WARWICK - West Shore Road is wide, busy and industrial. But tucked away is a little gem of a trattoria with Italian specialties, a relaxed atmosphere and sinful desserts.

Though open only two months, Lucce Italian Bistro is humming along like a well-tuned engine. Pronounced “loo-CHAY,” this is the second restaurant owned by Tony Morales and Jack Walrond. They also own Cafe Fresco in East Greenwich, which opened four years ago.

Lucce is far more intimate than the larger Cafe Fresco, and the menu is more Italian in theme, Morales said in an interview after my visit. Morales, who is also the executive chef, spent 12 years working at Providence’s famed Al Forno Restaurant, followed by a stint at Grappa, where he met Walrond.

Morales’ menu is a lovely blending of seafood, meats and pastas. His desserts are worth waiting for, though we didn’t. That’s because service is seamless, even on the busy Saturday night of our visit.

No sooner were we seated comfortably next to a warm radiator, which I totally appreciated on the cold night, than our server Lindy brought us a basket of warm focaccia and a plate of Italian olives with a chunk of Parmesan cheese. A nice welcome always begins with perfectly salty olives, herbed bread and a rich, luscious cheese.

 

A wine of nine grapes

 

As my husband and I debated which white wine to order, Lindy recommended Evolution, a blend of nine grapes from Sokol Blosser Winery in Willamette Valley in Oregon. We hadn’t tried it, so she offered us a sample, which she promptly delivered to the table in a proper wine glass. I love that. Thin crystal in the shape that delivers wine to the taste buds and accents its strength is not found in every small restaurant.

Pleased with the tasting, we opted for a bottle when we saw the price was $26. Evolution is an easy-drinking wine with lots of good fruit. The blend is an interesting one of White Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Semillion, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Muller (a first cousin to White Riesling) and Sylvaner, a Germanic varietal similar to Riesling. It’s a good food wine, and that’s what all wine should be.

Manager Karen Bolinger said Lucce has already had three training sessions to acquaint servers with the choices on the wine list. She added that Evolution is chef Morales’ favorite.

I bet it pairs nicely with his lineup of grilled pizzas. But it was also nice with one of his more rustic dishes, my entree of Venetian chicken ($16).

A half chicken was chopped up and baked with roasted garlic, caramelized onion and thyme. The aroma was heavenly, the chicken moist and the flavor vibrant.

A healthy portion of roasted potatoes tossed with olive oil and herbs accompanied the chicken. The pieces were bite-size and creamy. Accompanying the meat and potatoes were expertly grilled vegetables -- yellow squash, zucchini and red pepper.

 

The special as appetizer

 

The opposite of rustic was my husband’s elegant appetizer of ahi tuna ($12). This was a special of the evening but he asked for it as an appetizer portion. It was no problem.

It was delivered pretty as a picture, a thick tuna steak done nicely rare, draped in a beautifully blended ginger-soy sauce reduction.

On the side was the vibrant green of seaweed. The taste was amazing, in part because of the texture: It was finely shredded, which made it delicate and appealing to the eyes. Its coolness beautifully complemented the heat of the peppered tuna steak.

The plate was finished with a creamy order of red bliss mashed potatoes.

Also outstanding was my grilled chicken risotto ($17). This would be a suitable entree, but I had it as an appetizer.

The chicken looked naked of all seasoning but was grilled with the skin on and then thinly sliced. Half a dozen slices - smoky, crispy, salty and moist - were neatly placed atop the rich risotto that was chock full of fresh tomatoes and squash.

For an entree, my husband was pleased with his selection of a mixed grill ($21). This is a surf-and-turf with a petite filet mignon, a piece of swordfish and risotto. The only thing that could have made it better would have been roasted or mashed potatoes instead of risotto.

The filet had a lot of flavor, more than expected of such a tender piece of meat. The swordfish benefited from the flavor imparted by the grill.

 

Desserts made to order

 

I must admit I thought of Al Forno when our server approached our table while we enjoyed our entrees. She wanted us to know about three desserts that required extra time to prepare. At Al Forno, desserts are ordered at the beginning of the meal to allow time for preparation.

At Lucce, the choices are a bread pudding, a chocolate Vesuvius cake, and a mixed-fruit tart. I opted for the tart, and it proved to be a great choice that showed off the fruit in all its sweet glory.

It started with a tender crust rolled around the fruit to leave it open-faced. Inside were three of my favorite fruits -- strawberries, bananas and apples. All were thinly sliced and wonderfully sweet.

Around the tart was a ring of creamy custard, the same as was in my husband’s wonderful crème brule. That dish was served whimsically, and satisfyingly, in a good-size pastry shell with fresh strawberries ($7).

I asked Lindy to suggest a dessert wine to pair with the fruit tart and she brought me a Jekel Riesling ($5.50), which had the flavor of ripe apples and paired nicely with the tart.

As we finished up, the restaurant seemed poised to serve the next wave of diners. Lucce seats about 40 in the dining room and 15 in the bar area, with a private room for 20 on the second floor. It sits on the site most recently occupied by Nonna Cherubina. Morales and Walrond updated the interior, making it more contemporary with sponge-painted walls.

As I look now at the menu, there was so much we didn’t try, such as the grilled pizzas. We didn’t delve into the pasta dishes, which include baked pasta, shrimp pappardelle, tossed lasagna, and linguine and littlenecks. By choosing chicken and mixed grill, we passed up the veal scaloppini, veal tenderloins, braised lamb shanks and oven-roasted scrod and clams.

So much, so good, so soon into its life as a new restaurant, Lucce seems poised to please a lot of palates there on West Shore Road.

 

Lucce Italian Bistro, 2317 West Shore Rd., Warwick, (401) 921-3300. Casually upscale. No reservations. Several stairs lead to the front door, not easily accessible. Highchairs. Parking lot. MC, V, AE. Dinner served seven nights a week; Sunday through Thursday 5 to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday until 10:30 p.m. Appetizers cost $6 to $12; entrees $13 to $21; desserts $5 to $8. Two dozen wines by the glass, $5.50 to $10; bottles $20 to $200.

 

gciampa@projo.com / (401) 277-7266