When I bought the Sunday Times today and was practicing my customary flip-through spot check to make sure that all sections were intact, the cover of the travel section suddenly looked very familiar — hey! I’ve been there! Apparently, I’m not the only one who’s onto the charms of Lucca, Italy. In today’s paper, food writer and minimalist Mark Bittman explores why Lucchese cuisine is richer and more deliciously complex than that of surrounding Tuscany. Bittman even dined at Trattoria Da Leo, where I also spent my first evening in Lucca, savoring rustic Chianti and tortelli e brodo and listening to Italian women at the next table profess their love for the most beautiful bambino the Lord ever created.; The food in Lucca is certainly rich, and wonderfully satisying in a simple, straightforward way. As for the town itself, from the quiet shuttered houses to the ornately carved churches, Lucca is quite simply, lovely.
