Luciano's — Restaurant in Mulvane

Short Version: If you are traveling along Interstate 35, this is absolutely worth the 4 mile detour to have either lunch or dinner. Especially, if you want to avoid fast food and low level franchise food chains as much as we do. They can accommodate gluten-free and do have a gluten-free pasta! They also do a masterful job in balancing the Italian sensiblity that is about providing high-quality ingredients and smaller portions to taste many flavors in a meal with the American need for large portions. Extremely Good! Estremamente Buono!

Long Version: My husband and I are always seeking out unique finds in our travels. This is one of those places. Luciano, the proprietor, has settled in Mulvane, Kansas from his birthplace of Italy where he grew up in Viareggio with his six brothers and sisters. A place in northern Tuscany, Italy, on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. After meeting an American, who he confesses as the love of his life, he immigrated to the United States settling in Mulvane, which is located just 26 miles south from Wichita's city center, as it reminded him of the wheat fields and sunflowers of his Tuscan home.

As we approached the town of Mulvane we were struck by the Mayberry-esque feel. The neat and clean main street had evidence of the town's beginnings featuring Italianate architecture, a quaint park with large stature trees, as well as a train museum. It all makes sense since the town was laid out in 1879 at the junction of five Santa Fe rail lines, and later incorporated in 1883. Most likely an intermodal of sorts.

After a long day of travel we arrived at the beginning of Luciano's dinner service. We walked past a cat sleeping on the front stoop who had no interest in accommodating us and our entry to the restaurant. We carefully stepped around her as she yawned. Then we were immediately greeted by a lovely young lady and seated.

Our waitress greeted us within a beat or two of sitting down. We began by viewing the wine list and asking about their standout dishes. When she was stumped by a wine question and about to seek assistance, a gentleman arrived by her side and quickly answer all our questions. We choose a glass of montepulciano and we started with the Antipasti - Antipasti Misti di Parma which featured two types of fresh mozzarella cheese, imported prosciutto, kalamata olives, olive oil & salt, and Calamari al Vino Bianco which featured sliced calamari sautéed in garlic, white wine & olive oil served over greens & topped with lemon, herbs & spices. Eleven and Nine dollars, respectively. Our next course was pasta. I had Quattro Formaggi - shredded Italian cheeses blended with real cream & bits of fresh asparagus & carrots, served on farfelle (bowtie) pasta. The farfalle tasted like a high-quality dried pasta and not homemade/handmade, but I would absolutely have it again. My personal preference would be to order it with much more asparagus & carrot in the future. The flavor was very good. My husband had the Mottola Sugo di Carne which is one of Luciano's family recipes. When it first arrived, I know he thought it should have had more meat, but by the last bit he said it was "perfect". He had it served over the gluten-free pasta and parmesan cheese. Both dishes were only ten dollars. You can tell their dishes are made to order, and with high-quality ingredients. Based on the extremely affordable prices the dinners were outstanding and WE WILL BE BACK. We concluded with an espresso. We would have had a lemoncello if that had been available. Fino al Nostro Prossimo Incontro!

While eating dinner we witnessed the local "justice of the peace" pull over a car headed for the restaurant. We understand the driver rolled through a stop sign. So their "Sherrif Andy Taylor" is on duty, but we think he really a nice guy too, since the driver only received a warning.

Then strolled through the park for a few minutes after dinner.

Tip: Ask for a seat in room to the left of entering. You would have a view of the park I...

IMO, probably the best pasta restaurants you'll find in the area. First the appatizers which were simple quality and beautiful too. The oil and balsamic vinegar are so excellent I thought my niece was going to gorge herself on that and fresh bread alone! The cheese is also amazing, just perfect, we devoured the parma platter. Brushette is a personal favorite of mine, and the caprese did not disappoint! Salad was very pleasant, smart mixture and dressing. Everything is made fresh, with fresh ingredients, and you can taste it. It's not the sloppy pasta drowning in sauce you may have come accustomed too, but give it a try and you won't be disappointed. Very creamy, rich, perfectly cooked. Savory meat sauces, delicate cheeses, crisp fresh vegetables, real cream, every type of pasta your dreaming about. And then the steaks. Ohhh, if you are a mustard fan you will think you've gone to heaven. Filetto alla Senape, a perfect cooked and excellent quality filet topped with a melted mustard spring onion butter, served atop asparagus. I adore mustard, it is easily my favorite 'normal' condiment, and I have a sneaking suspicion that most of Wichita shares this Mustard Love. If you happen to be two people dining with an appetite, the pasta dishes are the perfect size to share together, along with your seperate entrees. The Filetto al Pepe Verde is also a tempting entree with the most tender flambed filet under a blanket of mushroom cream sauce, and boy is it divine! Finally, the meal must end at some point, and mine was with a Crema Bruciata - Luciano's own style sweet white chocolate creme brulee. Heavenly custard with that spectacular layer of burnt sugar. Other desserts like the mouthwatering tiramisu are always a great choice, and I'm anticipating that panna cotta next time!

Service is always great. Some people in my large party thought our waitress was slow this time, but I disagree, she had a big group by herself along with other tables to attend to. She was friendly and personable, was well trained, and was trying her absolute best. Attitude is everything, and enjoying a meal with a waitress with a genuine smile who is happy to be there is much more important to me.

I definitely love this place, and I highly recommend it for everyone. If your out just to satisfy that pasta desire burning inside you or are looking for a special restaurant to take a loved one for a celebration, this is THE PLACE! Mulvane is just a short drive outside of Wichita, it's super convenient and easy to get to, so don't let...

I have been coming to Luciano's since early 2006. When we started going there, it was a charming change of pace from what was available in Wichita. Over the years, however, the quality of the food is not being maintained at the same level. On our last visit yesterday, there were several problems. It seems they have instituted cost saving measures, but it has impacted the quality of the food and the service. Problems were noted with almost every course, The reduction in portion size, the use of hot house tomatoes and dried herbs (for the caprese appetizer), the errors by the kitchen and wait staff all contribute to the slide in quality of what used to be a nice little restaurant. My drink order was not correct, even after sending it back the first time. I tasted my wife's meal, a 4 cheese pasta dish. It tasted like milk. No seasoning, no salt or pepper. I think the kitchen staff used cream sauce, but failed to put any of the cheese on the dish, so my wife's meal was basically noodles and a lukewarm milk sauce with small pieces of asparagus. When I asked for some cheese to put on her dish as well as mine, they brought out a small dish with about 2 tablespoons of Parmesan (and charged me for it). The Tiramisu was something my wife used to look forward to, but even it seems to have fallen victim to cost cutting. The mascarpone filling tasted good, but the lady fingers seemed to have been over-soaked in coffee, not espresso, and there was no alcohol (Marsala or Rum is traditional) in the liquid that was used to soak the ladyfingers.

Of the 6 tables around us, 4 tables had problems with the dishes they were served. Either they were wrong (most often) or they were not prepared as requested or expected (cold when it was supposed to be hot)

I don't know when I will be returning to eat there again, but I hope that they change directions and start aking the quality food they were known...