"LUCIO" - Culpeper, VA

LUCIO
702 S. Main Street
Culpeper, VA 22701
540-829-9788

We arrived at this lovely dove-grey turn-of-the-century-house-turned-restaurant last summer in time for our 8 p.m. reservation & were seated immediately. Although the ambience is definitely upscale, the dress was “nice casual”, just as I was told when I made the reservation. Everything from sundresses to “dress” shorts (as in nice khaki-type shorts – not jean cutoffs & rubber flip-flops) were in evidence, & everyone looked relaxed & very happy. I wore nice jeans with a black tee shirt & pearls, & fit right in. I can’t tell you how nice it is to be able to enjoy wonderful food without having to dress up like you’re going to a ball – especially in the heat of summer.

Our server introduced herself, offered to recite the day’s specials (which we’d already viewed on the boards in the foyer), & immediately brought husband & I our seltzers ($2 each), & me my Tanqueray & Tonic ($6). Also brought immediately was a basket of what looked like warm foccacia, cut into sticks, & served with an herb & garlic-scented dish of olive oil for dipping. Everything was fine at this point except for the unusual fact that while I was expecting a nice tall cool G&T, my drink arrived in a short, stubby old-fashioned glass (???). I mean, they didn’t cheat me on the Tanqueray, it’s just that when one orders a gin & tonic, one is expecting a tall drink rather than a martini-size one.

I started off with the “Antipasto Caldomisto Con Frutti Di Mare”, described as “Assorted Hot Antipasto with Shrimp, Stuffed Mushrooms, and Oysters Casino”. It was, in a word, fabulous. Two huge fresh oysters on the half shell with just a sprinkling of breadcrumbs & some fresh bacon strips, 2 large broiled shrimp, & 2 mushrooms stuffed with, of all things, lobster (although I thought it was crabmeat until the waitress mentioned the lobster stuffing later – lol!!). Price $9 & worth every penny. It was all I could do not to lick the plate – lol!! Husband had one of the soups of the day, “She-Crab Bisque” ($5), which was so thick with lump crabmeat that it was almost a stew. Garnished with dark-bread croutons, husband said it was the best crab soup he’d ever had.

Moving on to the entrees, husband had the “Shrimp & Scallops Marinara”, described on the menu perfectly as a “Combination of Jumbo Shrimp and Sea Scallops sautéed in a White Wine Garlic Marinara sauce. Served over a bed of Homemade Angel Hair pasta.” Once again, husband swooned over it. Both shrimp & scallops were extra-large. (Price $20.) I ordered one of the specials – “Tournedos of Beef Au Poivre With Crab Cake” ($27 & worth every penny). This was an unbelievably good twist on the usually sad & tired “Surf & Turf”. A large fork-tender filet, thoroughly coated with fresh cracked black peppercorns & topped with a large mushroom cap, served on a bed of deep brown wine sauce. The accompanying crabcake was between 4”-5” across, 2” thick, & was PURE lump crabmeat. Absolutely no fillers. I had a side of the homemade Angel Hair pasta instead of a vegetable, which may sound unorthodox, but I was in a pasta sort of mood – lol!! The portions of both were so large that both of us had leftovers boxed up to enjoy for lunch the following day.

A nice touch as far as the take-home leftovers were concerned? The Styrofoam boxes we were given were marked with the date, as well as the name of the entrees we were putting into them. A small but really nice touch that I’ve never come across before. Another nice touch? The fact that the different dishes are all served on different shapes, colors, & sizes of ceramic serving pieces. My beef/crabcake & pasta side came on lovely sage-green square ceramic plates, while husband’s seafood pasta came in a huge orange-red-rimmed artisinal-looking ceramic bowl. Dishes at other tables were being served on other eclectic pieces of pottery. What a wonderful idea!

Since it was our wedding anniversary we were celebrating, we decided to have dessert, which we don’t often do. Husband had the Key Lime Pie ($6), which came garnished with fresh blackberries, parsley (???) & a free-form stained-glass looking piece of caramelized sugar. I had the Crème Brulee ($6), which also came garnished with fresh blackberries & parsley(???). Husband found his Key Lime Pie more like a Key Lime cheesecake than the Key Lime Pie we’re normally used to, but still said it was delicious. My Crème Brulee could have used a bit more vanilla in the custard, but was still delicious nonetheless.

Service was attentive without being intrusive, & they actually had someone at the door when you left so you didn’t have to joggle stuff like purses & “doggie bags” along with doorknobs. Another nice touch.

Bill before tax & tip came to $83.00 - & boy it was worth every single penny. We already can’t wait to go back. Supposedly the owner used to be a chef at the White House, but regardless of where he came from, his expertise & attention to detail shows.

I’d say the only 2 extremely minor points were the weird short glass for the gin & tonic, & the parsley garnishes on the desserts. Perhaps some other more dessert-worthy herb would be nicer (Lemon Verbena? Lemon Thyme? Lemon Balm?).

I highly recommend this restaurant. While we’ve always been big fans & customers of “It’s About Thyme” (also in Culpeper & reviewed here), we now have a hard time choosing between them & "Lucio" for a fine-dining experience.
 
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