Luca West offers a blend of traditional Northern Italian dishes

By CYNTHIA SCHUSTER EAKIN

As everyone knows, the restaurant business is hard work. And no one knows more about hard work than Luca Sema, owner of Luca West.

Sema said he is often at the restaurant from 5 a.m. until closing. “I work hard, work hard, work hard. I never stop working. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself,” he added.

Chef Sema came to the United States from Albania in Sept., 1997. He got a job washing dishes at a restaurant in Little Italy and then began cooking at various restaurants there and downtown. Sema said he had previously worked as a chef in Albania. He went back to Albania to open a restaurant for his sister, then returned to Cleveland to open the award-winning Luca Italian Cuisine on the Superior Viaduct downtown in 2013. He opened Luca West in suburban Westlake in 2017.

Luca West offers a blend of traditional and high-end Northern Italian dishes. “I like to prepare traditional Italian dishes with a different, modern twist,” Sema noted. Commitment to excellence plays a pivotal role for the restaurant’s team, ensuring that each guest’s visit is not just a meal, but a memorable dining experience. Their expertise in wine selections and dedication to hospitality further elevate the ambience and service.

Luca West seats 130 guests inside the restaurant and another 130 on its lovely patio. The restaurant employs 40 staff members. “We have a good crew. They trained well. Most have been here with me since the very beginning,” Sema said. His twin brother, Tim Sema, works alongside him in the kitchen preparing the food.

“Everything is homemade from scratch. All of the beef we serve is 100 percent Black Angus Prime. We cut our own meat. All of the desserts are homemade. We even make our own gelato,” Sema said. Many of the ingredients are imported, including some varieties of pasta. Local sources for pasta are Flour and Ohio City Pasta. Appetizers like the Calamari Aglio e Olio Rosso sauteed in a sauce of red wine and tomato sauce with capers, and the Melanzane, or roasted baby eggplant with mascarpone and ricotta cheeses, are outstanding. Soups include a Ribollita with Tuscan white beans and fresh mushrooms in a vegetable broth, and Crema di Tartufo Bianco with white truffle cream, lobster and aged fig balsamic.

Chef Sema said the most popular dish, available as an appetizer or entrée, is the white truffle and ricotta-stuffed Sacchetti. Other pasta offerings include traditional potato gnocchi with sundried tomatoes and Porcini mushrooms, and Bologna, or cheese-stuffed tortellini with tomato cream, shrimp and lobster meat. Sauteed sea scallops are served with black truffle butter and pappardelle. Whole branzino is prepared with a brown butter citrus sauce and fileted tableside. Other entrees include slow-roasted veal shank Ossobuco with sofrito and Chianti Classico. Braised lamb shank is served with julienne vegetables, cheese tortellini and a Dolcetto wine sauce. Marinated Porterhouse cut steak is prepared with Italian seasoning, roasted garlic and sage. All entrees are served with a signature loaf of crusty bread.

Sema said that he will soon be introducing a fall menu, with new pasta dishes and seasonal items. “I like to keep a base of customer favorites,” he noted. Sema said that the gardens behind the restaurant are his hobby. Because of limited space, they do not supply enough vegetables for the demand from the Luca West kitchen. The employees do take home some tasty tomatoes in season. Sema also keeps six beehives, which supply about 90 pounds of fresh honey.

In addition to daily dinner service, Luca West is available for onsite private events and offsite catering. Special menus can be designed for casual, buffet and fine dining events, and to meet the dietary restrictions of guests. Luca West is at 24600 Detroit Rd. Phone 216-201-9600 or visit www.lucawest.com.

No matter how complicated the dish, Chef Luca Sema makes it look easy to prepare. Here is a simple recipe for Chef Sema’s chicken piccata.

Pound the chicken until thin and uniform thickness. Season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a pan with pre-heated olive oil and saute until golden brown. Once the chicken is golden, add 2 cloves of garlic and the juice from half a lemon. Add white wine and allow to cook for several minutes. Add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add a tablespoon of capers and allow to heat through. Serve with your favorite pasta.