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Casa Luca, Osteria-Influenced Italian in the old Againn Space at 11th Street and New York Avenue Downtown - Reconcepted as a Sfoglina


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Finally made it here today for lunch with some trepidation.  While the content here on dr.com is always informed, substantive, balanced and useful, the mixed reviews are consistent with the "other" sites out there.

Really enjoyed it without any qualifiers.

I ordered a lobster stracciatella (alla Romana?) which, while not really reminiscent of the traditional egg drop soup (this was thicker and red with tomato and generous chunks of fresh lobster meat), was excellent.  Also a mixed greens salad which, in classic Chef Trabocchi form, had little in common with dishes of the same name on most restaurant menus.  Bursting with color and coherent flavors ranging from grapefruit and thin bits of apple (?) to a variety of uber-fresh greens, pistachios and a light but tasty vinaigrette, this was great.  Finally, I ordered a half-order of pappardelle with the famous duck ragu.  Delicious and, as with nearly all the dishes, very generous portioning. For some reason (maybe due to my dining companion?), we were also served a delicious and smooth frozen pear dessert that had prosecco and one other ingredient I"m forgetting.

For us, the service was every bit the equal of the food. No nonsense about keeping the first arrival waiting until the second arrived. A dropped spoon was near immediately and discretely replaced with a fresh one.  A few allergies were expertly embraced including clearly being communicate among staff.  The worst thing I could say is that with each course, our server's check was always followed by a manager asking the same thing. But it wasn't that noticeable and, overall, the service was excellent.

Prices are moderate and the venue attractive and conveniently located.  Enjoyed every bit of the experience and will be back soon for dinner.

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Maybe it's just me, but I felt the prices at Casa Luca were rather expensive given the portions, most notably the pasta. I thought the food was excellent, but Casa Luca shouldn't be branded as an inexpensive option to Fiola. The majority of the pastas start at $22 - that is still a lot of money in my eyes. Meanwhile we had dinner at Red Hen last weekend and their most expensive pasta was $17, plus was large enough to be an entree.

You can read more about our meal here: http://www.dmvdining.com/2013/11/casual-elegance-at-casa-luca/

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Maybe it's just me, but I felt the prices at Casa Luca were rather expensive given the portions, most notably the pasta. I thought the food was excellent, but Casa Luca shouldn't be branded as an inexpensive option to Fiola. The majority of the pastas start at $22 - that is still a lot of money in my eyes. Meanwhile we had dinner at Red Hen last weekend and their most expensive pasta was $17, plus was large enough to be an entree.

You can read more about our meal here: http://www.dmvdining.com/2013/11/casual-elegance-at-casa-luca/

I didn't think Casa Luca inexpensive but it seemed absolutely less expensive than Fiola, which is now one of the city's most stratospherically priced restaurants.  Also, on the pastas, you can order a half portion which is still quite a bit of pasta. I spent $50 at lunch for a half order of the duck ragu pasta, a large salad as described and a half-portion of soup (they offered since I though full portions would be too much given the three courses I was constructing.  My dining companion spent around $35 for two courses, an app with lobster and some kind of large grilled sandwich which she couldn't finish.  Again though, this was lunch so maybe I'd have a different feeling about value at dinner? Will figure that out soon.

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I didn't think Casa Luca inexpensive but it seemed absolutely less expensive than Fiola, which is now one of the city's most stratospherically priced restaurants.  Also, on the pastas, you can order a half portion which is still quite a bit of pasta. I spent $50 at lunch for a half order of the duck ragu pasta, a large salad as described and a half-portion of soup (they offered since I though full portions would be too much given the three courses I was constructing.  My dining companion spent around $35 for two courses, an app with lobster and some kind of large grilled sandwich which she couldn't finish.  Again though, this was lunch so maybe I'd have a different feeling about value at dinner? Will figure that out soon.

I just want to make sure that I'm understanding you correctly.  You spent $50 on a lunch that consisted of a half-portion of pasta, a half portion of soup, and a salad (a green salad?) and you thought that was a good value?

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I just want to make sure that I'm understanding you correctly.  You spent $50 on a lunch that consisted of a half-portion of pasta, a half portion of soup, and a salad (a green salad?) and you thought that was a good value? 

No, not exactly. I appreciate your question and will just try to answer it directly.  I think it's a "moderately priced," moderate value, place. Not "inexpensive" but "absolutely less expensive than Fiola."  In terms of the lunch, the $50 figure covered a fairly large portion of pasta (actually, in checking my receipt after seeing your post, I think I was mistakenly served and charged for a full portion so my mistake to not catch that when there), a much larger and more substantial salad than virtually any other "green salad" I've had and, yes, the half portion of soup (because the normal size on the menu is an entree at $16; I paid $8 for maybe 2-3 cups worth of the soup with generous cuts of lobster in it).

Finally, and really important to stress, I'm not saying this is a cheap or inexpensive place. To me, value is about what you get for what you pay whatever the price.  The portions and quality of the food are what drive me to call it "moderately priced." Could definitely do a decent lunch there for closer to $20 or $25 depending on what's ordered. If someone ordered one or two courses not including lobster, it'd surely be much lower priced. Not sure if that helps?

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No, not exactly. I appreciate your question and will just try to answer it directly.  I think it's a "moderately priced," moderate value, place. Not "inexpensive" but "absolutely less expensive than Fiola."  In terms of the lunch, the $50 figure covered a fairly large portion of pasta (actually, in checking my receipt after seeing your post, I think I was mistakenly served and charged for a full portion so my mistake to not catch that when there), a much larger and more substantial salad than virtually any other "green salad" I've had and, yes, the half portion of soup (because the normal size on the menu is an entree at $16; I paid $8 for maybe 2-3 cups worth of the soup with generous cuts of lobster in it).

