Named for the Super Tuscan wine that the Frescobaldi family of Florence, Italy, produces in partnership with the Mondavi family of Napa Valley, Luce draws on three distinct cultural influences—Northern Italian, Californian, and French—thanks to the career of peripatetic chef Dominque Crenn. Raised in Versailles, France, she learned from her parents an appreciation of great French cuisine. She studied the culinary arts in San Francisco, where she worked under Jeremiah Tower of Stars. For her current post, she traveled to Tuscany to meet the owners and study Italian fine cuisine. On her menus, which rely mostly on ingredients from the Bay Area, Italian classics share billing with more exotic combinations.
Specialties: Wild-mushroom-and-truffle risotto; Teeccino-and-vanilla-encrusted venison with blackberry compote, asparagus, and spiced chocolate.
