La Rucola is an odd establishment. On one hand, they use good quality ingredients. On the other hand, their seasonings are all off.
The rucola, the namesake of the restaurant, is strong and peppery, but not so strong that it becomes unpalatable to those unaccustomed to the flavors. I enjoyed the rucola salad with pear, romano, and honey. Normally I don't like pear but the pear here is sweet and juicy. Pear, honey, and cheese is a classic flavor combination that will sit well with anyone!
The other appetizer I ordered was not so good--actually, it was horrible. The veal was nice and tender but the sauce murdered it completely. Tuna and anchovy sauce? More like Thousand Island dressing with bits of tuna. 1:1 ratio of meat to salad dressing. Yuck.
I like their pasta, as in the noodles themselves. They are cooked al dente and have the springiness that makes good pasta. The sauces, not so much. I've tried several types of pasta and they all felt off. The mushroom pasta tastes delicious but is overly greasy. The ragu Bolognese is not actually Bolognese--it tastes very one-dimensional with only beef and tomatoes and no mirepoix. The porcini pasta is rather bland, but it is fun to watch the chefs make it with the flambe!
The pizza suffers from the oven not being hot enough. It's kinda soggy but the toppings are delicious! I ordered the Carnivore and the meats are much better than I expected.
The gelato is delicious: smooth, luscious, cold, and sweet. Not much I can say about that.
Overall, La Rucola uses great ingredients but doesn't know how to use them to their fullest potential. It's a shame, too, because I'm sure they can be so much more (even with their already great reputation right now).
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