Submitted by Gerry Clare
Roving Reporter
Photos courtesy of Tom Clare
April 1, 2016 11:05 a.m.
Luca Misciasci brought Ciao’s Bistro to Yulee and subsequently moved it to Centre Street where it has been very busy and well-received. However in March, he and his wife opened Luca’s Restaurant and Bar at Centre and South 7th Street. Since I and hubbie were on a cruise and busy eating, we did not get to sample the fare until this week. We were duly impressed by the open, modern décor and two bars.
The raw bar up front was busy turning out oysters, clams, mussels, crab, and lobster. The bar manager, John Cavallaro, was busy checking out the large bar in the rear and the place was hopping.
We sampled appetizers, half a chilled lobster (for $19/$28 whole) and Prosciutto de Parma and Sopressata, had Caesar salad, and dug into crispy duck and gnocchi for entrees. This came after wonderful crisp Italian bread and a small jar of pitted olives to keep us busy.
A wonderful array of desserts followed the entrée. It was hard to pick a favorite. Chocolate crème brulee was definitely mine, though. There was also a fine selection of wines by the glass and bottles to complement dinner. We felt that chefs Robert and Gregg had the most beautiful presentations as the foods marched by our table, followed by oooh’s and ahhhhs. Positive comments from other diners abounded.
We also felt that the prices were very reasonable for the quality of the food. Certainly Luca has created an exciting new taste sensation and should be very well accepted by foodies like us.
Bob’s Steak and Chop House is located at the Shoppes of Omni Amelia Island Plantation in the same space, where PLAE was for many years. It originated in Texas and definitely contains Texas-sized portions. Many other Omni’s are incorporating Bob’s at their properties. The inside décor is more open and brighter than PLAE, but the bar is still in the same location.
We were immediately greeted by a huge Angus Bull (portrait) to set the stage for Bob’s motto, “Prime Steak and Stiff Drinks.” Appetizers were impressive. The calamari was sweet and crisp, the chilled and fried shrimp were huge and tasty, and the bruschetta was excellent. A large loaf of country bread was excellent and accompanied a large jar of peppers and pickles, a standard at all Bob’s restaurants. My hubby and photographer had Caesar salad and I had the Wedge Salad with blue cheese. Both were good and plentiful. But steak was the star of the show. My filet was large and perfectly medium rare. Tom’s strip steak was medium and also excellent. Both were accompanied by smashed potatoes and their signature roasted carrot. Once again, I picked a chocolate dessert (cake), which was rich and delicious. There were other choices, of course, for the non-steak diner, such as salmon, duck, and pork chops.
The executive chef, Ryan Robinson, who had worked at 95 Cordova, Compass Restaurants and Brett’s and David’s in Fernandina Beach certainly knows how to cook steaks. Patrick Todd, Ryan and Wesley Cox, General Manager, pictured in front of the bull, showed us the rear outside deck, with lights, firepits and fireplaces. We never knew it was there. They hope to use this asset with a fabulous view, which holds up to 70 in the near future for special occasions.
As you know, quite a few restaurants have closed, but new ones keep opening and we hope to cover more restaurants next week, as soon as we lose a little weight.
Editor’s Note: Gerry began free lance writing for fun and is the author of a published book (available on Amazon and at Books Plus) about funny real estate experiences. Gerry is a longtime member of our local American Business Women’s Chapter, a volunteer cancer driver and church deacon who loves to read, travel and meet interesting people.