646098 Thu Aug 20 07:56:01 -0700 2009 11 19 Outer Boroughs 0 4962049 My father is visiting us this weekend, and I had planned to take him to Lucali for a couple pies. However, my coworker recently reported a subpar meal: she said the sauce tasted like it was from a jar, and the crust lacked flavor. Has anyone else noticed a decline in quality there? Or could this have simply been a fluke? I used to live in Carroll Gardens and ate at Lucali several times. Every visit was fantastic. My last trip was in spring of 2008. Thanks! Thu Aug 20 07:56:02 -0700 2009 97931 annana 1 4962855 Maybe the boss is on vacation and a substitute is cooking. Thu Aug 20 11:22:08 -0700 2009 4962049 195635 Brklynbobby 1 4965010 no reason to think so. no report of any change. Do you trust your co-worker's taste? Had they been there before? The crust is not really salted at Lucali if that's important to you. If you are really concerned you can call up and find out if the owner will be cooking. Fri Aug 21 06:47:02 -0700 2009 4962049 11130 jen kalb 1 4965098 "my coworker recently reported a subpar meal: she said the sauce tasted like it was from a jar, and the crust lacked flavor." Any report, especially one about a well established place with a good reputation, needs to be assessed for credibility. A telltale sign of bullshit is the gratuitous comparison to mass market foods. "The pasta tasted like Chef Boyardee!" "The chicken tasted like a Swanson's TV dinner!" At a 99% level these comments aren't reliable. Again, I'm talking about well established places with good reputations. A great restaurant doesn't suddenly decide to suck one day. Lucali's didn't say "You know, it's really too hot to make sauce. Lets use Prego today." I don't doubt that your coworker didn't like the place but I seriously doubt Lucali's is slipping. Fri Aug 21 07:18:39 -0700 2009 4962049 10162 Bob Martinez 2 4965161 i eat at lucali once a week on average! i can attest to it being consistently wonderful. in fact, each pizza seems *better* than the last. Fri Aug 21 07:36:24 -0700 2009 4965098 70673 maggiepc 3 4966431 i ate there when they first opened and then again a few months ago. i felt that the cheese didn't live up to what i remembered from my first time but it could've just been me. maggiepc--any thoughts on that? Fri Aug 21 13:51:53 -0700 2009 4965161 14598 waxyjax 4 4967913 hmmm...i have actually only been going there for a little over a year, waxyjax. so, maybe the cheese is different from when they first opened. if so, lucky me to not have experienced any decline! Sat Aug 22 08:13:06 -0700 2009 4966431 70673 maggiepc 2 4975833 "A telltale sign of bullshit is the gratuitous comparison to mass market foods." don't trust comparisons. especially ones that employ mass market foods. sometimes a sauce tastes like prego even if it isn't. Tue Aug 25 08:57:40 -0700 2009 4965098 48024 oystersallday 3 4976053 I think the comparison to a mass market product is acceptable if the commenter simply thinks the sauce tastes uninteresting, but a implication that they are cutting corners and using a commercial product is just ridiculous. Tue Aug 25 09:55:43 -0700 2009 4975833 11130 jen kalb 4 4979182 agreed. Wed Aug 26 08:40:46 -0700 2009 4976053 48024 oystersallday 1 4968161 Tastes just as good to me as of last month. Quite tasty in fact! Sat Aug 22 10:32:58 -0700 2009 4962049 94651 NYJewboy 2 4971627 My problem with Lucali has always been the lack of consistency. I've gotten great pies from there and mediocre pies from there, sometimes both on the same night. No excuse for this. I excuse DiFara's for this simply because of Dom's age. Sun Aug 23 22:30:23 -0700 2009 4968161 194023 waylook