SANTA LUCIA PIZZA
Neighbourhood: Norwood
Address: 4 St Mary’s Road
Phone: 204-237-4134
Entrees: $17 – $47
For a traditional trattoria operating in a food world touting hot new upstarts, maintaining an alluring image can be tricky. Yet, fifty years after opening its first Winnipeg shop, Santa Lucia proves it’s possible to run an old school family-style restaurant for generations, using recipes for timeless classics.
While great pizza can be credited for its success, the heady and comforting smell of garlic, herbs, and olive oil wafting out of the Norwood kitchen tip to another fact; this place has more to offer. The expansive menu reveals the Greek heritage of a family-owned business. The charming space straddles traditional and modern takes of Greek and Italian fare with equal moxie. Wall covering murals depicting Venice and tiny flags of Italy dotting the menu cue to lasagne, manicotti and eggplant parmigiana co-mingling with souvlaki, gyros, Greek salad and burgers. Choose from either Mediterranean persuasion and scratch made dishes emerge fresh and piping hot.
For a casual small bite, opt for a mezze platter. A trio of hummus, tzatziki and piquant feta dips accompanied with veggies and grilled pita bread bursts with flavour. Beautifully arranged greens garnished with kalamatas and crumbled feta display tiny details akin to modern pacesetters.
Dinners run the gamut too. Juicy herb seasoned chicken and shrimp souvlaki skewers taste like summer. If sweet is more desired than the classic lemon garlic duo, choose the fillet of Atlantic salmon, kissed with maple syrup. A generous flaky piece of fish perched atop a stack of glistening veggies and zesty lemon potatoes, appeals to health devotees.
Italian dishes are equally impressive. Spinach and ricotta stuffed manicotti, coated in sweet marinara and gooey, melted mozzarella rival the pizza. Chicken parmigiana, another cheese covered classic, produces a crisply coated chicken breast with a tender and succulent interior.
The eye-catching Tuscan style exterior and polished interior places Santa Lucia in nostalgic middle ground between a bustling pizzeria and refined café. Portions are generous, prices are affordable and hospitality is genuine. It’s a formula as endearing as it is enduring.