Lucca Grill - Bloomington, IL

When I first started Road Tips nearly 11 years ago, one of the first place that I wrote about is one of my all-time favorite pizza places I've found in my travels, Lucca Grill in Bloomington, IL.  The writing style and information was pretty poor - in my book - and it was long before I found my style and "voice" for the blog.  I've always wanted to stop back in and do a proper Road Tips write-up on Lucca Grill.  I had that chance on a recent trip through Bloomington.  

I had a good friend who was living just outside of Bloomington and who worked at Illinois State University who initially turned me on to Lucca Grill about 20 years ago.  But the business, itself, has in been in business for over 80 years.

Fred and John Baldini were first generation Italian-Americans whose parents emigrated to the U.S. before the boys were born.  The two opened their restaurant in 1936 and named it after the town where their parents came from, Lucca, Italy, not far from Pisa.  They served grilled sandwiches along with Italian specialties from recipes that were handed down through their family.  

Fred Baldini had a son also named John and a son named Charles - who also went by the nickname of "Tot" (since he was the youngest) - who came into the business with their father and the older John Baldini in the 1950's.  It was the younger John Baldini who went to St. Louis and came back with the recipe of how to make pizza pies.  However, his brother Tot thought that pizza was a fad and he didn't think it would stick.  It was in 1953 that the Baldini family served the first pizza at Lucca Grill, the first place in Central Illinois to serve pizza.  

Well, pizza did stick and the Lucca Grill thrived.  Their most popular pizza - the a la Baldini - initially featured anchovies along with sausage, pepperoni, ham, onions, mushrooms, green peppers and pepperoncini.  The Baldini's dumped the anchovies off the a la Baldini a number of years ago, but that style continues to be the most popular pizza at Lucca Grill.  

Lucca Grill was one of those local places where professional people would be seated next to union laborers who were seated next to clergy members who were seated next to everyday mom and dads out with their kids.  Politics was always discussed in Lucca Grill as the younger John Baldini was the longtime local Democratic Party chairman and a huge admirer of President John F. Kennedy.  A portrait of Kennedy still hangs on the wall behind the bar at Lucca Grill.

In the early 80's, Tot Baldini retired and John Baldini sold the Lucca Grill to his son-in-law Chuck Williams.  Today, Tony Smith and John Koch run the day-to-day operations for the Williams family.  Longtime patrons of Lucca Grill will tell you that nothing has changed in the taste and quality of the food over the years.  

Lucca Grill is located at the corner of N. East Street - the one-way going north through downtown Bloomington - and W. Market Street.  (see map)  Parking is available on the side streets near Lucca Grill.  I found a parking spot on N. Main just around the corner from the place and went inside.  

The dining/bar area hasn't changed a bit since the first time I walked in 20 years ago.  It still has the same tin ceiling tiles from when Lucca Grill opened over 80 years ago.  It features a long bar with a number of tables closely placed near one another.  It was packed - as usual.  

The walls are adorned with beer signs and old-time college pennants that probably date back to the 50's.  It's sort of a cozy, comfortable feeling in the place.  Lucca Grill has had their share of celebrities and big-name politicians come through the front door over the years. 

The original pizza oven is right up front on your right just as you walk in the front door.  The zest from the countless numbers of pizzas cooked in the oven over the years helps with the unique taste of a Lucca pizza.  

There is an upstairs dining area at Lucca Grill - I'd been going there for over 10 years before I realized that there was an upstairs to the place.  It's much more updated and modern than the main dining room on the ground floor.  I've eaten up there a couple three times, but I prefer sitting in the main dining room downstairs.

I almost had to sit upstairs as there was no place to sit on the main floor.  However, just before I was going to up the stairs, a guy stood up at the bar and I ended up taking his seat when he left.  There was a couple seated next to me on the right chomping down on an a la Baldini pizza.  Since Bloomington is basically half-way between Chicago and St. Louis, there are allegiances to both the Cubs and the Cardinals in the Bloomington/Normal area.  During baseball season, Lucca Grill will have one television turned on to a Cardinals game while another - or two - will have on the Cubs game.  The owners also have a deep fondness for the Chicago Blackhawks in professional hockey.  

There's more than pizza on the menu at Lucca Grill.  They also feature Italian specialties such as lasagna, chicken parmesan and baked ziti along with a number of pasta dishes including spaghetti, meat or cheese-filled ravioli, and fettuccine alfredo.  I was seated next to a guy one time who was having the fettuccine alfredo and the smell of the garlic coming from the rich and creamy alfredo sauce almost made me want to ask him for a bite.  Lucca Grill also has a number of sandwiches to choose from, build-your-own burgers, and a long list of appetizers, as well as soups and salads.  

But I was there for the pizza.  I got a small (10") Italian sausage, pepperoni and mushroom.  The crust on a  Lucca pizza is thin and crisp, but not paper thin or brittle.  They cut the pizza in what is known as a tavern or party cut - the best way to cut a pizza in my book.  The toppings were plentiful and the mozzarella cheese was caramelized on top of the pizza.  The mushrooms are fresh, the pepperoni had a bit of a spicy and salty taste, and the sausage they use is so savory in taste that it just makes my mouth water as I'm writing about it. This pizza easily passes my "Does It Taste Good with Beer?" protocol for a good pizza.  They had the Schlafly pale ale on tap and I had a couple of those before and after my pizza showed up.  

The center "honey pot" pieces in the middle are always the best with a party cut pizza.  There's no crust, most of the flavorings coagulate in the middle, and it's generally a happy, gooey mess of cheese and toppings that come together there.  The "honey pot" cuts on a Lucca's pizza are just heavenly in taste.  

For me, it's always a treat to stop at Lucca Grill.  I've been saying for a long time that I would like to try something else - like the fettuccine alfredo - but the pizza is so good that I don't want to waste a trip there to try anything else.  If I lived closer and went more often, then, yeah - I may try something else.  But it's tough to beat the wonderful pizza they have at Lucca Grill.  It's one of the best places for pizza I've encountered in my travels over the years.  

Comments

[Dirk Keller]

Our Dad grew up in Bloomington and was friends with Tot and John. He would often take us there for the a la Baldini, which we loved. The brothers were always friendly to me and my siblings and made us feel welcome. My late aunt Emily was also first generation Italian-American and lived a block away from Lucca Grill. It was her hangout. We would meet her there for drinks and dinner often, even after our Dad and his brother died. Over the years, usually when Iowa football played at Illinois, we would stop at Lucca so I could turn on my buddies to the greatest pizza ever made. Thanks for sharing this story of a legendary joint.

[MARIA VALENTINO]

MY HUSBAND AND I STOPPED THERE MANY YEARS AGO AND I BELIEVE IT WAS TOT WHO WAITED ON US AT THE BAR. I DON'T REMEMBER MUCH ELSE BUT HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION WRITTEN ON THE BALDANI FAMILY FROM MY 100-YR. OLD AUNT WHO IS NOW DECEASED. I WD. LIKE TO SEND IT TO TOT'S DECENDENTS. I THINK I READ HE IS DECEASED NOW, RIGHT? MY MOM WAS A BALDANI, DTR.
OF DOMINICO BALDINI WHO HAD AN ICE CREAM PARLOR IN CHICAGO.

[Mark Baldini]

I believe there are some factual errors here. My family understanding is that Fred & John were born near Lucca, Italy, and emigrated to the US as adults. Article states their parents emigrated here before they were born. Fred Baldini was my Great Grandfather, Tot Baldini my Grandfather.