Luce
Italian restaurant · Buckman
2140 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
Highlights
Housemade pastas, seasonal entrees, antipasti, and wine
Housemade pastas, seasonal entrees, antipasti, and wine
"The black-and-white tiled floor and racks of olive oil, canned tomatoes, and wine give Luce’s intimate space the feeling of a small shop in an Italian village. The illusion is made complete with Luce’s selection of fresh pasta dishes — pappardelle paired with rabbit, rigatoni with cream and red pepper, or cavatelli with earthy pine nuts and arugula. Beyond the pasta, Luce’s antipasti are often worth an order, a range of flavorful marinated vegetables and crostini. The pro move is to go with a few friends and split every pasta on the menu, plus a few larger dishes, and a bottle or two of rustic Italian wine. But the low lighting and charming atmosphere also make it a lovely date-night spot." - Eater Staff
"An Italian restaurant favored by Liz Serrone for its ambiance and offerings." - Thom Hilton
"Part-market, part-Italian restaurant, meals at this cozy Burnside spot are highly customizable by ordering dishes from each of the menu’s sections, starting with $2 antipasti and moving on to salads, pastas, protein specials, and sides. All pasta dishes are available by the half order, making it easy for solo diners and groups alike to try corzetti with walnut ricotta pesto, fettuccine with wild mushrooms, and cavatelli with arugula and pine nuts. Luce’s garlic chile spaghetti is a perennial favorite, available with sweet clams in the shell." - Janey Wong
"The shelves of this candlelit Burnside restaurant support bottles of fine olive oil and canned tomatoes, the foundations of the pasta dishes that emerge from its kitchen. Meals start with antipasti, in particular an array of surprisingly spiced marinated vegetables and pickles — mushrooms are juicy with a hint of cinnamon in the brine, for instance. Octopus is meaty and savory with lovely char, with olives providing an oceanic echo. From there, a parade of pastas show range: Fettuccine arrives coated in a thick, dreamy lemon cream, almost a Bizarro World alfredo, while perfectly al dente radiatori collect bits of saffron-scented lamb among their folds. If available, visitors should not miss the restaurant’s cabbage, charred within an inch of its life with a custardy center." - Eater Staff
"Luce offers a timeless, European feel with beautifully stocked shelves and black-and-white checkered floors. Most dishes are available as half-orders and prices mainly stay in the teens and 20s." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
