I made a New Year’s resolution to lose a few pounds and so far I’m doing very well. However, every now and then I still need to splurge and eat some really great food which is why we paid a visit to Luciano's in Londonderry.
We walked in on a Saturday night and it was as busy as I've seen in a while. There were many parties waiting in the bar and out front for a table. The restaurant does take reservations but we didn’t have our act together on this particular evening so we added our name to the waiting list. While we were waiting, I looked in from the bar to the kitchen and could see the owner and Chef Lou with pots and frying pans a plenty. A quiet confidence exudes, yes, he knows what he's doing and it shows in the food.
A little while later we were seated at a table in the back which we prefer especially on a cold evening as the front door opens right into the restaurant. The dining room is a decent size but not huge. There is also a small bar to the left near the entrance. A musician was playing in the front, a nice touch.
Our waitress stopped by and we ordered up a couple of drinks, I got their house Chianti, this was a nice selection. My wife chose a Cosmo and although okay was not spectacular. She likes her drinks a little sweeter and this was not.
If you read this blog you know that we enjoy eating out and Luciano's never disappoints as we have been here many times. They have a large menu for all you picky eaters out there and would be surprised if you can't find anything to suit your tastes. One appetizer we recommend is their bruschetta, you are going to love this one.
A heavenly mix of their homemade bread, plum tomatoes, basil, mozzarella cheese, olive oil and garlic.
We also split one of their garden salads that was good. Although my wife asked for the dressing on the side, a salad was brought over which had “just a little dressing” on it. That was a complete understatement because the salad was swimming in dressing.
For dinner, I'm usually a chicken parm, spaghetti and meatballs kind of eater but here I go with their chicken and spinach ravioli.
Enough chicken so you can actually see it inside the ravioli along with spinach in a tomato cream sauce. Normally it might seem that the portion is a little small but it works with this dish and worth every bite.
My wife went with their chicken marsala:
Thin slices of chicken and mushrooms in a beautiful marsala wine sauce, you would enjoy this as an entree.
Our waitress was efficient and friendly, no complaints.
So there you have it, we recommend Lucianos for a wonderful taste of Italy.