Finally, and really important to stress, I'm not saying this is a cheap or inexpensive place. To me, value is about what you get for what you pay whatever the price.  The portions and quality of the food are what drive me to call it "moderately priced." Could definitely do a decent lunch there for closer to $20 or $25 depending on what's ordered. If someone ordered one or two courses not including lobster, it'd surely be much lower priced. Not sure if that helps?

I agree with your definition of 'value.'  And now that you've clarified what you actually received, it makes more sense.  Thanks.

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I haven't been back for some time (and am not in a rush to do so despite how close it is from my house and how excited I was to try it), mainly because I am still feeling ripped off by the cheese plate that included no crackers or bread.  I've ordered a ton of cheese plates in my time, but this is the first time I have ever had to pay for the bread separately.  Just admit that it is an expensive restaurant, and people (including I) would still try it, but to pretend that it is cheap and then nickel and dime (or 10 and 20 spot) me is ridiculous.

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I haven't been back for some time (and am not in a rush to do so despite how close it is from my house and how excited I was to try it), mainly because I am still feeling ripped off by the cheese plate that included no crackers or bread.  I've ordered a ton of cheese plates in my time, but this is the first time I have ever had to pay for the bread separately.  Just admit that it is an expensive restaurant, and people (including I) would still try it, but to pretend that it is cheap and then nickel and dime (or 10 and 20 spot) me is ridiculous.

Wow. Didn't see that at lunch two or three days ago but agree that's ridiculous.  Not quite as bad--but a bit similar--last night at Kapnos (maybe a similarly priced spot to Casa Luca but totally different concept/menu), we first timers were a bit confused about how they listed a $22 "sampler spread" (with three spreads) and two pieces of flatbread and then, lower on that same list another $3.50 option for one piece of "stone baked flatbread" or something like that.  The bread is large and shareable--key bit of info missing from the waiter's description so the extra $3.50 wasn't needed.  Also reminds me how Palena and some other spots charge extra for bread whereas others (like Le Diplomate and Medium Rare) are providing high-quality bread without charge.  The nickel and diming thing is too common.  That said, getting pricing right is tough.

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I just did a side-to-side comparison of the lunch menus on each website, and they look to be almost exactly identical prices.

I didn't think Casa Luca inexpensive but it seemed absolutely less expensive than Fiola, which is now one of the city's most stratospherically priced restaurants.

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We had a friend in town staying at the Grand Hyatt, so we walked over to Casa Luca for drinks and dinner on Thursday night.  We sat at the bar, and the service was not particularly good - the bartender seemed like he was trying to avoid eye contact, and it was very difficult to get his attention (and he wasn't working solo back there).  We were having a good time and catching up, so it wasn't as bothersome as it might have been normally, but I feel like our meal took way longer than it should have.

We stuck to wine/beer, and they were all nice.  For apps, we had the beer tartare (very tasty) and the bruschetta with roasted peppers (awesome).  Jason and our guest got the smoked gnocchi for dinner, and I got the bucatini with pork ragu.  They both wolfed down the gnocchi.  I liked the bucatini just fine (it's one of my favorite pastas), but there was something weird about the ragu that I just couldn't put my finger on.  I feel like there were extra-large cubes of pork rather than a finer dice or a ground meat, which is what I normally expect in a ragu.  Also, the menu indicated that it had dill in it, but it was not discernable.  The whole dish was sweeter than I thought it would be - not unpleasant or anything, just different from what the setup indicated.

Overall, it was a nice evening out - and I think our friend planned on returning the next night with some colleagues.

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Alan Richman has named Casa Luca one of the 25 best new restaurants in America in Gentlemen's Quarterly magazine, March 2014.

16. Casa Luca
Washington D.C.

Casual Italian's Gotten Bigger and Better


Casa Luca is a subtly sophisticated, exceptionally appealing restaurant with white-tile walls, comfy seating, fifties music, and black-and-white photos. Fabio Trabocchi, the chef and owner, calls it a casual Italian spot, but I thought it was spiffier than that, and I liked the food best when I didn't think of it as Italian.

It's not a place that sticks to Antipasti. Primo. Secundo. Casa Luca has many more categories"”about eight or nine, by my figuring. For sure, all manner of antipasti are available, but after that the menu expands wildly, concluding with Family Style Favorites, which are the extra-jumbo dishes. I began Italian, with melting, mesmerizing prosciutto from the Mangalista pig, to me the best of the heritage porkers scampering around barnyards these days. The main courses are the highlights here, and more oversized than Italian ever gets.

The branzino was a monstrous filet, oven-roasted and crispy on top, accompanied by vegetables so succulent they were surely in the oven a lot longer than the fish. The dish of the night was a lamb shoulder rack"”I never knew shoulder could be a rack. This was stunningly savory, marinated and slow-roasted, which meant it came to the table medium-rare and crisp, herbaceous and succulent, a stellar example of what rosemary, bay leaf, garlic and a talented chef can do. I never pass up affogato, traditionally espresso poured over vanilla gelato. Here it's a variation on a sundae, chocolate sauce and mocha liqueur poured over the top. Who needs genuine Italian when you can have that?

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What does a restaurant maggot do when the entire town is flocking to Fiola Mare, trying to get the opening scoop?

He goes to Casa Luca. :)

Although Casa Luca has raised prices since it opened - in some cases by a lot - the menu as a whole still seems very reasonable for the quality you get here.

More importantly, there is still a small list of $28 bottles of wine (the selection is less than half the size it used to be, but it's still there). I began my meal with a bottle of 2012 Orsolani "Al Bacio" Erbaluce di Caluso ($28) from Piemonte because I knew what I wanted for dinner. (Like many other restaurants, Casa Luca will package the unfinished wine for you to take home, making these $28 bottles particularly appealing.)

