Lucca, Fort Lauderdale

Rich aromas of garlic and just-baked foccacia escape the kitchen at Lucca Ristorante and greet visitors before they even have a chance to settle in. It’s a teasing and oh-so-tempting preview of the restaurant’s rustic and refined Italian cuisine, such as pan-seared scallops served with spinach or rigatoni piemontese—tube-shaped pasta tossed in a pink sauce with ham and mushrooms that have been flambéed with vodka. Every day, chefs supplement the menu with market-fresh seafood and specials crafted around seasonal ingredients and spices. An extensive wine list completes meals, but diners can also sip on bottles they’ve brought from home or secretly dug up from a neighbor’s garden.