History
Located in the heart of Bucktown, caffe De Luca is rich in ancestry and respectful of tradition. Opened in 1999, caffe De Luca has become a favorite in the neighborhood. We offer specialty coffees, homemade pastries and muffins for your morning commute. Our panini and salads are ample dishes to satisfy your deepest hunger. Come try our famous Pollo Picante! For breakfast we offer pancakes, French toast, omelets and crepes, and our weekend brunch runs until 2 PM. Our pastry chef continually outdoes himself with new desserts, which pair smashingly with our superb coffees and sweet, bubbly dessert wine. We have a full bar, and a carefully selected wine list. Everybody at caffe De Luca looks forward to seeing you and we will work hard to deliver a touch of Old World Italy right to your table, in honor of our humble beginnings...
Once in the small town of Cindente, Italy, there was a caffe of such renown that people would gather there from miles around to enjoy its food and hospitality. It served some of the finest pastries and drinks in the region. The panini would satisfy even the heartiest appetites. Cappuccino was served with a heart-shape in its foam if the proprietor was in a jovial mood - and she always was! Come summertime, the tables and chairs outside were a magnet for children to sit and enjoy the smooth, creamy gelato made by the caffe. The men would drink Chianti and play bouls outside on the forecourt, while the women would chat about the latest fashions to come from the city. The caffe was truly the center of the town, providing entertainment, community and delicious refreshments.
When the Second World War swept through Europe, the caffe became the source for news in the town and helped relieve anxiety. During the War, the town was ruined. Inevitably, the town was abandoned as people fled, and the caffe closed its doors. After the end of the hostilities people simply did not come back. Cindente had become a town of memories.
Thanks to our intrepid founder, our story does not end in such a melancholy way. He learned of the town and the caffe half a century later and was interested in its history. Upon asking the nearby elder townsfolk, he was entranced by a story of life that he wished he could emulate back in Chicago. There was, however, one detail that no one could remember: the name of the caffe. They could, and did, describe with great detail the magnificent fare of it but not its name, which had faded from the walls and their memories by the passing years. Our founder, undaunted by the lack of a name, decided simply to honor the spirit of conviviality and named the caffe after his paternal Italian grandmother; hence caffe De Luca.
Enjoy your visit. Salute!
