San Antonio Express News
Restaurant Review: Italy expanded
09/12/2006

Bonnie Walker
Express-News Staff Writer
The opening of Luciano at the Strand brought to a close speculation among restaurant aficionados: What would replace Gladys, the former restaurant at this location? And would it offer cuisine on a par with that of Tom Benninger, the chef/owner of Gladys who died a little more than a year ago?

The answers lie largely with Jesse Perez, formerly of Francesca's at Sunset and a protégé of chile-king Mark Miller. The chef has set his course for Italy — with some short culinary detours through the American Southwest and the Continent. This might seem an awkwardly busy concept, but Perez makes it work.

It also helps that Luciano's decorators have addressed the one design issue that marred the often-clattery Gladys: Noise has been dampened by cloth and carpet, as well as buffers that float from the ceiling like colorful, airborne polka dots.

We made a few happy noises ourselves during our first visit, responding to the amuse bouche of seared scallops with a glimmer of basil oil, perched atop polenta cakes.

When appetizers arrived our guests, having recently returned from Italy, were as nonplussed as we to see shaved meats and variety of cheeses on the Caprese salad. Nevertheless, we cheerfully forked up all the embellishments to the classic sliced ripe tomato, fresh mozzarella cheese and basil.

Carpaccio succeeded, with ultra-rare beef, seared ever-so-briefly, sliced to papery thinness.
A hefty but well-balanced Sopa di Mare was delicious, but with another soup, a minestrone, we had to pass up the "al dente" beans. Tender is better, folks. But we loved the properly al dente orecchiette pasta in a savory, chile-laced tomato broth. The homemade gnocchi, too, might have been made by an Italian master.

Entrées held up as well. Lamb chops were delicately flavored, with additional punch coming from a green chile mint pesto. A pork entrée received a boost from a mouth-puckering pomegranate jam. These two dishes, especially, went well with manager Kurt Pike's recommendation of the Zenato Ripasso di Valpolicella. (We were recognized by Luciano personnel and we thank them for not unduly swamping our little party with attentions.)

An order of Poussin al Mattone, or grilled, brined young chicken, failed to give us the succulence we wanted, but the truffled and garlicky risotto on the plate was a hit. Another highlight was the Branzino, or Mediterranean sea bass, perfectly cooked and enhanced by the onion and fennel in a spring ragoût.

The finishing, sweet touch included a perfect crème brulée, midnight-dark chocolate torte and fresh fruit served with a lush mint zabaglione.

Lunch a few days later brought a flurry of new flavors, including a matchless dish of tender littleneck clams in garlicky cream sauce. Duck confit in a lustrous green broccoli raab crêpe was properly unctuous. The herb-crusted filet mignon was good, but nearly eclipsed by a bacon-rich potato purée. While a tender, flaky halibut dish pleased one diner, her soup course of gazpacho, though relatively non-oily, was sweet enough to mar the balance.

With all it has going for it, we expect Luciano to be powering up for this fall's dining. Of note: A new patio looks inviting, and, as the weather cools, promises to be a great place to eat or simply to linger with a drink.