Metro Pulse/Restaruant Rover/Luce

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Luce
315 S. Washington St., Maryville
980-0755

by Ally Carte

As sad as it is to admit, my expectations for restaurants in Maryville are rather low. My fault entirely, I'm sure, simply because it's not an area of East Tennessee that I have a need to frequent all that much, apart from the occasional foray to the Palace Theatre or the airport—which isn't in Maryville proper, I know, but thanks for pointing that out. Viewed from that perspective, this quaint town seems full of chain dining and pancake houses. While there's little wrong with, say, O'Charley's or Hooters, there's also nothing right enough about them to make a special trip to experience their Blount versions.

A tip from a reader (See? I really am listening) was what finally made me grit my teeth and drive down Alcoa Highway in search of some alleged good eats. Again, let me own up to my prejudices—when I called the restaurant for directions and they mentioned that the most prominent landmark was a red, white, and blue pawn shop, I had a small moment of doubt. Call me a snob.

As it turns out, Luce—pronounced "Lou-cha"—is everything it's been rumored to be, which is a solid Italian place that has the additional bonuses of having a cool atmosphere and pretty good food. Most of that is probably due to chef Lawrence W. Phillips' experience on the line in other local kitchens. And while there are some bugs to be worked out—Luce has only been open about three months—the dining experience is a pretty good one.

In terms of the feel of the place, Phillips and friends have created a warm, inviting space that feels hip for this part of East Tennessee. Luce's dynamic logo, brick red exposed ceilings, and impressive bar—the structure, that is, not what the bar contains, which is not much, given that Maryville's still waiting for a booze upgrade—clearly prove that a lot of thought has been given to the appearance of the restaurant. And, while a well-designed room isn't essential to great food, it is an indication that someone actually cares about the impression that the room makes.

Maybe a dozen or so entrees, a couple of pasta options, a handful of appetizers, a soup or two, and a few salads make up Luce's menu. In terms of numbers, it sounds like a lot of stuff to choose from but, somehow, it seems slightly limited, given that most of the options are the standard sort of fare you'll find at any American-Italian place. Hopefully, the breadth of selections will change as Luce and its chef gain in confidence and client-base.

Still, what we had was solidly prepared and darn good. My favorite of the appetizers was the breaded fresh mozzarella ($4.95). These weren't your standard cheese sticks, yanked out of the freezer and submersed in the fry vat. Instead, delicate triangles of fresh cheese were lightly coated in crisp crumbs, fried, and topped with a light tomato sauce that only enhanced the cheese's subtle flavor. The bruschetta ($3.95) was also good, but I'm sure this grilled bread topped with oil and fresh tomatoes will be much better when 'mater season rolls around again.

The salad was on the iceberg-heavy side and topped with pancetta bits, what tasted like boxed croutons, and a tomato or two. The peppery parmesan dressing, while just fine, was really nothing all that interesting. What stole the show, though, was the warm foccacia. Hearty yet somehow light-in-texture slices of this bread are topped with a combination of herbs and oil, transforming what can be a rather ordinary restaurant offering into something remarkably satisfying, especially when paired with the garlic butter that comes with it.

The entrees didn't quite live up to the promise of the foccacia (but what could, really) yet were fairly good. The chicken parmesan ($14.95) featured two breaded breasts that had been expertly prepared—moist and flavorful, which is a difficult feat with such a low fat and mostly flavorless piece of protein. Smothering the chicken was a rich, garlicky tomato sauce and a melted blanket of mozzarella cheese. This combination was served on a bed of linguine with a side of perfectly roasted asparagus.

While not quite as pleasing as the chicken dish, the penne pasta with shrimp and chicken ($13.95) was certainly filling. The creamy, herbed garlic sauce coated each morsel yet never obscured each individual taste. And while there aren't heaps of vegetarian offerings, the chicken parmesan comes in an eggplant version, which I'm sure is just as delightful as the meaty kind. Also, some dishes like the ubiquitous spaghetti and meatballs could be modified to suit an animal-free diet.

Perhaps the strangest offering of the night was the orange blossom cheesecake ($3.99), which tasted almost exactly like a scoop of orange sherbet that had been whipped with cream cheese and scooped into a nut and graham cracker crumb crust. It was a tasty end to the meal, but not quite what I was expecting, which, actually can be said of Luce itself.

A couple of hints, should you head that way—bring your own wine and make a reservation. The place was packed on a UT game night, even after the game had started.