Having lived in Italy, I'm picky when it comes to Italian restaurants, but since a friend from Milan had recommended Lucca, I was confident I'd enjoy the food. And the food was fine. Nothing special, in fact, I prefer Dave's Fresh Pasta takeout in Davis Square. My boyfriend and I ordered 3 appetizers (oysters, salad and mushroom lasagne) and 2 glasses of wine. I might have inferred that our relatively small bill inspired the server's brusque and inattentive behavior, if I didn't hear her act the same way with the neighboring tables. And we would have ordered capuccino and dessert, but it was so hard to get the server's attention that we gave up and went to Modern Pastry across the street. We had intended to enjoy a romantic dinner before a show (hilarious comedy at Improv Asylum), but we treated like customers at a truckstop diner. The only thing I can say in Lucca's favor is that they have a dinner deal with Improv Asylum if you order through the theater, and for those who get better luck with service (and are hungrier than we were - it's about $45pp) I'm sure it's a good value.
Pros: Decent Italian food, right next to Improv Asylum and Modern Pastry
Cons: Rude and inattentive service, getting to the North End is a pain
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