 WITH AN
ITALIAN
ACCENT
Luciano at the
Strand
updates the classics
By RON BECHTOL
Photography JANET ROGERS
Luciano at the Strand opened in
the handsomely but minimally
renovated space previously occupied
by the ambitious and muchappreciated
Gladys, with a gambit that
was a gamble: Take Italian cuisine, subject
it to the sensibilities of a credentialed
Southwestern chef, and present
it to an unsuspecting public. Talented
chef Jesse Perez, formerly of
Francesca’s at the Westin La Cantera,
left for a prestigious post in Atlanta.
But, counting on current kitchen competency
(a new chef was hired at press
time) and without making massive initial
changes in the menu, owner Joe
Buonincontri has pulled the fat from
the fire. So to speak.
Service started slowly but picked up
in both speed and (appropriate) attentiveness
throughout a thoroughly
enjoyable recent evening; Thursday’s
troubadour, Jorge Paloma, provided an
altogether appealing accompaniment
to the meal; and the food just kept getting
better and better.
To be honest, it’s often hard to top a
good Negroni (Campari, sweet vermouth
and gin), no matter how good
the cuisine, and Luciano
does a mean one —
though the bartender
might have gotten just a
tad carried away with the
lemon and orange garnish
of slices, not the
expected peel. The bittersweet
character of the
drink was even a match
for an extremely handsome
plate of carpaccio topped with a
salad of peppery greens lightly anointed
with good olive oil.
 The sprightly salsa verde accenting
seared diver scallops served over white
polenta did matter, adding a bright
accent to the meaty mollusk lightly perfumed
with earthy truffle essence. But
none of the above had prepared us for
the pasta dish we shared in advance of
the main plates: Ravioli di zucca are
house-made ravioli stuffed with sweetly
rustic pumpkin, and they are a revelation.
Part of the excitement is generated
by the tender ravioli themselves, but
sautéing them in butter accented with
earthy, fresh sage plays sweet and delicate
against rich and pungent, and
the addition of grated biscotti
(amaretti are sometimes used) adds
both ritual allure and a grace note of
anise flavor. A kind of crescendo had
been reached that the entrées were
going to have trouble matching.
Conceptually, the anatra alla saltimbocca was utterly irresistible on the page.
Duck breast stuffed with prosciutto and
sage in the manner of the classic veal
dish? What’s to lose? And in fact, the
duck itself was impeccably prepared to a
desirable rare-to-medium-rare degree. In
the traditional dish, the flatly pounded
veal and prosciutto are almost equal
players, with the sage in a strong supporting
role and a white wine reduction
even considered optional. In this case,
the plump petto di anatra is just too
magnificent; the rest counts for little
most of the time — though the wine
sauce may have gone the opposite direction
with its mushrooms bathed in
marsala sweetness. Yet there’s great
promise here if balance can be achieved — maybe through slicing the duck breast
rather than stuffing it.
 There were no overly inventive moves
employed on the osso bucco, a dish perfect
for both winter and the bottle of
Catena Malbec we had ordered at the
beginning of the evening. The $40
Argentine Malbec was
wonderful throughout the
meal. Luciano thoughtfully
and correctly serves this
Milanese dish with a small
fork for extracting the
marrow from the shin
bone, and the marrow is
the luxurious, Lucullan
touch in what is otherwise
an unpretentious presentation.
The veal was fine for its part, with
a fall-from-the-bone texture, but it could
have used the snap a simple gremolata
(the traditional garnish of chopped
lemon zest, garlic and parsley) normally
brings to bear.
There’s such a canon of classic
Italian recipes — well beyond the
lasagnas and chicken cacciatores that
Luciano thankfully does not see the
need to trot out — that attempts to be
innovative are bound to be judged
against it. All the more reason to keep
trying, and the Luciano kitchen clearly
has the talent. What they may now
need is the time — and perhaps the
combined guidance of Buonincontri
and his new capo di cuoca.
What we didn’t have at this point in
the evening was room — for the El Rey
Chocolate “torta” with mascarpone
crema I really wanted. Dining companion,
suitably and sophisticatedly
sweatered against the season, found our
compromise, the lemon sabayon pine
nut tart, but it was spot-on for me, providing
just the proper, delicate coda to an
evening that could hardly be called calorically — or culinarily — cautious.
We’ll be back to check on progress.
LUCIANO AT
THE STRAND
11255 Huebner Road
(210) 561-9700
Lunch: Mon-Sat, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Dinner: Mon-Thurs, 5:30-10 p.m.,
Fri-Sat, 5:30 p.m.-12 a.m.
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