TASTY BITES

Luggatti’s Italian Grill is an old-fashioned red-sauce Italian restaurant without the checked tablecloths and the Chianti bottles dripping with candle wax, combined with the conviviality of a neighborhood hangout.

This buzzy and crowded spot has a casual atmosphere with old brick walls, a fireplace and an exposed ceiling.

The noise level is high because the place is always packed with people coming in for the old-world style, slow-cooked sauces and open-flame grilled specialties from the extensive menu.

The service has warmth and charm that brings the crowds back as well.

Pumpkin Ravioli

Highlighted on the long list of pasta dishes is the pumpkin ravioli filled with pumpkin and fresh butternut squash and sauced with a shallot, sage cream sauce. The perfect, plump, pasta pillows had a delicious stuffing that had just the right touch of sweetness and spice. It was subtly flavored and had a luscious mouth feel. We’ve had our share of pumpkin ravioli in our day, and they are often too sweet or taste like pumpkin pie. Each bite of al dente pasta had a generous amount of filling creating a nice balance between them. The over-abundant amount of sauce had no detectable sage or shallot flavor but tasted pleasantly like sweet heavy cream. The ravioli only needed a smidgen of what was provided to add another layer of flavor to the excellent pasta. The portion was very large as are all the pasta dishes at Luggatti’s.

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Pizza

Pizza comes in four sizes with your choice of a thick or thin crust. We are in the thin crust crowd and are always looking for interesting topping combinations that still seem like they ought to go on pizza. The Mediterranean has pesto, grilled seasoned chicken, sundried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, roasted garlic, Kalamata olives, and a blend of goat, feta and mozzarella cheeses. We were surprised by the absence of tomato sauce but once we tasted the pizza, we didn’t miss it at all. We were, however, delighted to find the crust had been brushed with a balsamic glaze that left a lingering hint of sweetness on the tongue. The thin cracker-like crust ensured that the topping flavors would shine. Cheesy, garlicky, salty and sweet, the Mediterranean tastes are a celebration in your mouth. Our only complaint about this palate-pleasing pie was that the olives were too strong.

LUGGATTI’S

ADDRESS: 210 Fifth St.

PHONE: (714) 536-8846

WEBSITE: luggattis.com