Luciano's -- Corpus Christi, TX

Luciano's, 1821 S. Alameda at Six Points, is a classic from way back. You gotta love a restaurant with starched white table cloths and low lighting. A very classy atmosphere greets you as you enter Luciano's . . . most of the time. This visit we were greeted by a man wearing a ball cap. Hmmm, that's never happened before, and I must tell you that he didn't hang around. A man dressed more appropriately manned the host's booth during the rest of the time we were there. Perhaps it was a fluke. He was probably just watching the front while the host took care of something important. Regardless, we always enjoy visiting Luciano's.

Our waiter, arrived at our table several minutes after we were seated. He apologized for being so long, telling us he had just been told that he had a table. I'm not going to speculate as to why he was not out front waiting for someone to be seated in his section, but I will say he was professional, personable, gave us great service, and he was dressed appropriately.

Shrimp Diavolo

Rob had the Shrimp Diavolo. Six plump shrimp in a spicy, serrano laced tomato sauce served atop linguine. Delicioso! The shrimp were beautifully cooked. The sauce just spicy enough to let you know the peppers were there, but not burn your mouth spicy. The seasonings were great, a wonderful balance. I had the Veal Saltimbocca. This is where things take a turn. The thinly sliced veal is covered with prosciutto and provolone, baked and served on a bed of risotto with a rich cream sauce. The meal was beautiful and the flavors were wonderful, but the veal was tough, and the risotto overcooked for my taste. I like it a little closer to al dente. Now, before you stop reading and resolve never to visit Luciano's, you need to know that in my many visits over the past few years, this is the very first time that I have ever had anything to complain about.

Veal Saltimbocca

 I informed our server that the meat was tough (I didn't mention the risotto) and he immediately offered to order something else for me. I didn't want to have to wait and leave Rob eating alone, then him waiting on me while I ate. I assured the server that the flavors were good and the veal was edible, just tough. He spoke to the chef and returned to the table telling us that the chef admitted that the veal had not been prepared as well as it should have been. The server comped my meal and we all lived happily ever after.

Would I still recommend Luciano's? Absolutely, without hesitation. They serve the best Italian in town, and as I've stated before, this is the first time I've ever had a meal that was not top notch. I'm not holding it against them, especially since they were willing to make it right.