Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009
Luigi's lands in Conway
Luigi's Restaurant
Grouper Francese at Luigi's Restaurant in Conway. -Photo by Becky Billingsley for Weekly Surge.
Setting the table
Luigi LoSanto saw a need in Conway for fine Italian dining in a casual atmosphere. He certainly nailed that breadstick dead-on, because Conway residents are luxuriating in the Italian native's decades of culinary experience.
The chef grew up in Sorrento, which is a little south of Naples on the Italian west coast, at the bottom of the Italian boot's shin. It is a small coastal tourist destination, so the Myrtle Beach area is a comfortable fit as LoSanto's adopted home.
One of four brothers, LoSanto says as a child he was interested in watching his mother cook, so he attended an Italian culinary school. In 1974 he came to the U.S. and spent his first four years working in Florida. From there he went to New Jersey, and for the next 20 years worked in restaurants. Ten years ago he came to Myrtle Beach.
LoSanto gained local fame at his first tiny restaurant called Luigi's Trattoria, which was at 52nd Avenue North and Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach where Ciao! is now located. Then, during the summer of 2007, he moved to 61st Avenue North to a bigger spot. Now he is in Conway at the former El Cerro Grande/Carolina Café. "I sold my place in Myrtle Beach, and I figured Conway needed a good Italian restaurant," he said.
Evidently Conway agrees, because Luigi's has been busy since opening in July. The new place suits him well, and this is a family affair. The chef's wife, Anna LoSanto, and their children - Alex, 21; Monica, 19; and Frankie, 17 - help run the Trattoria.
The décor is simple and tasteful with a cream tiled floor, white concrete pillars and brick accents. Seating in the L-shape dining room is mostly roomy burgundy booths, with a large table in the bigger part of the L where groups can be comfortably seated.
Down the hatch
Food is the main attraction here. A dining companion and I thoroughly enjoyed the specials we ordered. The lunch specials on the day we visited were $8.95 apiece, and the choices were Grouper Francese, Veal and Peppers, Linguine with white or red clam sauce, Grilled Tuna and Chicken or Veal Marsala.
We had the Grouper Francese and the Veal and Peppers, and also shared an appetizer of Mozzarella Caprese. The Caprese was delightful with ripe flavorful tomatoes, fresh creamy mozzarella, a few kalamata olives and a drizzle of olive oil. Often the dish is tangy with too much balsamic vinegar, but Luigi's version is mellow and lets the flavors of the cheese and tomatoes shine through.
The grouper was delightfully tender and enhanced by the lemon/white wine sauce that again was a masterful creation that did not overpower the fish. As for the Veal and Peppers - what a treat. The dish features bell pepper strips, penne pasta, tender chunks of veal and fresh herbs in tomato broth. It was totally worth spilling a couple drops of broth on my mint green shirt.
A few other choices on the lunch menu are hot sandwiches such as Sausage Parmesan ($5.50) and Pastrami with Cheese; cold sandwiches featuring mortadella, salami, prosciutto, capicolla and veal cutlet; soups and salads; and pasta including Manicotti ($7.50), Lasagna, Eggplant Parmesan and Fettuccine Alfredo.
The dinner menu offers a few more appetizers including Clams Casino and Fried Calamari ($8.95), and many more entrée selections. There are Gnocchi ($10.95), Lobster Ravioli and Penne a la Vodka; Veal Piccata ($18.95), Chicken Sorrentino and Chicken Marsala; and Shrimp Scampi, Fresh Mussels with Spaghetti ($16.95) and Shrimp Fra Diavolo.
LoSanto says a few of his most popular dishes are Grouper Florentine, Veal Saltimbocca and Luigi's Ravioli, which contains portabello mushrooms and prosciutto, and is served with a creamy asiago cheese sauce.
A dinner specials board offered Rack of Lamb for $23.95, Steak and Shrimp Scampi for $22.95, and Veal Saltimbocca for $20.95.
Check, please
You can also have espresso and cappuccino, and beer and wine are available. Listed desserts are the "regular dessert" and "frozen dessert."
Luigi's Restaurant is at 621 Church St. (a.k.a. U.S. 501) in Conway, and the number is 488-1190. It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, until 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays.
Becky Billingsley serves daily restaurant news at www.MyrtleBeachRestaurantNews.com.