Social media considerations have become a reality in restaurant design and, frankly, I’m here for it. I get a kick out of whimsical interiors and their statement pieces intended to influence the influencer. Striking bars and ambient lighting? Why, they’re Instagram gold. But this tendency toward kitschy luminous signs and fake grass walls? Heavens to Escoffier, they just need to be put to rest.
At Winter Park’s Luca Turci, the Italian venture that replaced the patently awful Braccia, an arched trellis marqueed with the words “Fresh Pasta” in neon pink frames the entryway into the restaurant via the hostess stand checkpoint. It also happens to be the way out, but the narrow path isn’t nearly wide enough to accommodate two-way traffic, which forced us to bottleneck our way into the dining room. Not exactly the best first impression.
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