That’s amore
Francesca’s Cucina
Location: 545 N. Salina St.
Price: Entrées from $13 to $28
Rate: 3 of 4 peppers
Walking into Francesca’s Cucina in downtown Syracuse is like walking into a restaurant set in a movie. With the dim lighting, crisp, off-white tablecloths, exposed brick walls and more bottles of vino than people, this 6-year-old treasure in Little Italy is the kind of place Billy Joel was singing about in ‘Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.’
Unfortunately, this romantic thought bubble was quickly burst. Despite making reservations at Francesca’s for 8:30 p.m. and arriving promptly at 8:29 p.m. on Saturday, the host informed me that my table would be ready in 10 or 15 minutes. With no seats available at the crowded bar, my date and I stood outside the entrance to the dining room for 10 minutes. Then 20. Then 30 minutes. My date was hungry. I was wearing 4-inch heels. We were miserable.
Finally, after 35 grueling minutes, a smiling waiter approached us, apologized for the wait and led us to our table. It was a cozy, candlelit setup with a handwritten list of delicious-sounding specials and a selection of reasonably priced wines. If it weren’t for my aching feet, the wait for a table would have been a distant memory.
Luckily, the appetizer special not only helped dull the pain but also made the 35-minute wait seem almost worth it. The creamy corn risotto soup du jour was loaded with big, tender chunks of Maine lobster, crawfish and baby shrimp. A sprinkling of fresh chives added just enough flavor, allowing the seafood to really shine. Any more would have been overpowering.
For dinner, the lobster ravioli was fantastic. Served with a luscious pink vodka sauce and sprinkled with a generous helping of Parmesan cheese, the huge ravioli – seriously, each was about the size of a small bagel – were generously stuffed with lobster meat. While delectable, the dish was so rich that only a few scrumptious bites were manageable. I could almost hear my waistline thank me the instant I put down my fork.
My date’s entrée was another special: the Surf n’ Turf, a 14-ounce strip steak with scallops in a forest mushroom Chianti sauce. The steak, which was ordered medium, came out a touch overdone, but the buttery mushroom sauce was the perfect complement to both the steak and the tender, perfectly seared scallops. The sides of mashed red potatoes and sautéed zucchini, carrots and yellow squash, looked lovely on the plate, but when paired with the already salty mushroom sauce, the resulting flavor bordered on a salinity overload.
For dessert, a rich, flourless chocolate cake was the perfect finishing touch. Served with whipped cream and a colorful trio of sauces (raspberry, caramel and chocolate), the chocolate chip-coated confection is worth saving room for. This is a task that may prove difficult considering Francesca’s penchant for huge portions.
Though my romantic evening at Francesca’s didn’t exactly get off on the right foot (or stiletto-wearing feet, to be exact), the affable waiter, the warm atmosphere and the chef’s kicked-up take on classic Italian fare made for a romantic evening that would do Hollywood proud. Now, that’s amore.
Published on February 1, 2010 at 12:00 pm
