Luciana’s Ristorante

Luciana’s Ristorante
By Bonnie Small

“Umph and Zing!,” says Jorge Luhan II, are his mother Lucia’s trademark criteria for a well-prepared dish. And as Luciana’s Ristorante, a culinary landmark in Dana Point, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, the community is in for a healthy serving of both. Established in 1983, Luciana’s opened in tune with a very different dining culture – guests arrived in black tie and the original menus included detailed descriptions of such exotic drinks as “espresso” and “cappuccino.”

Today’s diners are both more culturally sophisticated and more casual. Jorge Luhan II is thrilled that locals now think of Luciana’s as not just a “special occasion” restaurant, but also as an “any night” destination where families can enjoy authentic Italian cuisine and couples can unwind with a delicious bottle of wine after a long day.

All in the Family
A true family business, everyone played a part in the day-to-day operations, including Jorge’s Grandma Mary Vallera who made all of the fresh pasta for the restaurant until she was 90! Before she retired, Mary taught the kitchen staff the “right” way to create it, and even now, as she celebrates her 100th birthday, the first question she has for her grandson is always, “Who made the pasta today?” Mary learned the art of pasta making at just six years of age – strictly by hand – mixing, rolling, and cutting each batch daily, refusing to ever use a machine.

Luciana’s menu has certainly evolved over thirty years, although many of the original family recipes remain, including Grandma Mary’s Ravioli di Vitello and his mom’s Linguine Luciana. The kitchen rarely veers from its emphasis on the simple preparation of high-quality, fresh ingredients. The Mediterranean diet, which is now creating a buzz as a “new” culinary trend, is merely what Jorge’s family has intuitively understood and practiced for decades as part of their Italian heritage. “Farm to table is what we’ve been doing for generations,” says Jorge, “Knowing where your food comes from and eating handmade meals is how my family has always lived.” For years, he’s witnessed his mother and grandmother artfully craft fresh, delicious dishes that would keep the family gathered at the kitchen table for hours. And with the family’s matriarch turning 100, they just may have been ahead of the times. Americans are just recently beginning to transition away from processed and fast foods. “You look at trends and you get to watch them come full circle,” says Jorge.

History in the Making
Lucia and her husband ventured back to her homeland in the late 80’s in search of a quiet retreat from their busy American lives. As they happened on a 500-year-old Tuscan farmhouse in Montevettolini, complete with 18 acres of olive groves, they knew they found home. Within a year, Lucia began pressing olives and creating oil. In keeping with her philosophy of using only the best ingredients of known origin, she’s been supplying the restaurant with Villa Lucia’s organic extra virgin olive oil for years. The Luhans have plans to market their product and hope to have it available for your table in the next few months.

The Legacy Continues
Jorge attributes Luciana’s longevity to the strong family foundation laid by his mother and the internal culture of the restaurant. The Luhans believe that life revolves around the table and feel that the key to the restaurant’s success stems from a willingness to be in tune with what customers want and to provide a consistently high level of personalized service. Luciana’s staff is like a family and Jorge finds that the higher the bar is set, the more they rise to the occasion. As the 2nd generation to oversee the restaurant, he is proud to have carried on the family legacy for over 20 years now. On any given night, you’ll find him warmly greeting guests and stopping by tables to make certain that diners are having an experience that would make his mother and grandmother smile.

Family Expansion
Very active in and devoted to the community, Jorge is a member of several local business organizations and is also involved in the revitalization of Dana Point’s Town Center. In November 2011 the family grew when he married his lovely wife Anne. As a physician and the proprietor of Elite Medezin in Dana Point, Anne has also developed strong ties to the area in which she now calls home.

As Luciana’s kicks off its 30th year, Jorge and his entire family hope that customers of every vintage will stop in and say hello. In the coming months, Luciana’s will feature some favorite classic menu items and they hope that the community will help them celebrate by sharing personal stories of memorable meals and moments at the restaurant.

24312 Del Prado Avenue, Dana Point
(949) 661-6500 • Lucianas.com