2008 Woodie Awards
Luna opens for fine downtown dining
Amie Johnson
Issue date: 10/27/04 Section: Entertainment
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Dubbed a "gourmet deli" by proprietor Dave Evans, Luna offers everything from typical watering-hole fare to unusual sandwiches as well as several staples of finer dining, such as shrimp bienville and ribeye steaks.
The restaurants' location at 417 Prewitt St. (the street that runs alongside OB's) once housed Hemingway's and required little renovation.
Rich earth-tones cover the walls, and the decor sticks with a modest celestial theme.
With ample dining space and a wide bar, Luna is sure to become a popular night spot with plans for soft, acoustic entertainment, open mics and drink specials. The restaurant's liquor license goes into effect early in November.
"I want to make this a place for everybody, sophisticated and artsy," said Evans, "not just for a certain class of people, something more culturally diverse."
Moderately priced menu items are high in both quality and taste. Luna's own crawfish bread appetizer ($6.25) is prepared like a pizza on foccasia bread. Baked crispy with a generous blend of three cheeses, crawfish tails and just the right amount of garlic, it is a meal in itself and perfect for sharing with friends.
Evans designed the menu himself, drawing upon his own background in the restaurant industry (Dave's Pub and Dave's Oyster House).
"I didn't want to single myself out as far as style of food in this area. I didn't want it to be a typical Cajun or Italian restaurant. I wanted to give people something more eclectic to choose from than a typical burger joint," said Evans.
The bohemian bar also offers a wide variety of sandwiches served on sourdough wheat, corn-dusted kaiser or foccasia bread.
All named after the planets (with Uranus being thankfully omitted), the toppings are plentiful and fresh.
The Mars sandwich ($6.95) consists of grilled turkey with provolone and Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms, a thick, delicious homemade olive mix and garlic-herb mayonnaise.
All the sandwiches are huge and served with french fries that are near perfection.
As stated on the menu, the entrees are exceptional, with the Chicken Cassidy's ($11.95) being a must-try. Eight ounces of grilled chicken breast is topped with artichoke hearts, mushrooms, tomatoes and large shrimp and is doused with an au jou lemon sauce.
Luna also boasts a number of freshly made desserts, a kid's menu and happy hour drink specials from 4-7 p.m.
Offering a $5 lunch special that includes a chicken salad sandwich, house salad and drink, the prices and location are sure to draw a downtown business crowd.
The novelty may fade, as it tends to happen with most local small businesses, but Luna's quality menu items are sure to bring in those hungry for variety and keep them satisfied.