Where to Eat: Laramie

{wild mushroom ragu -- leftovers from a recent visit to Luciano's}

D and I were lamenting the fact recently that Laramie lacked an Italian restaurant. (Well, there is one "sort-of" Italian restaurant in town . . . but it shall remain nameless as it really isn't all that great.) So, we were excited to note a few months ago that a new Italian restaurant was set to open in the space formerly occupied by the Overland Restaurant. We had gone to the Overland a couple of times for breakfast -- good food but s-l-o-o-o-o-w service. We weren't all that shocked when it went out of business.

A couple of nights ago D and I were too lazy to cook our own dinner and decided to head to one of the local restaurants to eat. We were planning to hit up Anong's Thai restaurant when we noticed that the Italian restaurant -- Luciano's -- was open for business. Throwing caution to the wind, we decided to check it out.

Turns out that the restaurant has only been open for a few weeks, having had its grand opening on March 22nd. Though the place was busy, we were seated immediately. The space itself is a bit sparse in terms of decoration, and the tables are closely packed. (I think someone needs to do a little feng shui analysis of the space.)

The menu isn't that elaborate and sticks mainly to classic dishes and sauces. I opted to try the wild mushroom ragu with spaghetti; D had the gnocchi alla carbonara. We each chose a salad to go with our meal; I had a house salad with their house vinaigrette on the side and D tried the Caesar salad. The house salad was quite generously proportioned and included red and orange pepper slices, which was a nice touch. The vinaigrette dressing was also quite flavorful.

The entrees were served in a timely manner and also proved to be generous portions. I really liked my spaghetti entree -- the sauce was quite flavorful with a hint of spiciness, and nearly every forkful including a mushroom of one kind or another. D wasn't that big of a fan of his gnocchi, and found the bacon flavor a bit overpowering; he would have preferred a better balance in the dish's overall flavor profile.

The restaurant has a small wine list but includes bottles at a variety of price points. D and I opted to share a bottle of Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel (restaurant price $18, recent purchase at Wilbur's in FC $8). Most bottles ranged in the $20-$30 range. The only options for wines by the glass were of the Menage a Trois blends, including a red, white, and rose.

For dessert, D and I shared a tiramisu (of course). The portion was small, but I think we both agreed the best of the tiramisu's we have tried in Laramie. (Which, honestly, isn't that great of praise.)

All in all, the restaurant fits a missing niche in Laramie, though the menu needs some work. It will be interesting to see how the restaurant fares and if the menu will grow.

Luciano's

100 East Ivinson Avenue

Laramie, WY 82070