Ca’Lucchenzo opened its doors at 6030 W. North Ave. for the first time on May 15, 2019, just nine months before the dining world was turned on end by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Just over two years later, the Wauwatosa restaurant is preparing to re-open for patio dining after one of the roughest 14 months in Milwaukee dining history. In fact, the restaurant will officially welcome its first guests for patio dining on Friday, June 4.
Guests who choose to dine at Ca’Lucchenzo will be treated to al fresco seating on their newly refreshed patio, which boasts new fencing, fresh paint, potted plants and a border of fresh, fragrant herbs which will be harvested for use in the restaurant’s kitchen.
They will also be treated to a fresh spring menu featuring seasonal antipasto like insalata di carciofi e fagioli (a salad of artichoke hearts, baby butter beans and arugula-pistachio pesto), fresh new pasta selections and delectable entrees like griddled wild alaskan halibut served with spring vegetables and baby yellow potatoes.
“Our team will be wearing masks for at least the first week or so while we continue to determine what the best, safest path forward is for our team and our community,” says co-owner Sarah Baker, noting that guests are not required to wear masks while seated on the patio; but they are requested to wear masks upon arrival and when entering the building to use restrooms.
Baker says that, if all goes well, the main dining room and pasta counter at Ca’Lucchenzo is expected to open sometime in July with a new HVAC system and comfortable new seating at the bar.
For now, Ca’Luchenzo will offer patio dining Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. Reservations can be made online.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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