Happy Hour at Lucca Restaurant and Bar: a reasonably affordable way to drink while avoiding boxed wine and brown bagged beer.

Good deals on city outings are hard to find, but in a place like Sacramento, sometimes what you’re looking for is right under your nose.  Such is the case with Lucca Bar and Restaurant at 1615 J Street in Downtown Sacramento.  Unless you’ve been to Lucca before, you probably won’t spot it hiding behind the trees out front.  It sits just across J street from the bread store, and kitty corner from P. F. Changs.  There’s plenty of parking on both sides of the building, and a shaded patio on the west wall is neatly set with cafe tables.

Upon entering the establishment shortly after 3:30 in the afternoon on a Friday, I was relieved to find that Lucca is not a posh and stuffy clubhouse for rich downtown elitists and suited professionals.  Instead I walked into a cool, chatty yet polished and classy bar.  A queen sized mirror hung on the right hand wall over a spacious, suave bar which ran along the high tables in the right hand section while tables on the left side of the house were reserved for dinner guests. 

I met a party of classmates on the bar side for happy hour, and immediately ordered a “Poppy Jasper” Amber Ale from El Toro brewing company out of Morgan Hill, Calif.  The Ale was malty, roasty, a tiny bit hoppy and mildly bitter, but more like caramel and toasted brown bread.  At $3 I don’t expect more than a Pabst, but Poppy Jasper was incredibly drinkable and refreshing.  I could've had ten.

For the sake of good science, and because I’m a sucker for variety, we decided to take the largest sample possible for our testing and just get one of everything off the happy hour menu.  This might sound overly ambitious at first, but the items were mostly little nibbling plates at $1-$3 each.  I did the math and realized we would spend less than $10 apiece.  Coming from a long line of skinflints, I was elated, and reserved the remaining contents of my pocketbook for beer. 

First came the Zucchini chips, a deceptively simple coin jar of vegetable snippets, pleasantly crunchy and, although fried, not at all greasy on the fingers.  Unfortunately they were not served with any dip, but we ate them all and didn’t seem to mind.  They were delicious even unsalted.

Parmesan fries with truffle dip sounded like a must, but they left something to be desired.  The fries weren’t cooked long enough for my taste, but by themselves were good while hot, and I appreciated that the parmesan was distributed evenly instead of just sitting on top of the bunch.  The truffle dip wasn’t nearly rich enough, and definitely too bland to compete with something as sharp as parmesan.  It only carried a slight hint of the pungently sweet and earthy truffle, but ultimately tasted more like potting soil flavored mayonnaise that may have been left out too long.

I really love seafood, and almost abstained from eating until the waitress brought out the Mussels cooked in garlic white wine.  They were fresh and tender, not rubbery at all, and absolutely delicious.  Even after we had stuffed ourselves we ordered extra bread to soak up the pool of mouth watering buttery wine and garlic sauce at the bottom of the dish.

One of the best items, if not the single most remarkable food at the table, was the Italian meatball with polenta and marinara sauce.  The meatball was a treat on its own: moist, garlicky and well herbed, however, the polenta was indescribable.  It was without a doubt, the smoothest and creamiest polenta I’ve ever tasted, and I worked in a kitchen in Tuscany for nine months.  If for no other reason, visit Lucca for the polenta, it is a triumph.

            The all natural LDR burger was another culinary victory.  A juicy, herbed patty from beef raised on the owners own Lucky Dog Ranch in Dixon sat in a soft, fresh bun from The Bread Store across the street.  The fresh produce was served on the side as I like it: firm but juicy tomato, crisp lettuce, sweet and hot purple onion, poupon mustard, and tangy thin sliced dill pickles.  It was a little pink for a medium-well, but at $5 I could have a gourmet lunch here on any day of the week.

            Flatbread and hummus was a good idea, and very edible, but didn’t deliver everything I wanted from it.  The flatbread was a little bland, and undercooked, but the toasted cheese on top was really tasty.  I couldn’t help thinking the two ingredients demanded different cooking times.  The hummus was plenty salty, but a little dry and pasty, almost chalky.  I wanted more traditional flavors like olive oil, garlic, and paprika.

            The grilled steak skewer with herb sauce was a definite winner in regards to taste, but looks pitifully small when presented all alone on its little plate.  The meat was good, though a bit under-seasoned and not as tender as I had expected.  The herb sauce was a zinger: spicy and deep, aromatic and peppery, something like a thicker, darker pesto made from what tasted like basil, oregano, thyme, and black and red peppers.

I switched to the Sudwerk Hefeweizen and cleared my palate with the clean yeasty brew.  It was a delightfully light and dry Bavarian style hefeweizen, served with a lemon, and only cost $3. I hoped the Hefeweisen would pair well with the fruit chutney served with brie and walnuts, but the chutney was a little off.  It looked like chopped apple and/or pear pickled with what appeared to be mustard seeds, but was far too bitter and vinegary to enjoy.  It may have been a bad batch, but was definitely a stinker.

The other dishes were equally good, though less novel or remarkable in my opinion.  There was an eclectic plate of mixed, unpitted olives in all sizes; smokey almonds which were not as spicy as advertised; a tender, buttery grilled half artichoke served with chipotle aioli that definitely packed some heat; and a simple, fresh chopped side salad of red and green cabbage topped with crumbled brie and dressed in oil and vinegar. 

The waitress also brought us a sample of the newest vegetarian appetizer, cauliflower fritters, that had thin crispy fried outsides and were surprisingly smooth and creamy inside.  They were served with a red dipping sauce made from harissa, a spicy, North African paprika.

Lucca has everything I could ask for in a happy hour:  Good food and beer, classy decor, and prices that will satisfy the tightest of penny pinchers.  The atmosphere was relaxed, free and breezy, but still made me feel important and cultured.  I give it a nine out of ten, and will definitely be back for more.