A special advertising feature of the Alexandria Times

In Italy, the local neighbor­hood restaurants are often the most popular with their small dining rooms and exquisitely pre­pared food, and that feeling has been brought over to Alexandria by A la Lucia. Located on 315 Madison St., it is a special sort of local establishment that spe­cializes in homemade tradition­al Italian food and wine, and has been a neighborhood fixture for many years.

Fall is a wonderful season to call in at A la Lucia, as pumpkin and butternut squash are both in­tegral ingredients in several of the restaurant’s specials. The but­ternut squash soup is particularly fabulous. This autumnal looking, deep orange soup is packed with flavor and elegantly presented. Similarly, the butternut squash ravioli is phenomenal and comes with sage butter and an amaret­to cookie. The light sauce of the butternut squash complements the pasta and is rich yet not over­powering. Still have room for dessert? The pumpkin and ricotta cheesecake is impressive for its balance of flavors.

On the regular menu, there are many selections that simply should not be missed. For a starter, the fried calamari antipasto is light, while the salami with goat cheese and olives antipasto is particularly flavorful. The soups are excellent too, especially the prosciutto base bean and the minestrone. Some of the most outstanding entrees in­clude the fussili with spicy toma­to sauce and sautéed eggplant, the penne alla puttanesca and the grilled salmon served with fresh tomatoes, pine nuts, and basil.

Tuesday nights are especially popular at A la Lucia, as the “Tues­day Night Steak Night” menu is on offer and filled with tempting op­tions. The prime cuts of meat are from Roseda Farms, and the three course dinner special includes a choice of appetizers, a steak en­tree and dessert for $40 per per­son. In addition, each day the res­taurant continues to offer their $30 and $35 three course menus.

A la Lucia may feel a bit off the beaten track in north Old Town, but is a great place to vis­it for the superb food, wine and an atmosphere that feels authen­tically Italian.

A la Lucia is open for lunch during the week from 11:30a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner hours are 5 to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 703-836-5123 or visit www. alalucia.com. 

A special advertising feature of the Alexandria Times