The salad and pasta were delicious. As was my martini. And my boyfriend and I shared both the salad and the pasta of the day. The salad took 25 minutes to arrive. And the pasta took an additional 30. And even after all that time it took to make salad and pasta, they couldn't take the time to plate them separately. So for both, I sat at the table and dished half onto an empty plate (that they were "gracious" enough to supply). The salad was $9. The pasta was $17. And great and worth it. But maybe they shouldn't be "high end" for Porter County and maybe try to be more "high end" in the "service industry" (that I am also in) and provide better service to their customers.
Review Source:Ate outside on a Sunday afternoon. The outdoor patio seating is nice, but the server station should be kept cleaner since its in plain sight. I had the penne primevera since it appeared to be vegan. It would have been better if it weren't drenched in oil. The menu is pretty large, but there were hardly any vegan dishes. Some of the ingredients from the other dishes at my table appeared to be frozen.
Review Source:A quaint little outdoor patio place with a small indoor bar, this place has a long list of daily specials, most of it really refined dishes. We tried the stuffed quail, a couple kinds of pasta dishes, and a pannini. All of it was great. They also serve great olive oil. The really rich, olivey stuff. The service was very good, too - very formal but friendly.
Review Source:Sat in the lovely outdoor garden, canopied by trees, on a mild early summer evening. Not feeling ravenous, I ordered the calamari salad and a white pizza. Both were excellent.
The salad had nice portion of small, tender squid rings along with celery, tomato wedges, slivers of very mild onion, some shredded lettuce, and a light, mild dressing. It needed a little more olive oil (which was at hand), a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkle of salt to bring up the flavor, but was nicely made -- not necessarily a bargain at $11, but the sort of homemade seafood salad you don't typically see outside of serious big city Italian restaurants (and usually not even there). Â
The white pizza (listed as an appetizer but substantial enough to be a meal for one) had a nice crust, not ultra thin but crisp, not doughy, with a nice chew and flavor. It was topped with mozzarella (I asked for extra), olive oil and garlic, sliced Roma tomatoes, and some spinach. Well executed and delicious.
They have a nice selection of wines by the glass. Had a very good vermentino and frascati.
Sadly, the bread is nothing at all special and on the dry side. The "complimentary" olive oil (they would charge for it?) is full-bodied and has an interesting sort of spicy kick.
I finished with a large wedge of cake consisting of white chocolate mousse encased in a thin layer of chocolate sponge cake. I doubt it was house- or locally made -- it just looked and tasted too much like something produced in a commercial bakery -- but it was good quality, the mousse light and not excessively rich or sugary.
Service was attentive and professional. My main server was rushed and very impersonal, making me feel a bit like I was in a diner. Â But her pacing and attention were fine, and she was assisted by two guys who provided pepper and cheese, poured water, and generally hovered. So no serious complaints.
Lucrezia in Chesterton IN was awesome...Northern Italian cuisine...they have a place in Crown Point too...lots of specials on the menu....quaint and intimate but not pretentious....
I had the pasta with chicken in an alfredo sauce with portabello mushrooms and it was very tasty. Â The sauce itself was not heavy ..I secretly wanted to lick the plate but refrained. Â The bread was rather tough and I prefer parmesan with the olive oil. Â Service was attentive. Â Small little place but I find that to be charming. Â The outdoor patio area looked nice and would enjoy returning on a summer night to sip some Chianti or maybe one of their martini specials. Â Dress was casual.
September 04, 2011
Ok, When I go out to a fine dining Italian restaurant I expect fine dining Italian. What I got was a mix of great food and food that should not even enter the door!
Don't get me wrong, the service was exceptional, 5 stars! We were handled by three people and taken care of with what one would expect from a restaurant of this quality. I started out with the mussels in a white wine and garlic sauce; were they stunning? No, they could have spent a little less time under the heat lamp. The top layer mussels were a bit dried out but nothing a dip in the sauce couldn't cure, consistency would have been better though.
