mirrors. We started with well-executed cocktails and perfect calamari paired with artichoke hearts that began to expose the thoughtfulness of the kitchen. The Linguine Alla Pescatora was perfectly portioned and delicious and my wife left no noodle behind either. We were fully stuffed, but couldn't resist ordering ricotta doughnuts to take back to the hotel. They could likely run a food truck with those doughnuts alone. Traditional Italian fare is not uncommon. Getting it right however is much more rare and La Cucina is ready for show. All of this would be enough but the remaining layers are the wonderful people operating this somewhat new offering to the city. Don is attentive, fun and intelligent, giving you his full attention while still noticing the subtle beckons of nearby tables. He's a fly fisherman who feels life deeply and has great care for all. Then we met Norma who opened the restaurant with her brother. Given the opportunity, I think Norma could run a country. She has managed a variety of businesses, is huge fun and I'm willing to bet she's as strong as the stone wall out front. La Cucina is Italian authenticity pressed by a big heart into a beautiful small space. read more

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My mother in law made a reservation here last night. I haven't been, and I didn't know it was a pretty, date-night, cool little place-- we brought my two toddlers, ages 4 and 2. Ambiance: What started out as quiet and intimate around 6:30pm became somewhat lively (a good kind) around 8:00pm. I loved the vibe. Dark, candle-lit tables, bricked wall, bar all the way in the back and cute and clean little bathrooms downstairs. Tight cubicles if you are to pee with a child but it's ok. No change-table if you are to bring a newborn. Service: Tony, our server was excellent. He was very pleasant and kind and told us we're awesome for taking our kids to dine with us because not a lot do. He also praised us for having very well behaved toddlers! The hostess did too, which i loved. She said no one would even be able to tell there were children in the restaurant. Food: Sadly, this is where I took my 3 stars off. We were all craving for pasta, so I could only speak from the pasta perspective. Prices ranged from Mid to High $20s which for the portion size was pretty steep. Taste-wise, here's the breakdown. *Bolognese: serving super small, and sauce very salty. *Crab Tortellini: i got this, serving portion was decent on this one since tortellinis are a bit heavier by the piece. The filling of crab was basic. Not sure if they use fresh Dungeness to create the filling, it sadly didn't taste as expected. However, i did like the subtle buttery sauce and the accent of fried basil to garnish. *Carbonara: bland and could be a bit creamier with the right egg yolk ratio. My father in law says the pasta was undercooked. *Ravioli: my kids had this to share. Pasta square to ratio filling was off. It could use more filling. Ravioli pillows were tiny. *Cannelloni: excellent. This was yummy. We got meatballs and bread for appetizer. Bread isn't part of dining. Never been to an Italian restaurant that does NOT serve complimentary focaccia or baguette. Also, i noticed that they don't come around the tables to offer fresh parmesan or freshly ground pepper. Because of the service and vibe of the place though, I'd give it another shot and try the variety of meats. I got a glimpse of ribeye from the other table and it looked amazing. read more

When I first ate here I really enjoyed the food, the vibe and the great service. Yes it's expensive Italian food but it was a great overall experience. This time, I went with my immediate family and my vegetarian husband who decided to order the special - gnocchi with a pomodoro sauce. I know specials are popular. I know dishes don't have to be overflowing with food to be enjoyed. But...when everyone else received their pastas & risotto, my husbands plate of a handful of gnocchi came and he was done far sooner than the rest of us. It just seemed like they were running low on the special but $36 for this - even in my extensive experience - seemed a bit much. Every single plate we ordered was over $30 (a fettuccine with some mushrooms) and the risotto with di mare with very few shrimp and a few tiny pieces of scallops was $39. I won't be going back - not because it's too expensive but because, for that cost, I want to have a great food experience. The service was excellent and not one complaint about our lovely server. read more

Atmosphere, food and cocktails were good. Extremely disappointed with service. We were a group of 12 and 6 of us got our meal 45 minutes before the other table. Mistakes happen so we were understanding of the error made, the frustrating part was how the staff handled it. One of the staff just said we needed to understand that they are short staffed and we should expect to be waiting for our food for 2 hours and didn't offer an apology (essentially said it's not their fault). After letting us know our food would be late, they said it would be right out and then did not check up on us and our food came about a half hour after. They compensated us by giving us a "discount" which was about $5.80 on a $220 bill. Would not recommend and will not return to this restaurant. read more

Terrible customer service. When confronted, the owner began to argue with the customer, in the middle of the restaurant, claiming they were not in the wrong for food being served 45 minutes apart from others seated in the same group, or any other mistakes made during the evening. read more

Had an amazing meal this evening. We followed Luigi's suggestions and started with stuffed calamari and the best scratch made pastas I've ever had outside of my Nona's kitchen. The pasta was accompanied but a prepared to perfection steak that was fork tender. The service was excellent and the meal perfectly timed. Great tunes and nice atmosphere We will definitely be going back. read more

The decor is very nice. Very quaint but modern. Luigi was our waiter and he had very good suggestions. He actually recommended a complete meal plan for the four of us. It worked really well and we could taste more different dishes. Started with an excellent smoked meat board and an incredible eggplant appetizer that was a special and not on menu. I'm not an eggplant guy but this was real good. The mint and pea risotto was excellent. Had a nice linguini with bolognese sauce for pasta. Main was the ahi tuna and a real nice duck dish. Both very well prepared and very good dishes. The service and timeliness of delivery was excellent. Unbelievable restaurant. read more