Description:

Cucina 24 can be found snuggled in a glass and brick face encasement located on Wall Street in our downtown. The feeling is rather urban with a nice warmth created by hardwood floors and brick walls as you either flow down a walkway on the far left or take the steps to the dining/bar area located slightly recessed to the entrance way. Seating was available for larger or smaller crowds and the evening we indulged in dining there, we were part of a group farewell meal.

The dining fare is Italian in the most refined sense of that term. Arriving at a place like Cucina 24 en masse allows a much more thorough exploration of a menu than could possibly occur as a couple. Every member of our group chose differently. Everything from the hangar steak to sword fish moving on to the very homemade, perfectly prepared pasta in the forms of rigatoni bolognese and pumpkin mezzaluna was sampled and no one was disappointed.

The evening we dined there, cauliflower soup was the hit appetizer of the night largely owning to the freezing cold that ushered us in the door as we arrived that evening. It was perfect in texture, flavor and true to its mission statement, perfectly delivered the kind of good old “chasing the cold away” soup is noted for.

There is a fantastic brick oven there and while this place offers pizza, in combinations you’ve likely not found on other menus, no one actually made this as a choice for their dinner dining that evening. I have to confess though, it is already firmly implanted in my mind for sampling on a future occasion.

Dessert is addressed last only as we had not one member of our lively band that bought into the “Eat dessert first…just in case” theorem.
However, that which was delayed, was not denied. A cinnamon pizzelle with cappuccino gelato was superb. I deeply regretted my offer to share made before it arrived at the table. Our guest of honor got pumpkin doughnuts … she did not share … popping each one of those seasonal delights into her mouth making soft purring noises indicating supreme enjoyment. I’d say that if dessert is your higher purpose, exploring this particular dessert menu would not be a poor place to start.

Every dining experience is affected by wait staff either positively or sometimes providing such bad service even a great meal can’t rescue the evening. Service at Cucina is exactly what you’d expect in fine dining and you get what you’ve paid for. Alert, informed, prompt, helpful but not intrusive even rallying to photographic assistance so we could all be in the photo preserving the memory of the evening. Perfect pitch and left us all feeling both sated and grateful.

Cucina does not serve Lunch. They offer a full bar. Dinner is available Tuesday-Sunday 5-9:30pm and reservations are strongly advised. Parking can, if you are lucky be procured on Wall Street itself or a close proximal street providing easy walking to Cucina. Failing that, the Wall Street Garage is readily assessable.