I then ordered the portabella ravioli with shrimp and a vodka cream sauce. What I got was a surprise. Really!?!?! FROZEN RAVIOLI!?!? It was apparent right from the first bite; I was stunned! The vodka sauce was exceptional! The shrimps were also good. The shallots in the sauce albeit a bit big added a nice sweetness. But to put that deliciousness on FROZEN PROCESSED RAVIOLI? That is a crime, a travesty even. The ravioli was mushy at best and calling it portabella is just wrong, there was no texture at all! The filling was a processed mash that may or may not have been portabella.
After three bites I stopped eating it. I just could not go any farther with the dish. A contradiction on a plate this was. How could the head chef take the time to make what he does in regards to other dishes and employ a frozen ravioli dish!?! And for $17?!?! I was robbed!
I asked one of our wonderful servers if the ravioli was made on the premises. She inquired and came back with a no. I knew this, just wanted the confirmation. So later when our wonderful waiter came by I asked him if anyone spoke to him about why I didn't eat my dinner. He said no! I was again, stunned! Why would no one mention to him that I didn't eat?
So I spoke with him about the issue and made sure that he knew I was not upset at him. He said that they, and I quote, "make frozen ravioli to make sure it's fresh"!?!?! I KNOW! Fresh and frozen in the same breath? Really?!?!
Look the fact of the matter is your as good as your last dish. I have made fresh ravioli in restaurants and yes you have to make it daily, and it's not that hard! Look guys, you have a great gig at Lucrezia Cafe, take the time and make your own! With the prices you charge you should be!
After many years of living in Italy, I am a definite snob about Italian food. Lucrezia's has been the ONLY authentic Italian restaurant I've found since leaving there. The veal marsala was excellent and the zuccotta was phenomenal! Â The complimentary bread with olive oil was a nice start to their meal.
Review Source:Love this place. Â I'm a Chicago local but have family in Chesterton, so whenever I'm in town we come to Lucrezia. Â I really like the veal meatballs with whole wheat penne, my cousin always gets the mussels with marinara. Â There's even something to say about their bread and olive oil they serve complimentary... Â That oil is SO rich and full of flavor. Â (I think they sell it to-go but I forget to check every time I'm there)
Drinks are always fantasticccc, haven't had a bad experience. Â Very cute little place, great service.
2 dines in and I'm vascilating between "A-ok" 3 stars & "Yay! I'm a fan!" 4 stars b/c there is no 3.5 option so I'm rounding up b/c it's Chesterton, IN. What I like about Lucrezia is the ambience (cute as a button!) Â the vast menu selection (more specials than regular options!) Â and the staff/service......the food in my opinion is their achilles heel and has been good not great thus far but I'm willing to keep going back b/c of a lack of local options in the area. I've found that when I order a salad and an entree I've loved one but not the other and vice versa but I'm going to keep returning anyway. Â The prices and above mentioned kudos make it worth it. Cute summertime patio too, a good date place.
Review Source:I'm really torn on this review. Â In some cases Lucrezia's is a 5, but in others it was a 2. Â It's entirely possible, too, that I had this place so built up in my head that I was a little disappointed. Â
The choices looked amazing. Â I was actually really pleased with the meal I chose. Â I got portobella ravioli with spinach and shrimp in a vodka cream sauce. Â super yummy. Â My boyfriend got a veal lasagna type dish. Â I thought it was okay. Â I wasn't super impressed with the bread and olive oil. Â I didn't like our bruschetta. Â It was soaking with olive oil almost to the point of it being disgusting, and the cheese on top seemed...old? Â I don't know, it just didn't seem fresh to me. Â
Honestly, if I was just reviewing the food I would probably give 4 stars. Â
However, I was not impressed with our service. Â The woman was pushy. Â When we got there we were the only people in the entire restaurant and she was acting like she just wanted to get turnover. Â She did not ask us if we wanted appetizers (which we did, but forgot we did because she was pushing us to get our order in), then took away our drink menus as soon as we said we would start with water. Â When we remembered we wanted the bruschetta, we asked for it, but it was too late at that point because our food came out almost as soon as we asked. Â oh well. Â
Here's another pet peeve of mine- I wasn't even done chewing my last bite of food and she took my plate and the bread away. Â Again, I understand being efficient and wanting good turnover, but we were the only ones there! Â She did the same to my boyfriend. Â
The ambience was great- cute little place, cozy. Â I was a little annoyed that all the pictures on the wall were crooked, though. Â All in all, I think I will give other places a chance before jumping to come back.
