I love our city's many modern restaurants, with sleek minimalist décor and chefs experimenting with the latest culinary trends. However, sometimes you just want satisfying comfort food in a classic Chicago joint. You know what I mean—the kind of place where you can imagine your grandparents, dressed to the nines, in the 1940s.
Nestled on a side street in Bucktown, Club Lucky is without a doubt one of those places. Decades ago, the space was a dance hall, and when you step inside, you feel like you're stepping back in time. Red leather booths, an original tin ceiling, swing jazz music heard faintly beneath the chatter of gregarious groups of friends sharing huge bowls of penne Bolognese and sizzling platters of shrimp scampi make Club Lucky quintessentially old-school Chicago.
In keeping with the décor, the menu features expertly-executed Italian classics. Don't expect any truffled polenta, wild boar papardelle or tiny portions. Club Lucky serves up generous portions of the Italian comfort food that we all know and love.
Start with a bottle of robust red wine. I always like Chianti with traditional Italian food, and Club Lucky has several nice bottles for less than $40. The main dishes are so ample, you don't need an appetizer, but to miss out on the golden-brown fried buffalo mozzarella with tangy marinara dipping sauce would just be foolish. Also, try the calamari, which is served three different ways: grilled, fried or sautéed in calabrése cherry peppers, roasted garlic, white wine and fresh herbs.
When it comes to the main courses, it's hard to go wrong. Fettuccine smothered in rich creamy Alfredo sauce, chicken tortellini drenched in Club Lucky's irresistible vodka sauce or just a simple lasagna piled high with layers of thin pasta, creamy ricotta, fresh spinach, and bubbly mozzarella. If you don't want to go into a carb coma, try one of meat or fish dishes like lamb chops served with sautéed spinach and roasted potatoes or the salmon "Oreganato," a simple fish cooked in white wine, oregano and parsley.
My personal favorite is the eggplant parmesan. It's not hard to find eggplant parmesan in Chicago, but it isn't easy to find one quite as good as Club Lucky's. Super-thin slices of eggplant are layered with melted provolone cheese and doused in zesty tomato sauce. The mountain of eggplant (which is roughly the size of a brick) is served with a totally unnecessary but delicious side of penne pasta. You'll get at least two, and possibly three, meals out of this extraordinary eggplant parmesan.
By the time you roll around to dessert, you'll be stuffed and happy, but you may as well finish what you started. You'll find the kinds of sweet treats an Italian grandmother would—spumoni, cannoli, profiteroles and traditional Italian cookies. For a sure bet the whole table will love, order the tiramisu, a scrumptious combination of espresso soaked lady fingers and sweet, creamy mascarpone that is good until the very last forkful.
If you're looking for unpretentious food in a cozy and nostalgic atmosphere, Club Lucky is a top-notch choice any time of the year. However, during the holiday season, the restaurant is decked in twinkling Christmas lights, festive garlands, glittering snowflakes and colorful oversized ornaments, making it the perfect spot for a celebratory meal and gift exchange with friends, an old-fashioned Christmas Eve dinner with family or a romantic New Year's Eve date night.
Club Lucky is located at 1824 W. Wabansia Ave.; call 773-227-2300 or visit http://www.clubluckychicago.com/index.php.
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