I’m not going to lie to you: Clayton’s Carondelet Plaza has always sort of intimidated me. First, there was The Ritz-Carlton. Then they went and built The Plaza in Clayton, where the grandest unit actually comes with maid quarters. So a restaurant housed here wouldn’t first come to mind as a place to take two gregarious boys.
But with its new kids’ menu, Luciano’s Trattoria practically waves a flag saying, “Come and try us, families.” So we wheeled our humble vehicle up to the front door and introduced Brendan and Duncan to the concept of valet parking.
Reassured that we hadn’t just given away our car, the boys tromped right into Luciano’s like a pair of big spenders. We were seated almost dead center in the dining room, giving them a commanding view of everything around them. After a gentle inquiry to our waiter, two kids’ menus appeared. Brendan immediately latched onto the mac and cheese, and was – as usual – echoed by Duncan. Kathy chose a striped bass special, and I went with a very traditional preparation of tortelloni.
Kids’ menu aside, Luciano’s is still very much an adult restaurant, which meant there wasn’t much to distract the boys. But a basket of cubed rosemary focaccia, served with olive oil and red pepper flakes, helped hold their appetites in check, and an impromptu game of I Spy held their attention until our entrées arrived.
Both the boys’ pasta and my own were served extremely hot; the macaroni’s thick cheese sauce really seemed to retain the heat. My tortelloni had a perfect texture, the kind that lets you know you’re eating fresh pasta. The accompanying sauce – peas, mushrooms and smoky bacon in a mushroom cream – was a bit too salty; the bacon alone could have carried that aspect.
Compared to our fairly humble pastas, Kathy’s sea bass was all kinds of extravagant. A healthy slab of fish sat in a white-bean purée, surrounded by a ring of sautéed calamari and bacon, and topped with a balsamic glaze. It definitely played to Luciano’s upscale side, with an elegant presentation and a delicious blend of flavors.
Kathy and I were too stuffed to eat more, but the boys’ meals came with dessert. Brendan still had room for ice cream, while Duncan chose a large chocolate chip cookie.
The boys and I again took a similar path on our next visit. I’d seen what looked like incredibly thin pizzas being delivered to other tables during our first trip, and I wanted to get in on that. As soon as they heard Dad say “pizza,” the boys wanted in. Since we were unsure just how big the kids’ pizzas were, we asked our waitress for help. “Sometimes they make them big, and sometimes they make them smaller,” she said. “I’ll find out what they’re doing tonight. If they’re making them small, I’ll get you two, otherwise I’ll just get one.” She also told us it would be no problem to toss some pepperoni onto the boys’ pie.
I ordered the funghi pizza, topped with wild mushrooms, Gorgonzola, roasted garlic and rosemary, off the regular menu. Now, St. Louis-style pizza is famous for being as thin as a cracker, but the crust has all the personality of a saltine. The crust on Luciano’s pizzas may actually be thinner, but it’s packed with crispy, chewy, crackly goodness. The boys tore into theirs, but I had to cock an eye at mine; I could see mushrooms and garlic on the edge, but in the center was a mound of very unexpected arugula, lightly dressed in olive oil. I like greens well enough, but this heap was disproportionate for a pizza topping. I pulled most of it off onto a bread plate, and Kathy and Brendan split it as a salad. The (greatly diminished) arugula was a pretty good complement to the other flavors, but I never found any rosemary or Gorgonzola, which made me wonder if whoever put it together had bothered to check on the toppings. That said, the pie was still scrumptious.
Since the boys had ended up with only one pizza, technically that meant that they’d shared one kids’ meal between them. The likelihood that they’d share one kids’ dessert between them, however, was next to nil. Brendan, though, had his own plan, and asked to see the dessert menu. So while Duncan happily scooped through his ice cream, Brendan went whole hog with a caramelized banana-white chocolate bread pudding. Kathy had the Cioccolata, a little chocolate and Frangelico cake sealed in ganache. I skipped ordering anything, expecting I’d just bat clean-up. But apparently those days are long behind us now, because not a nibble of anything was left.
All too soon, the valet was opening the doors to the car again, quizzing Brendan about his dinner as he scurried into his seat. Luciano’s definitely retains the aura of its address at the base of one of Clayton’s most exclusive residences. But with some kid-friendly touches – and one particularly savvy server – they’ve made themselves very welcoming to typical families.
Adventures in Family Dining Beyond Chicken Fingers: A fairly extensive kids’ menu, ranging from classics like t-ravs to pasta in your kids’ choice of sauce. Drink and dessert are included.
Extra Credit: Our smart server and an accommodating kitchen helped us with their flexibility, so the boys didn’t bite off more than they could chew.
Recess: Luciano’s is a pretty chic place; don’t expect menus the kids can color on. But food is prepared promptly, keeping wait time to a minimum.
Parent Pluses: Tempting dessert and martini menus offer special treats for grown-ups too.
Where: Luciano’s Trattoria, 172 Carondelet Plaza, Clayton, 314.863.9969
When: Lunch: Mon. to Fri. – 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Dinner: Mon. to Thu. – 5 to 10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. – 5 to 11 p.m., Sun. – 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.
This article appears in Mar 1-31, 2009.