Lucca Grill

I've driven past Lucca Grill, 116 East Market St. in Bloomington, many times, and have always wanted to try the place out.
This weekend, I had my chance.
Lucca Grill has been serving up Italian favorites in the same building since 1936. It's a neat place, exposed brick walls and tin ceilings, with old memorabilia covering the walls; the friendly kind of place where you feel comfortable on your first visit. We didn't check out the upstairs, but there was a lot of traffic headed up there.
There's a bar along one side, with several cushy seats to sit in while you enjoy your brew.
They even have a dumbwaiter to move food and dishes from level to level.
We started with an appetizer of fried meat ravioli. It didn't seem fried at all, almost baked, with no greasy flavor. The cornmeal coating gave it a very nice crunch.
We then went for the gusto, a meat combo pizza, covered with sausage, pepperoni, ground beef, ham and bacon. The bacon was my favorite part. This pizza is on a homemade, crispy thin crust.
Now, knowing what I've been missing, the next time, I might not be able to just drive on by.