Takeout has become a popular alternative for eating out these days, and although safely spaced indoor and patio dining are popular at Sam & Luca Rustic Kitchen, their takeout business is booming.
And no wonder — the food is spectacular and every Tuesday all takeout menu items are discounted 20 percent. Curbside pickup is also available.
We decided to try the celebrated Takeout Tuesday, and having not yet experienced the restaurant, we were glad we did.
When we arrived around 4 p.m., there was already brisk takeout activity going on. It was really hard to choose from all the tempting offerings like Chicken Marsala, Shrimp Scampi, as well as a variety of pasta dishes, so we decided on four popular entrees and two desserts. We just had to have that Tiramisu!
Arriving home, the entrees were still perfect dining temperature, so we dug in. First tried was the Grilled Shrimp Risotto. Perfectly grilled butterflied shrimp with a light garlic butter sauce sat atop creamy risotto mixed with corn, sautéed bits of Roma tomatoes and artichoke, and topped with a variety of fresh snipped herbs and lemon zest. It was delicious.
Next, we went for the Spinach Ravioli. Tender, good-sized pasta puffs generously filled with cheeses and chopped spinach floated in a yummy white cream sauce.
Eggplant Parmesan is always my favorite go-to at Italian-style restaurants and I can honestly say Sam & Luca’s version is the best I’ve ever tasted. Melt in your mouth layers of eggplant and mozzarella and parmesan cheeses were surrounded by the most delicious hand-breaded crust of bread crumbs, herbs and parmesan. An amazingly flavorful marinara sauce laced with garlic and olive oil was more than enough to share with the side of capellini.
Sam & Luca’s Chef Rosalio Tarin has more than 30 years’ experience in Italian cuisine, creating at Tomaso’s in Phoenix and Tommy V’s in Scottsdale. He prides himself on every entrée being made from scratch. He is also known in the business for his Bolognese Sauce and rightly so.
To try it out, we ordered the Lasagna. It was a lot like my Italian Nana used to make with tender layers of pasta topped with ricotta and mozzarella and maybe a pinch of nutmeg. Covering the entire dish was the famed Bolognese. The hearty tomato sauce loaded with ground beef, pork and veal, sautéed with minced garlic, carrot and onion, is so hearty and tasty you could almost eat it as a meal itself.
We had to wait awhile after all that before tackling the desserts, but they were both worth the wait. The Salted Caramel Cheesecake was a velvety mouthful of creamy cheesecake and graham cracker crust all smothered in a not-too-sweet salted caramel sauce.
And the Tiramisu? As good as any I’ve had. The rum and coffee-soaked cake was soft and moist, layered with creamy mascarpone custard and whipped cream and plated with a chocolate drizzle. A fantastic finale to a great dinner.
If you are looking for a great-tasting family takeout meal, Sam & Luca also has several combo dinners that can serve four to six. A choice of Pasta and Meatballs, Lasagna, or Chicken Parmesan all come with Caesar Salad and Fresh-Baked Bread.
Sam & Luca is small and quaint, with an open kitchen. Diners can watch their meal being prepared while sampling some of the four red and four white wines available on tap, and eight craft beers on draft. A large selection of wine is also available by the bottle. Their mixology includes a Limoncello Martini and an Italian Margherita with Amaretto. Enjoy Happy Hour specials from 3 to 6 p.m.
Lunch and dinner are served inside or on the patio. Owner Sam Arikat invites you to come out and enjoy their establishment. “We also do catering,” he said.
Sam & Luca Rustic Kitchen is located at 1959 S. Power Road in Mesa. Check out their menus at samandlucaaz.com. Hours are: Tuesday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Saturday, 3 to 10 p.m. For information or reservations, call (480) 659-6716.