|
|
|
Vol. LXV, No. 40
|
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
|
|
|
|
|
Vol. LXV, No. 40
|
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
|
 SUCCESS STORY: “We make everything fresh every day. I’m pretty health-conscious, and people know that. We make nearly everything here, and customers know the ingredients we use are fresh and healthy.” Caron Wendell and Joe McLaughlin, owners of Lucy’s Ravioli Kitchen & Market, look forward to continuing to offer customers homemade pasta and prepared food. Shown is a small sample of the many delicious items at Lucy’s. |
Just stepping inside Lucy’s Ravioli Kitchen & Market is enough to give you an appetite! The bright, cheerful food store with its appealing display cases is very inviting. The food, nearly all prepared on the premises, looks good and smells good, and definitely tempts the taste buds and pleases the palate.
And, Lucy’s has been doing this at 830 State Road for 15 years, when co-owners Caron Wendell and Joe McLaughlin decided to expand their successful wholesale pasta business into retail, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner specialties. It is mostly take-out, although there is a counter and some stools inside and outdoor seating in nice weather.
“It was a natural progression,” explains Ms. Wendell. “We can offer a bigger selection and we continue to increase what we have with a variety of wonderful prepared foods.”
Pasta is popular, for sure. It’s quick and easy to prepare and tastes great. People like it hot or cold, in sophisticated recipes, or plain and simple, with just a touch of olive oil and garlic.
People’s Choice
Ms. Wendell, who had formerly operated a Princeton-based catering business, says that she and Mr. McLaughlin initially decided that pasta and ravioli were the people’s choice, and opened the original Lucy’s in Trenton in 1991.
They were so right! Their pasta and ravioli have been a huge hit, along with their many homemade sauces.
“All our pasta and sauces are made on the premises,” says Ms. Wendell. “We also have a Sunday special when you can buy a container of one of our sauces and get a free pound of pasta.”
Sauces include plum tomato and garlic, basil pesto, arugula and pesto, pink vodka cream, the very popular Bolognese (plum tomato, beef, and red wine), and white clam sauce.
Whole wheat pasta, rotini, penne, pippetta, lingluine, angel hair, and fettucine are among the pastas, along with tortellini. Lucy’s signature ravioli includes roasted red pepper, spinach gorgonzola, pesto, wild mushroom, garlic and black pepper, among many others.
There are even more items available in wholesale quantities for restaurants and grocery stores.
All of Lucy’s pasta and ravioli are natural, points out Ms. Wendell. “Our pasta is made with enriched semolina wheat, eggs, water, and salt. Our fillings are made with fresh eggs, cheese, seafood, fresh herbs, and spices. We use no preservatives, filler bases, or processed food substitutes. We produce in small batches to ensure the freshness and quality of our products.”
Take-home Meals
The variety of prepared food offers customers wonderful choices to provide delicious take-home meals. Locally-grown farm produce ensures freshness and quality.
“We are partners with First Fields Farm in Kingston, and we sell their ketchup and relish,” notes Ms. Wendell. “We also have a plot of land there for our own garden.”
Breakfast, especially popular with the early morning crowd, is another favorite at Lucy’s. “We have breakfast paninis, egg sandwiches, hot steel-cut oatmeal, scones, and muffins,” says Ms. Wendell.
The ready-to-eat section is extensive. “The chicken dishes are all popular, and the cedar plank salmon is a huge hit,” she adds. “We make it every day.”
Chicken dishes include chicken oreganata and Lucy’s chicken salad, among others. Also available are ratatouille, Waldorf salad, vegetable lasagna, sausage and mushroom lasagna, manicotti, frittata of the day, and many, many other choices.
Soups and salads are always in demand, as are the sandwiches. “We do a huge sandwich business,” says Ms. Wendell. “We roast our own meat and chickens here.”
Popular choices include turkey classic with cranberry sauce, mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato on Kaiser roll; Lucy’s roasted turkey breast with French brie, honey mustard, lettuce, and tomato on a baguette; Lucy’s smoked country ham with sharp cheddar, grainy mustard, lettuce and tomato on rye; Albacore tuna salad; also fresh mozzarella; grilled vegetables with portobello mushrooms; and Italian combo.
New Dish
“A very popular new dish is our deviled eggs, made from eggs from local chickens,” adds Ms. Wendell. “We also have a great new baker, and we have individual carrot cakes, brownie cheesecakes, brownies, and blondies, among other popular choices.”
Lucy’s also offers a variety of dips, spreads, and patés, such as hummus and artichoke pesto, and other selected items include gourmet crackers, fresh bread delivered daily, cheeses, olives, and baked goods, including croissants.
King-sized chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and ginger chocolate cookies are made on the premises. Biscotti, shortbread, and granola bars from area bakers are also available, as is ice cream from The Bent Spoon, and coffee from Small World.
Prices include $1.25 for the cookies, $7.25 for sandwiches, and $3.99 and up for a pound of pasta.
That Lucy’s continues to be so successful is a source of great pleasure for Ms. Wendell. She is also proud that she and Mr. McLauglin opened a new restaurant One 53 in Rocky Hill five years ago.
She enjoys providing customers with healthy, delicious food, and she likes the interaction with them and also with her staff, many of whom are long-time employees. “I enjoy the customers. I like knowing them, and there are lots of regulars who come all the time. I love the camaraderie with the staff. There are so many people who have been with us a long time. Our manager, Adrienne Donato, is my right hand gal! She also manages the catering, which is a big part of our business. We do a lot of drop-off lunches for Princeton University and businesses in the area.”
A lot of work and long hours make Lucy’s the place it is, and as Ms. Wendell notes, “You have to keep on top of the details all the time. You need to cross the t’s and dot the i’s, so that our product is always the best it can be.
“I enjoy figuring out the dishes, and I’m always wanting to get a new idea,” she continues. “Even when I am on vacation, I like to see other places and get ideas about new dishes and learn from what other people are doing. My interest is food. I love it, and I think people appreciate our vision.”
Lucy’s is open Monday to Friday 7 am. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 to 4. (609) 924-6881. Website: www.lucysravioli.com.