Zucca Italian Ristorante

     The restaurant where I am externing is an Italian restaurant in Louisville called Zucca.  I chose to complete my externship here because it is close, we like the food, and I did not have to do a stage (the "a" is pronounce like "ah" and drawn out like a French person would say it).  A stage is a working interview.  Basically the chef and others watch you cook.  Not intimidating at all.
     What I appreciate about Zucca is that it is a partial farm to table restaurant.  It is owned by Three Leaf Farm Concepts which includes several other local restaurants.  The farm supplies much of the produce the restaurants use.  Zucca recycles as well as composts, including oil.  Leftover vegetable scraps are used to feed the animals on the farm.   In July, we enjoyed a Farm to Table dinner prepared by my chef at Zucca at the Three Leaf Farm.  (See post on 7/22/14)
     Aside from a fixed Italian dominated menu, Zucca also has daily specials such as Opah or Hawaiian Moonfish which is a sustainably farmed fish according to Fishwatch.gov.  There are also daily soups.  All the bread comes from their sister restaurant, The Huckleberry, also in Louisville.  In turn, Zucca supplies the pasta for Huckleberry as well as The Dushanbe Teahouse.  
     I was happy to learn that their sauces are made in house as well as most of their pastas with the exception of spaghetti and penne.  I should know.  I have been making and eating their lasagna, tortellini, ravioli, fettuccine, and tagliatelle. 
    It will be difficult to consume more Italian food after this externship even though it's one of my favorite ethnic foods.  It may be true that you can have too much of a good thing.

Zucca's Lasagna