This place is an old standby and well loved among my friends and family. They have some amazing daily specials and a solid menu of Italian fare. I took my mom here for her Mother's day dinner. We both started with one of their martinis. I actually usually order wine when I'm here because they have a fantastic wine selection. However, I was curious to see what their cocktails were like. I had something called a Journalist that was made with gin, Cointreau, and vermouth. It was a decent cocktail but I did not like that it came with pieces of ice from when it was mixed.
For starters we had their roasted garlic to spread on our bread and the special of soft shell crab. My mom was apprehensive about the garlic, but fell in love with it as soon as she tried it. You really haven't lived until you've spread roasted garlic on your bread. Clearly, I don't recommend for date night. My mom and I both ordered off the specials menu and her prime rib with a paprika pesto sauce was excellent and perfectly cooked. I overcame a little bit of guilt and had this amazing veal with prosciutto in a lemon sauce. My meal paired very well with the glass of Saviougon Blanc I ordered. I only order veal once every few years and this was well worth my 'veal tickets'. It was light, tender and the sauce added a nice creamy citrus twist. We finished with a dessert of lemon tiramisu and then I introduced my mom to lemoncello - which she loved. Better make sure she doesn't pull a Danny De Vito at our next family function.
Very enjoyable meal and nice atmosphere. Â I love that it is owned by Chesterton residents and not some big restaurant company. Â My pasta was fantastic and so far the best restaurant bloody mary (pre lunch drink) for only $5. Â I lived in Chicago for 18 years and since moving here have missed the restaurant choices but so far Valpo and Chesterton seem to have some really fantastic restaurants. Â Now if only someone would open a real Japanese restaurant.
Review Source:This is a really good restaurant with a quaint interior. If the weather is good, the outside patio is a real treat. Every dish you order is going to be tasty and Lucrezias is a surprisingly good choice for carry out. I've eaten their carry out on multiple occasions and it is identical to eating inside (always hot and with sides too). My only concern for this restaurant is it is a little pricey, but that is generally true for good Italian.
Review Source:I had to go to Chesterton for lunch.
I'm glad we chose this place.
It's a very adorable little house housing a restaurant which is city-worthy.
The endless bread and butter is cool, but also is bad because you end up eating your appetite up.
My pasta, which was a special, was fanflippingtastic.
It had cherry tomatoes, artichokes and rock shrimp and was served In a lemongrass Rosemary cream sauce. Yum.
The minestrone was one of the best I've ever had.
I Cant think of anything negative to say about lucrezia.
Bravissimo.
Yum! Yum! Yum! Â We went to Lucrezia's for my husbands birthday. Â We recently moved to the area, so we wanted to check it out. Â It was amazing! Â We had great martini's to start in the bar area. Â It is a small restaurant, but it only took us 15 minutes to get a table. Â We started with Cream of Spinach Soup w/Red Pepper Cream - it was AMAZING! Â I had eggplant rolled with proscuitto and mozzerella, I loved it. Â I'm a big fan of all eggplant, so this made me happy. Â My husband got Lamb Shank, it was so tender and savory. Â It was served with red cabbage that complimented the dish so well. Â I'm still craving it today. Â We will be back!
Review Source:Lucrezia in Chesterton has super yummy food, fantastic desserts and martinis. Â Sometimes the vegetable sides are a little oily, but that's about my only complaint. Â The patio is awesome in summertime, and the almost all of the staff are spectacular. Â It is a little expensive for Chesterton, but definitely cheaper than you'd pay for the same experience in Chicago.
Review Source:I'm very ambivalent about Lucrezia.  First, I have been going to their flagship restaurant in Calumet  City, Illinois for over 20 years and so, I was excited when they brought one to Indiana.  I have been a great fan for many years..............until my last visit.