Monkfish Milanese ($28) with lemon bread crumbs, artichokes, dill, and lemon was everything I hoped it would be and more. Beautifully breaded, with a cooked lemon on the side to squeeze, and plenty of tantalizingly delicious sauce for swabbing - a complex, hearty sauce which was probably made with a shellfish base (at one point I got teeny-tiny piece of what was surely crustacean shell which to me is a great sign). I needed to ask for bread, but when I did, I got four large pieces, grilled and brushed with olive oil - Casa Luca apparently has one-size-only bread plates (they should consider half-sized plates for solo diners - hopefully, the unused bread isn't going to waste).

For my "cheese course," an order of Fusilli Cacio e Pepe ($16) which was just marvelous: the fusilli laced with just the right amount of pepper, and in the middle of the bowl, an entire order of Burrata, still slightly chilled which provided a really nice contrast with the piping-hot fusilli. It amused me when I got offered some fresh ground pepper, but I suppose that's no different than offering fresh parmesan with lasagna. For those ordering this dish as an appetizer, I would suggest nibbling a couple bites of Burrata, then mixing it while the pasta is hot (it makes a really wonderful cheese sauce); in my case, since I used this as a cheese course, I left the Burrata intact, and used the pasta as my bread to accompany the cheese (if that makes any sense).

There's a lot of talk about a few newer restaurants that have opened recently, but none are better than Casa Luca was on this particular evening. A wonderful showing for this restaurant, especially since some of the staff must be pulled over to Fiola Mare for the opening. (I'm fairly certain I was not recognized, or if I was, they did a really good job of disguising it.) Even with tax and tip, this full meal with a bottle of wine was two-digits - don't forget about Casa Luca when you're thinking about downtown dining options.

Maintained strongly in Italic, with no chance of losing that status unless something dramatic happened, Casa Luca is one of the best restaurants in DC. I don't know who chef Erin Clarke is, but (assuming she was running the kitchen on this evening), hers is a name to look out for.

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That cacio e pepe sounds similar to a version we had in Rome at Sora Margherita...only in that case topped with fresh ricotta.  Looks like we'll be hitting Casa Luca next week.

You can split all pastas there for half-price, too. You'd like the exact meal I had, with the exact wine I had.

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A Marche Adventure

Scrippelle Mbusse is "Savory Crepes, Smoked Ricotta, Hen Brodo" (72 hour double stock reduction) and a signature first course.  Another is Elbow Maccheroni or large head on "Prawns, Shellfish Brodetto, Spicy Eggplant Funghett" served tableside in a copper pan where the Maccheroni and prawns are plated immediately before serving.  I would suggest this will be the "lobster ravioli" of Casa Luca.  It is a GREAT dish, absolutely delicious with large flavors and texture-a wonderful introduction to the Marche region of Italy which comprises 70 to 80% of the menu.

The meal actually starts with a large puff bottom crusted classic cheese bread with a small slab of creamy flavorful buffalo butter accompanying it.  "Thin Grilled Crescia Montefeltro Style" flatbread is a worthy way to scoop up spicy Calabrese 'Nduja.

We added several small bites featuring heirloomed tomatoes and stracciatella ($4), summer corn, proscuitto and mint ($4) and "Cazzimperio" which is anchovy salsa Verde ($4).  The heirloomed tomatoes and stracciatella are destined to be enormous popular in the future.  Chunks of our cheesebread swathed the olive oily bottom of its cups dabbing at every drop left

Fabio's signature meat dish will be the two inch thick Guiseeppe Braciola pork chop (which was his father's Sunday specialty).  It is served with an orange rosemary gremolada and a souffle cup of creamy, intensely garlicy paste to slather on the chop.  We also ordered a side of scarfatta which are chunks of eggplant, tomatoes, peppers and toasted bread crumbs spooned tableside from a ceramic dish.  A perfect accompaniment to the amazing hunk of bone in, deeply flavorful and juicy three finger thick pork chop which was a staple of Fabio's Sunday summer table in Marche.

Casa Luca is a celebration of these dinners with long prepared, carefully sourced food presented with large, stunningly original flavors different from what much of North America has seen before.  The word adventure surfaced at our table:  of the 14 dishes we were fortunate to try most were totally new flavors and textures we had not encountered on this side of the Atlantic.  Many reminded us of how much we loved Marche when we visited the coast five years ago.  While Casa Luca adjoins the old site of the D. C. Convention Center it is not exactly Rimini nor, as Uliassi, is it a restaurant on the beach.

Yet, in its own way it is a wonderful and well worthwhile adventure already known but soon to become one of the most difficult reservations in D. C.  Fabio has spectacularly introduced the food of his family and his youth; it is entirely different from any other Italian here, and i think I have found in America.  Big, exciting flavors comfortably presented.  And, in the beginning remarkable bargains as Washingtonians are introduced to some of the most wonderful "Sunday" meals they have never expereced.

Just don't leave without the prawns and elbow Maccheroni, the hen with the 72 hour reduction, "pork chop",a rich and flavorful salami al cioccoloto grappa laced log and the best Lemoncello of anyone anywhere.

Curiously we might have had this restaurant a number of years ago:  Fabio wanted to open a Marche restaurant downtown while he was still at Maestro and Marriott disagreed.  I expect this to be a serious contender for James Beard's best new restaurant in the U. S. this year.  If it wins I wonder how Marriott will feel?  I'd suggest, based on its seamless second night of operation it is a leader for this award.  And no fewer than six of Maestro's alumni still work at Casa Luca today believing in Fabio and sharing his vision.

I wish Fabio the absolute best of luck with Casa Luca.

Bravo, chef!

