Looking to introduce traditional Italian dining to Orange County, Luciana Luhan opened Luciana’s Ristorante in Dana Point (CA) in 1983. When Luciana opened her first restaurant – named “What’s Cooking? Bistro” – seven years before opening her namesake restaurant, she introduced the county to homemade pasta and sauces, her son, Jorge Luhan II, said.

While “What’s Cooking? Bistro” offered a taste of traditional Italian cuisine in a quick-service environment, Jorge explained that Luciana’s Ristorante sought to introduce locals to a more fine-dining experience. “It was elevated cuisine,” Jorge said. “It was fresh; it was what’s available today. It was the way we ate at home and what you ate in Italy. So her idea was to introduce the public to it and have them understand what is true Italian cuisine.”