Late Night @ M'tucci's
/If you have visited Italy or Spain, you know that they have different dining hours and habits. In some Italian towns and cities, restaurants won’t open for lunch until 12:30 and they will close for the afternoon around 2:30 or 3:00. Dinner service might not begin until 7:30. Americans who are used to sitting down to their evening meal at 6:00 will have to adjust.
Last September in Venice and in the small town of Valdobbiadene, we would arrive for dinner at 7:30 when the restaurant opened and we would have it all to ourselves for the next hour.
In Italy, dining begins with a light breakfast of cappuccino and a pastry around 9:00am. Showing up for a coffee at 7:00, might mean you will stand around and wait for the cafe to open at 8:00. A mid-morning coffee will keep you going until it’s time for lunch at 12:30 or 1:00. Quite often in Italy, Spain or Mexico this is the main meal of the day.
Around 5:00 or so, it’s time for gelato or an aperitivo, maybe an Aperol Spritz or a glass of prosecco, and a snack. By the time 7:30 or 8:00 comes, Italians start thinking about dinner.
Late night dining culture is also wildly popular in Spain. After a breakfast similar to Italians, Spaniards typically begin a three-hour lunch around 1:00 followed by a short nap. Returning to work after a three hour break, workers often work until 8:00, stroll their neighborhood for tapas and a drink, then sit down for dinner at 10:00. The reason is partly cultural, but partly stems from the country’s WWII history. When Franco aligned with Germany, he changed the country’s time zone from GMT to Central European Time. People continued to dine at the same time, but now it was an hour later.
Regardless of when you choose to have lunch or dinner, sometimes you want a late-night snack. M’tucci’s Moderno now offers a Late Night Happy Hour menu, with reduced prices on cocktails, select beers and glasses of M’tucci’s Private Label Wines. Some of our most popular appetizers, small plates and pizzas also have reduced prices from 8:00 until closing Monday through Thursday.
Last night I had the Hummus plate, which comes with Roasted Garlic, Citrus Roasted Olives, Marinated Red Bell Peppers, Pepperoncini, Peppedew Peppers, Roasted Artichoke Hearts and Sourdough Pita Bread. It was fantastic! Dinner at 8:00! You’ll love it and it’s coming soon to other M’tucci’s locations.
Weekend Specials
M’tucci’s Italian
Ravioli - Lobster & Ricotta Filling -House Made Linguiça Sausage, Shrimp, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Spinach, Cajun Cream Sauce $27
8 oz. Picaña - Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Lemon, Balsamic Reduction $33
Pan-Seared California Halibut - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Grilled Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $33
Pineapple Rosemary Braised Sackett Farms Pork Belly - Creamy Risotto, Red Onions, Kale, Roasted Red Peppers & Pineapple Relish, Micro Greens $29
Weekend Cocktail
Dulce Vida - Dulce Vida Tequila, Fresh Lime Juice, Tamarindo Syrup, Giffard Passion Fruit
M’tucci’s Moderno
14 oz. Ribeye - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Broccolini, Italian Salsa Verde $39
Pan-Seared Rockfish - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Broccolini, Roasted Artichoke, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce, Prosciutto Powder $27
Chicken Portobello - Roasted Portobello Mushrooms, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Julienned Spinach, Roasted Garlic, Mozzarella, Roasted Garlic Demi-Glacé, House Made Spaghettini $23
Weekend Cocktail
Curious & Curiosity - 2 Small Cocktails: Hendrix Flo Gin, Orange Juice, Simple Syrup & Hendrix Cabernet, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup
M’tucci’s Twenty-Five
Rigatoni with Beef Brodo & Wild Mushrooms - Beef Tips, Wild Mushrooms, Herbed Compound Butter, Creamy Beef Brodo, Spinach, Caramelized Onion, Sage, Pecorino & Parmesan $27
Pan-Seared Barramundi - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Braised Greens, Artichoke Hearts, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $36
6 oz. Filet - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Charred Broccolini, Creamy Horseradish Remoulade $36
Weekend Cocktail
Peruvian Summer - Caravedo Acholado Pisco, Ramazzoti Aperitivo, Fresh Lemon Juice, Honey, Orange Bitters, Egg White
M’tucci’s Bar Roma
Ravioli con Agnello - Braised Lamb, Caramelized Onions, Sautéed Mushrooms, Cashew Velouté, House Made Five Cheese Ravioli $23
Pan-Seared Yellowtail - Garlic Whipped Mashed Potatoes, Braised Arugula with Garlic, Seared Stem-on Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $33
Weekend Cocktail
Peelin’ Good - Bombay Sapphire, Averna Amaro, Giffard Banana Liqueur
Live Music for April
M’tucci’s Bar Roma - 6:30pm Wednesday & Noon Sunday
4/7 Gilbert Uribe
4/10 Cali Shaw
4/14 Lani Nash
4/17 Gilbert Uribe
4/21 RJ Perez
4/24 Shane Wallin
4/28 Chris Dracup
M’tucci’s Moderno - 6:30 Thursday & 7:30 Friday
4/5 Matt Jones
4/11 Johnny Lloyd
4/12 Lani Nash
4/18 Cali Shaw
4/19 Shane Wallin
4/25 Lani Nash
4/26 RJ Perez
M’tucci’s Twenty-Five - 6:30 Thursday & 7:30 Friday
4/5 Shane Wallin
4/11 Eryn Bent
4/12 RJ Perez
4/18 Javier Ortega
4/19 Myles Chavez
4/25 Johnny Lloyd
4/26 Gilbert Uribe
Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!