I wrote this eight months ago.  We absolutely love Casa Luca.  I really thought it would have the kind of response that Red Hen and Rose's Luxury have had.  Interestingly both of these have a large residential base that they are in the middle of (as the new Alba, too) whereas Casa Luca does not.  It's across the street from the upcoming City Center development but for the moment, there's not a lot around it.  Rose's has received so much recent publicity that it seems to be overpowering every place else.  As much as I like it, as Don notes, there is still genuine excellence elsewhere in D. C.

Don's post about Casa Luca strikes home.  It is worth the drive from the suburbs, worth planning a trip to.

There have been some outstanding openings in the D. C. area in the last eight months.  From Patowmack Farm and the new home of Tarver King to Alba and Roberto's presentation of Piedmont's flavors to Casa Luca which introduces Marche along with Red Hen we are extremely fortunate to have the opportunities we do.  I am also guessing with Fiola Mare now open and John Shields from the Town House Grill moving to Georgetown there is going to be a huge swing back here very soon.

A few more people need to try the "elbow Maccheroni" at Casa Luca, too.  It is a Great Dish.

My applause to Alan Richman of GQ for recognizing and noting Casa Luca's excellence as one of America's 25 best new restaurants.

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I'll pile on the praise and say that of the many business lunches I have been to in the past 6 months, Casa Luca delivered the best experience last week by a considerable margin.  I took advantage of my favorite way to dine at Tosca by getting 2 half portions of pasta, the Spaghetti Carbonara and the Tortellini Porchetta.  The kitchen absolutely nailed the carbonara, a dish that can be quite bland if constructed by an unexperienced hand.  This particular offering is heavy handed on the black pepper, and given that it was a half portion there was considerably less pasta to soak up the perfectly cooked runny egg yoke, but these factors are what really put the dish over the top.  Every bite was coated with yellow yoke and at least 2-3 pieces of the generously apportioned ham sitting in the bottom of the bowl, giving off a smooth silky flavor profile before hitting your palate with a burst of salt and pepper.  The tortellini was not to be outdone by comparison, cooked perfectly al dente and sitting in a wonderful savory mushroom cream sauce.  The crispy leaves of sage sprinkled a top of the pasta was a nice way to give the dish some textural and spice variety, meshing well with both the mushrooms and the delicious pork inside of the tortellini.

Much like Tosca, one could dine at Casa Luca and spend a lot of money on the numerous fine options adorning the menu, but much like Tosca, my best experiences here have been when I have kept it simple and stuck to what I believe to be their strong suits, which are the very well priced $28 wine menu and the house made pastas.

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Dined at Casa Luca the other night.  As opposed to comments from when the restaurant first opened the service was terrific with an enthusiastic waiter and a willingness to split bills easily with different cc's paying for 3, 5, and 6 all evenly across the full bill, all as part of a large group.   I find that rare among restaurants.

Hard for me to recall many tastes but the gnocchi with a mixture of duck and red sauce was exquisite, as were two different pasta dishes, wherein I forget all the ingredients.   It appears they update the web menu pretty regularly and the current menu on the web does not represent all that was available the night we dined.

I'm looking forward to returning in a smaller setting where I can put more time into the food and less into the chatter, albeit very terrific chatter.

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Dined at Casa Luca the other night.  As opposed to comments from when the restaurant first opened the service was terrific with an enthusiastic waiter and a willingness to split bills easily with different cc's paying for 3, 5, and 6 all evenly across the full bill, all as part of a large group.   I find that rare among restaurants.

Hard for me to recall many tastes but the gnocchi with a mixture of duck and red sauce was exquisite, as were two different pasta dishes, wherein I forget all the ingredients.   It appears they update the web menu pretty regularly and the current menu on the web does not represent all that was available the night we dined.

I'm looking forward to returning in a smaller setting where I can put more time into the food and less into the chatter, albeit very terrific chatter.

I find myself here semi-regularly.  More often than Fiola, which we Love since just more viable for a last-minute dinner or downtown lunch spot.  Was last here maybe two weeks ago for a business lunch.  Can't remember at all what we had but have to stand by what I originally thought on my first visit a couple of years ago. Reasonable pricing given the quality and portioning along with excellent service and, importantly for a business lunch, a quiet venue.  Wasn't very busy at all when we were in on a mid-week day but maybe that's aberrational.

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The Mrs. and I ate at Casa Luca on Saturday night to celebrate our 1 year in D.C. Made reservations for 6:15. Arrived on time and were promptly seated by the hostess.

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To start, we each ordered an Il Conte, an aperitif of sage & grapefruit infused gin with Campari, which we both found very refreshing and not overly bitter. We each also had a carafe of wine (not pictured, the Mrs. had the Tempranillo while I had the Sauvignon Blanc).

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We were subsequently served a piece of baked bread with some sea salt and a few sprigs of rosemary inside. I found it somewhat uninspiring: it did not have much bite to it and was a bit on a dry side.

On to the appetizers:

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The crudo of California abalone with white asparagus confit and trout roe was well presented and very tasty with the peas providing a bit of a snap to the creamy confit.

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Next, came the salad of smoked farro, artichokes and Maine Lobster. The smokiness of the farro was unusual but we both found this dish successful. The lobster was sweet and cooked well.

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The next appetizer was a bit of a head scratcher: bruschetta of smoked salmon and mozzarella with shaved asparagus. It was enormous in size to the point where we both agreed that it was out of place on a dinner menu. Perhaps it would be a fine item for brunch, but this could have been a main entree all in itself. Also, a little too subdued in flavor for me. We each had a bite and asked the server to pack it for us "to go" which he graciously obliged.

Pastas/Entrees:

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Pasta Puttanesca with tiger prawns and mussels in tomato sauce (we each ordered this). Very good: rustic and homey are the two adjectives that I would use. The capers and olives, while there, did not provide much brininess, however, and I wanted a bit more heat in the sauce. The very large shrimp was sweet and succulent and we both made sure to suck out all the juices from the head. The pasta was cooked well, although it would have benefited from a bit more el dente bite.

