John S.
Yelp
Watching a couple a few tables away from me provided a microcosm of what goes on at Caffe Luciano's.
Let me start by saying I give high marks to the parent Luciano's on Orchard Street. It's one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Boise. And so I was looking forward to their smaller place opening up right next to the footbridge that crosses the Boise River between Quinns Pond and the Esther Simplot Park.
A couple came in and sat down and the first thing they did was scoot their table toward an empty table to give them some space from their neighbors. The woman wasn't satisfied, so she then traded places with her male companion.
They seemed settled, but a few minutes later, the woman raised her arm to shield her eyes from the bright sun shining through a sort of garage door window without any shades.
Another few minutes went by and they asked if they could move to another table that was just emptied. They brought their food over and sat down out of the path of the sun. They seemed satisfied there.
I was frankly disappointed by Caffe Luciano's menu. I knew it was scaled down from the Orchard Street eatery, but I didn't expect they would have nary a pasta dish there: a three-cheese lasagna with meat sauce, stuffed manicotti and chicken cannelloni.
The rest of the menu consisted of pizza, sandwiches, salads and several different appetizers.
There really wasn't anything that called out to me. I didn't want a pizza for lunch and the appetizers, priced at $8 to $14 with one going for $19, were as much as the entrees.
I ordered an Italian sub, with salami, capicola, mortadela, lettuce, red onions, tomatoes and a Kalamata tapenade.
The meats were fine. Capicola is my favorite deli meat and one that takes some searching to find. I was glad to see them have it. Insider tip: It's 50 times better than pepperoni on a pizza and unlike the latter, you can actually find it in Italy. Pepperoni was an American invention.
The sandwich came on a thick artisan bun but it was so thick it was hard to chew. It would have been better grilled or at least warmed.
For a $1 extra I got a Caesar salad instead of the house salad that came with the sandwich. I've never seen a slice of lemon provided for a Caesar salad. I would have rather seen some anchovies, the traditional accompaniment.
The tables were so close together that my waiter, a skinny man, had to raise his arms to move through the narrow spaces. It was also comical to watch, because I knew as I watched him he would raise his hands. Every time.
As Michelle noted in her photo caption, this brand new restaurant, constructed from the ground up, is extremely to people with mobility problems.
When you come inside, there were only a couple of tables on that level. All of the other tables, in what is a fairly small space anyway, can only be reached by going down a few steps.
Someone in a wheelchair would have trouble eating here, unless they moved someone sitting at one of the upper tables. Or they crawled over an outside enclosed railing, had someone lift their wheelchair over and came in through the door leading to the outdoor deck.
Service was fine.
I have no doubt this restaurant will be a hit. It's in a perfect place to draw people who have come to the pond or Simplot park. It's just a short walk over the orange bridge.
That may be the easiest way to get there. The restaurant itself has no parking spaces but I was able to find a spot a few feet away in front of the housing development next door. But I wouldn't expect to find those spaces open on a spring, summer or fall day when the park is full.