Picture this - my husband and I are off this day and we are the first ones in the dining room to eat dinner.  I love their salads and I always order one.  So, I see they have a special on today - a fish I've never heard of but could be interesting.  I order  the special and immediately, the waiter comes out to  the chalkboard and ERASES the special of the day.  Hmmmmm, did they just have 1?  And it was horrible.  Absolutely horrible.  That being said, the service is excellent.  The rest of the food appears to be excellent, but I won't go back because of the preparation and the fact that I think they pawned something old off on me that they wanted to get rid of.  If you go, maybe avoid the specials.  Their pastas are very good.  But I can see, they've cut back from what they used to be.  It's a little sad and I will shed a tear for them, but I will go the one in Calumet City if I want to eat there again.
Visited Lucrezia's last night on a whim (hubby didn't want what the kids were having). Â I would have liked to give 3.5 stars and am giving them the benefit of the doubt with 4. Â The cons: olive oil not served with bread, paper napkins, laminated menu, outdoor seating area is looking shabby and not in a chic way. Â Overall, food was very good. Â Service was EXCELLENT. Â They were shockingly busy for a Tuesday evening (at 7) but no wait. Â Check was $92 and included an appetizer, 2 desserts and 4 adult bevs (beer/wine). Â We ate big but still -- for $90+ they need to spruce things up. Â We'll still give them another chance though, I'm sure.
Review Source:This is a quaint little gem! Â
I stumbled upon this uniquely painted establishment this past week while visiting Chesterton. Â I was pleasantly surprised! Â It was good...very good. Â
The service was top notch. Â The wait staff was so attentive that they noticed what I needed even before I did! Â
The outdoor patio is lovely. Â Lots of shade, and folliage...the perfect atmosphere for dining alfresco.
The food was very good. Â The meatballs were tender veal and the sauce had a kick...just the way I like it. Â
Overall, I would highly recommend Lucrezia's. Â I plan to go back as often as possible!
Lucrezia's is a gem hidden out in a small town. Everything I've ordered there has been fabulous, especially the veal Marsala, seasonal veggie sides, and seasonal desserts (last time: strawberries stuffed with chocolate mascarpone). My dining partner can't get enough of the cavatappi with sausage or the special green tomato salad. Mid-casual, homey atmosphere, extremely attentive waitstaff. I never miss dinner here when I am in town.
Review Source:This place was on Check Please! and still no reviews? Â Wow. Â I'll happily fill you in. Â Located in the heart of downtown Chesterton, on Calumet Avenue - just down the block from not much anything - there's a distinctly painted small Victorian style home with an Italian restaurant inside. Â Not the kind of Italian place that hosts kids birthday parties or puts coupons in your weekly grocer's coupons - the kind where you don't tuck a napkin around your neckline like a bib. Â This is the kind of place where your waiters look like they just came back from prom - and the service is worth it's weight in parmesan. Â
I've been here twice; the first time about 4 years ago in the summer, the second just a month ago in the frigid winter. Â Both times I was impressed and tried to convince my whole family to go - but that damn Bartlett's (which don't get me wrong is good) opened and they are devout fans. Â
Here's what I like about this place... 1. The service - they need your business and aren't afraid to say so. Â Chesterton is not exactly the Las Vegas of the midwest despite its proximity to several casino boats. Â 2. The chalkboard specials. Â There are at least 2 of every kind of special listed and all of them are amazing. Â 2 pasta specials, 2 fish, 2 meat, etc. Â I had the pasta special this last visit - Spring pasta with asparagus, chicken, and spinach - very very good. Â The regular menu is good too - but I love specials. Â 3. The endless bread. Â Although the bread could use two improvements. Â It could be warmed and it could stop at dessert time - they seriously kept it coming and coming. Â We felt bad saying no of course so we kept eating.
The only things that could be wrong with Lucrezia's are the small spaces for dining indoors - although in the summer there is patio dining. Â In the winter it makes for close quarters and if someones drinks too much (maybe us) it could be annoying (to you), also we sat across from the room from someone who had the munchies - and we could smell why. Â I think you know what I mean.
Overall - worth the stop if you're in the area and want an amazing twist on traditional Italian dishes as well as simple Italian contemporary dishes. Â Lots of options, ample parking, good beer and wine choices, and prices are reasonable - you'd pay alot more in Chicago.
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