Dessert:

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We finished off with the rhubarb and strawberry tart with white chocolate gelato (not pictured). It was an outstanding conclusion to a very good meal. The flavors or rhubarb and strawberry were very pronounced and while we were both very full, it was a dessert worth savoring until the cast iron skillet it was served in contained only crumbs.

Overall, the meal at Casa Luca was a good one. The food was very flavorful (although the chili head in me always desires a bit more spice in things), the service was spot on, and the prices were not outrageous where this cannot be enjoyed on a regular basis. Thank you to all the forum members who made this recommendation.

Michael.

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After the lengthy post on Osteria Morini, I realized that I neither MichaelBDC nor I posted on a meal at Casa Luca about a month ago. I think that is because our meal was mixed, not all on the part of Casa Luca.

The good:

  • The food. That is the most important part and everything we ordered was very very good. We enjoyed some cheese to start as well as some housemade grilled crescia bread and spicy gnudja. Although no longer on the menu, Michael ordered a ravioli and I had a seafood pasta, both very good.
  • The wine. We ended up ordering by the glass, which ended up being a very expensive way to order, and had the langhe rosso (1 glass) and the barbera (3 glasses). Both wines were very enjoyable with the barbera being the winner. Sadly, I think that $28 wine menu is no longer available, though I could be wrong.
  • The service. Our server was really good. Attentive but not overbearing, humorous but not too chummy. I ended up forgetting my cardigan at the restaurant and they retrieved it for me and held it until MichaelBDC returned the next day to pick it up.

The not so good:

  • The order. MichaelBDC and I did not really strategize on our order like we usually do which probably lead to a less than ideal experience. In short, we ordered too much carbs. There was the amazing bread to start the meal, the cheese came with some thin toasts, and the gnudja had the housemade grilled bread. By the time our entrees arrived we were stuffed. Next time, we will need to rethink our strategy.
  • The tables. We had a table on the banquette and we overheard conversation from tables on both sides of us. It was also hard for us to converse because we felt like were competing with or interrupting those next to us. At one point, while we were discussing what to get one of the tables next to us overheard us considering the carbonara and insisted that we order it, which made it awkward when we didn't. The tables were also so close together and the room was so noisy that our server had to lean over MichaelBDC to hear my order because there wasn't enough room for him to slide in between our table and the one next to us.
  • The noise. It was raining that evening so a happy hour that was supposed to be on the patio was moved to the bar. The whole room was one big noise machine. The restaurant did give us some lemoncello for free for our troubles and there was almost nothing else the restaurant could have done about the situation so both we and Casa Luca were left in a tough spot on that.
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Had a really good meal here last weekend, just because. I am not going in to the full pictures and recap here, too tired, but some thoughts and highlights-

  • Nice space, easy parking. Seated quickly for an early meal.
  • Food overall was really good.
  • Service was attentive, but a little too much 'instruction' on the menu front. I really should not have to be instructed on how to view and interpret the menu. Otherwise all good. Happy to have the Somm wander over to top off our wine and chat briefly about a great Italian producer (Zyme), because having a white from this producer was new to us and a treat. And affordable!
  • Cocktails were ok, but nothing special. If you make house cocktails, I am going to order one, so place your focus there I would think. I'll take some prosecco next time. It's ok though, not all places do cocktails well.
  • The finocchiona salumi was pretty great, so were the olives, but I'd prefer the olives with pits (I know I am an anomaly on this front, but part of the fun of olives is spitting out the pits).
  • The burrata and the tuna crudo were both great. I'd order both again.
  • The Madeira 'drunken' tuna with lobster mushroom funghetto and pumpkin crema was sublime (Tonno Briaco was the dish name) - great dish prepared perfectly.
  • The Trenette Nere was really good, particularly the pasta and broth, but I think the tuna main course beat this one.
  • Course of the Night, though, goes to dessert, where we had - Ciambellone di Nonna Palmina (Marche warm hazelnut coffee cake with caramel gelato) was off the hook GREAT. I could eat plate after plate of this. Just great great great.
  • Wine List is good, but some of the prices are crazy nuts too high. If you know a little bit, you can find some well priced bottles on the list, but wow some of those prices are nuts.

I'll  be back.

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I would be interested to read others' reports more recently - nothing posted here in the last year and half, oddly. I went for the first time last night, and was disappointed.

To be precise, I was very disappointed with the pasta. I had one of the pasta dishes (ravioli on current menu), and shared in two others (fettuccini with seafood, and pappardelle with truffle). All were, to my taste, quite overcooked - the fettuccini really terribly so (not just the pasta but the seafood too) - and underflavored and undersalted. Ravioli was heavily overdrenched in fat. None had any spark (I guess it's hard to go wrong with truffle, but still ...).

I did think that the burrata caesar salad was delicious, as were the little donut things for dessert. And the service was lovely.

Maybe it was all supposed to be that way but if so, it was not to my taste.

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We went last Saturday. Food was hit or miss. The winter salad was decent as was the tortellini soup, but the ricotta ravioli was horrid. The free meatballs were also poor - but, why complain over something free. The service was also lacking. A endless line of men in suits, but no one paying us any attention. It took over 25 minutes to get a second round of drinks. Will not return.

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7 hours ago, sheldman said:

I would be interested to read others' reports more recently - nothing posted here in the last year and half, oddly. I went for the first time last night, and was disappointed.

1 hour ago, 79pooh83 said:

Will not return.

The old and the new, both critical. I can say, in no uncertain terms, that Casa Luca was *great* when it first opened, but the Trabocchis are spreading themselves all over the place - I fear that we may be losing a great talent to the mean green, but what else is new?

