This place just keeps getting better.

Right next door to Canaltown Coffee on East Avenue, this place used to be another Italian Restaurant called the "Taste Of Italy". Taste Of Italy was better but this place is ok. The decor is late Jack Greco. We will have to go back and give it a second chance because it was not memorable for some reason.

___

Second chance came and we were delighted! We ordered one of the specials-a veal smothered in roasted garlic. The cut of meat was incredibly tender and tasty. Lucano's is run by a husband-wife team and the chef is a woman. They greet you in Italian and really care about the food and the service. Both came over to our table to check on how our meals were. This place is a little pricey but worth it.

___

Third visit: We took my parents here for one of their birthdays (even though they're not Italian food fans, but we figured it's not really a spaghetti and meatballs place). It wasn't as magical as our second visit. We ordered the veal but it wasn't as good a cut of meat or as flavorful as our second visit. We also ordered Penne Pasta which was probably the dish we had the first time. Just not very interesting. Maybe the key is to go with the specials?

___

Our fourth visit was the best yet. The restaurant was full on a Wednesday night. Same chef. I ordered the Manicotti special and my wife ordered a salmon and shrimp combo. Both were fantastic. Tom Gollisano was holding court in the back room and laughing heartily.

___

Fifth time was heavenly. As we stood in the doorway, waiting to be seated, we spotted the chef, Silvana Formoso. We asked her what she recommended and she suggested a tasting menu. We could pick the price and tell the server which kind of things to stay away from. We had three courses and each was superb. The waitress told us that "Sylvia did not go to chef school but just loves cooking and throwing things together in the kitchen." This place just keeps getting better.

See the Democrat & Chronicle's review of Lucannos.