I know that, as a journalist, I’m supposed to be impartial and objective. I’m having an extremely difficult time maintaining a passive observance of my profile subject, Lucca Deli. So I’ve decided to take this forum to release my biases so in order to purge them from my mind. I can’t allow my gushing to find it’s way into my actual paper. So without further ado, here is my totally subjective, partisan view of Lucca Deli:
I love this place. I love the food. I love the owners. I love the ambiance. I love its history. I love its customers. I love the hanging salami. I love the giant wheels of parmesan aging on the walls. I love the wall of olive oil. I LOVE IT.
So much of this semester, I have whined about the lack of authenticity I found in the Marina. I complained that nothing was genuine. What I hadn’t realized was that all the sincerity in the Marina had been consolidated into a one-room deli on Chestnut Street. Lucca has enough of a past to make up for all the newly-minted corporate franchises combined. Lucca is so dense with history, it’s like a culture neutron star.
Paul Bosco, the owner, was musing about the changing landscape of Chestnut Street. To paraphrase, he said, “Yeah, there was another really old bar across the street, but it closed. It was the only other old place, I think it opened in the 80s.” Bosco didn’t realize that, if the bar did in fact open in the 80’s, his deli predated it by 50 years. There just aren’t places like Lucca in the Marina.
Here’s a list of businesses on the same block as Lucca: Jamba Juice, Apple Store, Wachovia, Citibank, Pottery Barn, Williams & Sonoma, Gap, Walgreens, AT&T, Peet’s Coffee, Chase, GNC, and of course the ubiquitous Starbucks.
Somewhere in this sea of redundant corporatism, floats Lucca. Like I said, I love it.
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Mike, I love it.
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