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9 hours ago, sheldman said:

I would be interested to read others' reports more recently - nothing posted here in the last year and half, oddly. I went for the first time last night, and was disappointed.

 

I've been twice in the last year and a half. The last time was with a table of 6, four of whom I've dined with innumerable times.  While not necessarily foodies they cook well and enjoy quality restaurants.  I think I heard more compliments abt the food than ever.  I know we had 4 or 5 half portions of every pasta each of which was exemplary and well praised.  Had a couple of mains and some apps.  I know that is vague, but every dish was a good to great winner. 

Recently I've been fairly disappointed at some similarly regarded restaurants but not at Casa Luca.  (Not much detail- but you asked for more recent commentary)

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I took a friend who was visiting from Napa last week to lunch at Casa Luca. We had a lovely table, and our server was friendly and knowledgable. The food was very good (and a little pricey). She ordered "Lobster Gnocchi Fra Diavolo" for $32. This generous portion of lobster and gnocchi was richly decadent and delicious. My friend, who likes her food spicy and has cooked this dish at home, said she would have preferred a little more heat.

I ordered "Insalata Di Aliche" for $28, a well-cooked piece of Arctic Char a bed of maple-roasted kabocha squash, farro and grapes. It didn't strike me as a salad, per se, as the fish was by far the main component of the dish, but it was satisfying, with the flavors of the char enhanced by the grains and fruit.

We enjoyed fresh bread, great wine and a delightful amuse-bouche as well. I particularly enjoyed the pace of the meal. Our server was very attentive, but he also gave us plenty of time to sit and talk and enjoy each other's company without making us feel rushed in any way.

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Skipped the Oscars but was able to secure a late reservation for 6 last evening, last seating.  The restaurant appeared close to full when we arrived, the bar was empty and I’d suggest not ordering cocktails at that hour if they even offer them.

The current menu is far smaller and more limited than I recall but there are additional dishes available beyond the menu including a mushroom risotto.

A lot of chatting at that table and I believe we might have covered most of the menu.

Everyone was pleased though I felt the serving sizes were a bit small (didn’t ask for assessments from others)

The cooking was sublime.  A meatball appetizer was universally praised and my rigatoni primavera was similarly remarkably upscale tasteful.  Service was professional.

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18 minutes ago, funkyfood said:

what do you mean by you suggesting that we "not order[] cocktails *at that hour*"?

Sunday night, last shift;   There was no bartender.

I'm going to extrapolate a bit.  Within the last year this restaurant group along with others of similar quality contacted the bartending school looking for bartenders.  While we see employer requests from bars across the board, for a period of time in the last year those leads included a significant number of higher end establishments such as Casa Luca, its entire group and similar quality establishments.  While we have new grads who respond to those leads we also have grads with extensive experience.   I believe there is a shortage of qualified bartenders in the region. 

They might not be able to staff up all shifts.  Of course that is a guess and possibly they simply didn't have someone on staff that night at that late shift.  Can't know for sure.  But if you can't get qualified staff to cover all shifts...I'd suggest late Sunday night is as good as any to leave unstaffed.  That has to be one of the slowest times at the bar.  While I parked and was walking to Casa Luca I passed Capitol City Brewery.  That place is remarkably busy 7 days a week.  Around 8 Pm on a Sunday night it was not jammed.

 

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3 hours ago, DaveO said:

The current menu is far smaller and more limited than I recall but there are additional dishes available beyond the menu including a mushroom risotto.

"Dumbed down" would be what I would have described it as when my wife and I stopped in a couple weekends ago.  What they have on offer now in no way resembles the restaurant that we really enjoyed going to a couple years back.  They even have kitschy names for some of the items, which is just so far from what I would think of for a Trabocchi establishment.  We were put off by that and the fact that they wouldn't open the bottle of Gaja that we brought in because they had another Gaja on their list (different vintage and varietal), so we went to Bibiana instead, which is back to the level that it was when Stefanelli was there btw.  The new chef from Miami is cooking some great pastas right now, they would be my preference for high end Italian in the Metro Center area.

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7 minutes ago, DPop said:

"Dumbed down" would be what I would have described it as when my wife and I stopped in a couple weekends ago.  What they have on offer now in no way resembles the restaurant that we really enjoyed going to a couple years back.  They even have kitschy names for some of the items, which is just so far from what I would think of for a Trabocchi establishment.  We were put off by that and the fact that they wouldn't open the bottle of Gaja that we brought in because they had another Gaja on their list (different vintage and varietal), so we went to Bibiana instead, which is back to the level that it was when Stefanelli was there btw.  The new chef from Miami is cooking some great pastas right now, they would be my preference for high end Italian in the Metro Center area.

Ha.  Great switch.  Couldn't be more convenient.  Right across the street!!!!!!  I have to try that.  Frankly the meal quality was excellent but I prefer more choice.

Bibiana still has pizza doesn't it?  If so you also have a price point difference.

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3 minutes ago, DaveO said:

Ha.  Great switch.  Couldn't be more convenient.  Right across the street!!!!!!  I have to try that.  Frankly the meal quality was excellent but I prefer more choice.

Bibiana still has pizza doesn't it?  If so you also have a price point difference.

No pizza at dinner, it is back to being more of a high end place with assorted antipasti, cured meats and cheese, pastas, and secondis.  Try the Agnolotti, very unique flavor palate and absolutely expertly prepared.  That and the other pastas that we had were reminiscent of the Tosca glory days when Massimo Fabbri was in the kitchen.

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20 hours ago, DPop said:

"Dumbed down" would be what I would have described it as when my wife and I stopped in a couple weekends ago.  What they have on offer now in no way resembles the restaurant that we really enjoyed going to a couple years back.  They even have kitschy names for some of the items, which is just so far from what I would think of for a Trabocchi establishment.

