by Line Stone

We had pizza to-go nearly every Friday night when our children were growing up. That translates to about 20 consecutive years of pizza eating. We would make the local rounds to fit our moods, thin crusts here this week, thick crusts there the next week. We were usually tired and in a rush to get home to relax, so we didn't often take the time to stop and dine in the restaurant with young children in tow; however, that might have been different if Cucina Antica had been around.

Cucina Antica has an extensive Mediterranean menu. Its pizza boasts a well-seasoned, thick, puffy, crust (Brenna, our server, declares she could eat this as a breadstick it's so flavorful), which is substantial enough to carry Cucina's wonderful array of traditional and signature toppings: from sausage and meatballs to lobster cream, arugula, and goat cheese. There is also a full menu of salads, entrees, daily specials, and co-owner Christie Wisell's specialty: pastries and dessert.

To start, let me note that early in the evening Cucina Antica's other owner, Will Wisell, stepped out of the kitchen to make the rounds greeting customers table-by-table and checking on their satisfaction. Although nice, this alone would not be terribly uncommon, but what was unusual was how warmly he was greeted. It looked as though the restaurant was filled with friends and regulars. One older woman hugged Will as she left; another customer stood up, clapped Will on the shoulder, and told a guffaw-worthy tale; children waved as they scooted around to the reading and coloring corner, and I overheard some women asking for recipe tips. I asked our server, Brenna, if everyone here were regulars, and she looked around to take stock and declared, "Well, almost everyone." So then, I thought I'd better taste this food pronto!

I ordered a goat cheese, apple, and arugula salad with maple balsamic dressing and that evening's Beef Tenderloin Special served with goat cheese, balsamic cream, spinach, and roasted red potato. My daughter Molly ordered a Greek salad and the Cilantro Pesto Pasta served with hazelnut-crusted goat cheese and fettuccine. Molly found the flavors in the fettuccine dish so perfect and complementary that she took alternating bites - cilantro pasta with a bite of cherry tomato, cilantro pasta with a bite of goat cheese - just to savor each flavor-filled morsel all the more. My beef was a tender round tower perched atop roasted red new potatoes, warm and ever-so-slightly wilted spinach, and crowned with goat cheese. Food fit for a queen. Fortunately, the portions proved to be too large for us and we were both able to take half of our dinner home. We also wanted to save room to share a small indulgence: dessert. Molly and I succumbed to Christie's infamous lemon cake. It is a light and moist yellow cake flavored with Absolut Citron and layered with lemon curd and whipped cream. Even though I love lemon, I don't generally like cakes, but this was love with our first two bites. Heavenly.

Before we left I stopped at a table with some of my husband's old cycling friends, the Kaisers and the Floods. I asked if they came here to dine often, and if so, what their favorite dish was. They are indeed regulars; the four have dinner at Cucina Antica every week, plus some. They also have the Wisells' cater events, such as a company Christmas party and rotary club meetings. Mac Kaiser loves the pan-seared sea scallops with caper butter and lemon cream, and Virginia loves the goat cheese, apple, and arugula salad. Teena Flood loves the honey-glazed salmon, and Ric said, "I'm the veal parmesan person." But what they love most is worthy of note: "the winning combination of great food with the amenable and accommodating good nature of the hosts." Sounds like a good dinner party doesn't it? So this is how it all starts: one great meal with great service, and then... you look forward to trying that honey-crusted salmon or the Tuscan Alfredo. Soon we will become regulars too.