Last night's preview of Lurcat Catering left little—yet much—to be desired. Every dish revealed, from lettuce wraps to lamb meatballs to lobster, was truly tasty; surely indicative of the rest of those to come from executive chef Jack Raben. In addition to livening private parties and events, the D'Amico & Partners venture will be the sole caterer of the Naples Botanical Garden's soon-to-open Fogg Cafe.
The florals and settings were beautiful and from what I heard the drinks were on-point, but I'll focus on the food. Unfortunately, I was too busy eating to take a decent photo.
Though for me there were no unsuccessful bites (I tried all but one), the banh mi, a sweet spiced beef with pepper sandwiched between just-soft-enough French bread; the ramen, perfectly cooked noodles in a robustly flavorful broth brimming with shrimp or braised chicken; and the mini ricotta cheesecakes, smooth and topped with a hint of strawberry and basil, won out in the taste contest. The oysters accompanied by a personal mini hot sauce bottle and the picture-perfect cubes of tuna took the top prizes for presentation. I'm sure every other person would argue their own case, as everyone in attendance seemed eager for seconds of at least two of the dishes.
Expect the buzz around the Lurcat name to only increase come season. And for the inside scoop on D'Amico's next venture, The Continental, be sure to check out the Hot List for the new season in our November issue.