I ate there last spring / summer and while the food was still quite good from when I'd been previously I do think the bold perhaps applied a bit.  Two of my favorite items I had that night for instance were Parmesan churros (essentially the best "mozzarella sticks" ever) and the tortellini of baby back ribs with 'Alredo of Rome' sauce... I assumed that the latter wouldn't mean bbq style ribs but that's essentially what it was.  Mind you this was still very tasty, but was also kind of surprisingly un-elegant for a Trabocchi place.  The previous time I went it almost felt like a more straight-forward better bargain Fiola by comparison.

The main obstacle for preventing me from returning right now is that I've been monitoring the online menu for a while (as I do for places I like) and almost nothing has changed in about a year.  Before I'd be enticed to go back by seeing particular new pasta preparations but even if the execution is strong seeing the menu on auto-pilot is a little disappointing.  

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3 hours ago, FranklinDubya said:

I ate there last spring / summer and while the food was still quite good from when I'd been previously I do think the bold perhaps applied a bit.  Two of my favorite items I had that night for instance were Parmesan churros (essentially the best "mozzarella sticks" ever) and the tortellini of baby back ribs with 'Alredo of Rome' sauce... I assumed that the latter wouldn't mean bbq style ribs but that's essentially what it was.  Mind you this was still very tasty, but was also kind of surprisingly un-elegant for a Trabocchi place.  The previous time I went it almost felt like a more straight-forward better bargain Fiola by comparison.

The main obstacle for preventing me from returning right now is that I've been monitoring the online menu for a while (as I do for places I like) and almost nothing has changed in about a year.  Before I'd be enticed to go back by seeing particular new pasta preparations but even if the execution is strong seeing the menu on auto-pilot is a little disappointing.  

On my most recent visit I will say that the quality of the dishes was excellent.  Everyone seemed pleased with what they had.  Nobody voiced a disappointment.  Some dishes were highly praised.  I was very impressed with both the rigatoni primavera and meatballs (meatballs--for cripes sakes--they were sublime!!!!). 

The limited menu....and the fact that it hasn't changed at all recently--well those are valid points!!!  I'd both return and visit alternatives such as Bibiana and others of the same quality/reputation

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1 hour ago, DaveO said:

On my most recent visit I will say that the quality of the dishes was excellent.  Everyone seemed pleased with what they had.  Nobody voiced a disappointment.  Some dishes were highly praised.  I was very impressed with both the rigatoni primavera and meatballs (meatballs--for cripes sakes--they were sublime!!!!). 

I think my last post sounded a little overly-negative in retrospect - I've only had great meals there to date.  Rigatoni primavera sounds great *and appears to actually a new / recent menu addition so that's good to hear!

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Kinda sad it's getting replaced (even though the overall lack of new dishes prevented me from going back recently).  I thought it occupied in a nice medium between the Fiola level and the kinda upscale casual Italian places we have a bunch of in the city...  honestly it also seemed to be cheaper in practice than Sfoglina with it's small portion size $24 pastas.

Didn't realize Erin Clarke had left either... seems like at the Trabochhi places this happens quietly and gets reported on after the fact.

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On 5/30/2018 at 12:27 PM, Pat said:

At the end of Tom's chat today: 

"(Have you heard? A second Sfoglina is replacing Casa Luca this fall!)"

On 5/30/2018 at 5:21 PM, FranklinDubya said:

Kinda sad it's getting replaced (even though the overall lack of new dishes prevented me from going back recently).  I thought it occupied in a nice medium between the Fiola level and the kinda upscale casual Italian places we have a bunch of in the city...  honestly it also seemed to be cheaper in practice than Sfoglina with it's small portion size $24 pastas.

Didn't realize Erin Clarke had left either... seems like at the Trabochhi places this happens quietly and gets reported on after the fact.

I completely understand why it's happening, and I also completely understand why it's tragic for the diner.

Casa Luca was fabulous - so fabulous, that given it's wedged position between FiolaFiola Mare, Del Mar at the high-high end; and Sfoglina at the quote-unquote "low end," it seems to have no place in this organization. 

Which is tragic, because Casa Luca was this restaurant group's Rose's Luxury (vis-a-vis Pineapple and Pearls). Now, Sfoglina will be their cash-cow chain, while the Big 3 are going to be their Las Vegas-style Grande Cuisine locations (and in my opinion, one of them will close in the forseeable future, and I have a pretty darned good idea which one it will be, which is equally tragic).

These are all my personal guesses, based on nothing more than observation, and they could easily be wrong.

Regardless, Sfoglina is a fine, albeit very, very expensive, pastaria, something much like what Il Radicchio was for Roberto Donna (stop and think about that for a moment).

Mar, 1997 - "Interview with Chef Robert Donna of Il Radicchio - Washington, DC" on starchefs.com

That's right: Before there was Fabio Trabocchi, there was Roberto Donna; now, people don't even remember that the two are from the same country. But I do.

Remember how good EatBar was in South Clarendon, when Nathan Anda was making charcuterie in that decrepit shed in the parking lot? Me neither.

The use of the exclamation point after the quoted text in the chat makes me want to vomit - thepostareyouonit - although I suspect it was happenstance in letting readers know they just read something important.

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 I may be in the minority here, but  though I love Fiola, I wasn't wowed by my meal at Casa Luca, and I thought it was  too expensive for what it was.   On the other hand, I really enjoy Sfoglina  and have been there multiple times.  It's not life-changing, but it is reliably delicious, something which  is less common than it should be. And I don't think it's that expensive either-we usually split  The three pasta tasting, which is $66 for two people and is more than enough food, in fact we usually end up taking something home. 

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31 minutes ago, sandynva said:

 I may be in the minority here, but  though I love Fiola, I wasn't wowed by my meal at Casa Luca, and I thought it was  too expensive for what it was.   On the other hand, I really enjoy Sfoglina  and have been there multiple times.  It's not life-changing, but it is reliably delicious, something which  is less common than it should be. And I don't think it's that expensive either-we usually split  The three pasta tasting, which is $66 for two people and is more than enough food, in fact we usually end up taking something home. 

I love Sfoglina also - I'd be surprised if most people don't. The thing is ... we may get many of them, coupled with no Casa Luca, and that would be a shame.

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52 minutes ago, sandynva said:

 I may be in the minority here, but  though I love Fiola, I wasn't wowed by my meal at Casa Luca, and I thought it was  too expensive for what it was.   On the other hand, I really enjoy Sfoglina  and have been there multiple times.  It's not life-changing, but it is reliably delicious, something which  is less common than it should be. And I don't think it's that expensive either-we usually split  The three pasta tasting, which is $66 for two people and is more than enough food, in fact we usually end up taking something home. 

One significant change with Casa Luca is that the original Casa Luca changed.  Recently and for possibly many months the menu at Casa Luca has been remarkably small and limited.  What I and others ordered was excellent.  We would have definitely appreciated a larger menu.  In line with that it was a detriment to rebooking the restaurant without significant changes in the menu.

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On 5/31/2018 at 5:54 PM, DonRocks said:

I completely understand why it's happening, and I also completely understand why it's tragic for the diner.

Casa Luca was fabulous - so fabulous, that given it's wedged position between FiolaFiola Mare, Del Mar at the high-high end; and Sfoglina at the quote-unquote "low end," it seems to have no place in this organization. 

Which is tragic, because Casa Luca was this restaurant group's Rose's Luxury (vis-a-vis Pineapple and Pearls). Now, Sfoglina will be their cash-cow chain, while the Big 3 are going to be their Las Vegas-style Grande Cuisine locations (and in my opinion, one of them will close in the forseeable future, and I have a pretty darned good idea which one it will be, which is equally tragic).

These are all my personal guesses, based on nothing more than observation, and they could easily be wrong.

Regardless, Sfoglina is a fine, albeit very, very expensive, pastaria, something much like what Il Radicchio was for Roberto Donna (stop and think about that for a moment).

Mar, 1997 - "Interview with Chef Robert Donna of Il Radicchio - Washington, DC" on starchefs.com

That's right: Before there was Fabio Trabocchi, there was Roberto Donna; now, people don't even remember that the two are from the same country. But I do.

Remember how good EatBar was in South Clarendon, when Nathan Anda was making charcuterie in that decrepit shed in the parking lot? Me neither.

The use of the exclamation point after the quoted text in the chat makes me want to vomit - thepostareyouonit - although I suspect it was happenstance in letting readers know they just read something important.

This is a bummer. I really liked my meals at Casa Luca. I also liked my one meal at the Sfoglina I have had. And, while I am theoretically glad there will be more than one Sfoglina to take the pressure off of the one they have now, making it easier to get a table on shorter notice (I hope), I am sad to lose Casa Luca. 

:(

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Delightfully dinned in daylight and found food fresh and fabulous.

Waiter: Spanish accent, beautiful, looked like a 1920s attendee at a Gatsby party.

Support stuff: Cute too! Maybe it's the floral dresses.

Gazpacho: Perfect. When a gazpacho has a fresh start, a smooth center, and a tart finish, I am in heaven and this stuff was it. FWIW, souper girl's beet gazpacho is almost as good, or maybe better...hard to know.

Benzino over perfectly cooked spinach was fresh, flaky, and had just enough acid with a squeeze of grilled lemon. 

I realize that there have been some conflicting opinions of late but I really enjoyed lunch today. From the service to the food to the decor and my "date". (work thing).

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I can't let Casa Luca close without memorializing the great meal I had there about a month ago. @MichaelBDC and I met up with his parents for a Sunday dinner and we had a lovely time. 

We ordered a multitude of appetizers including crostini, meatballs, spicy grilled calimari. It was all wonderful and fresh. The crostini was especially appreciated because Michael's parents didn't care for its preparation so the kitchen whipped up something sans seafood for them: squash, ricotta, a red pepper puree and they loved it. Meatballs were also popular. 

For entrees we had drunken tuna, lasagna, and a pasta I can't remember. We loved it all. The manager/sommelier suggested a nice bottle of Frappato to drink with dinner and it was so good we ordered another one. 

Dessert was the chocolate bomoblini which satisfied all the chocolate lovers' sweet teeth.

Service was friendly and accommodating. 

Casa Luca left us with a great last impression. 

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On 6/1/2018 at 9:16 AM, DonRocks said:

I love Sfoglina also - I'd be surprised if most people don't. The thing is ... we may get many of them, coupled with no Casa Luca, and that would be a shame.

So it goes - it makes business sense (either being ultra-high end (Fiola X), or premium-low end (Sfoglina), and eliminating the middle-high end (Casa Luca)), but it's a real shame this restaurant is gone. [I would normally merge this thread into Sfoglina's (same owners, same location), but I'm going to make an exception in this case since Casa Luca had so much interest.]

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Am I the only person who can't pronounce "Sfoglina" ? I also went to Sfoglina and enjoyed the food but here's the thing; I remember the Casa Luna lunch still, but not the So-fog-lina lunch.  That's how my brain pronounces it...I know it's not correct but there it is.

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3 hours ago, NolaCaine said:

Am I the only person who can't pronounce "Sfoglina" ? I also went to Sfoglina and enjoyed the food but here's the thing; I remember the Casa Luna lunch still, but not the So-fog-lina lunch.  That's how my brain pronounces it...I know it's not correct but there it is.

No! I do the same thing. I thought it was because I spent 25 years in the San Francisco Bay Area and it is foggy there... 🙄

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