La Luna Ristorante

I was scared that my trip to La Luna Ristorante would end in bitter disappointment. I was afraid that experience just wouldn't live up to the hype and the price (for dinner: appetizers, $9-15, pastas, $10-17, entrees $25-30). But if people loved it so much that they were willing to put "Save La Luna Ristorante from Eviction" signs on their front lawn, I figured it would be a good place to check out. I was right.

Like most restaurants in Los Angeles, La Luna had a very upscale but laid back vibe. The restaurant was light on decor: bare walls, an open kitchen, and a cool (and dead) tree in the rear dining area. Families were interspersed among young couples out on a date. The room was loud but not obnoxious; everyone seemed to be having a good time. {Adding a little novelty to the whole affair, we spotted Patricia Heaton and Craig Ferguson dining separately.}

Our meal got off to a bad start. We were feeling adventurous, so we ordered the Carpaccio di Branzino and Salmone (I gave up trying to pronounce the name half way thru, and just pointed to it on the menu). The menu describes it as "thin layers of raw sea bass and salmon, with spinach and basil cream in EVOO and lemon." They weren't lying when they said thin layers. Once we figured out what was what (although the pile of rings in the middle is still unidentifiable), we had trouble scooping the fish up with a spoon. I also squirted everything with lemon, not realizing that the fish had apparently already been soaked in lemon. What was left was very lemony salmon with bland sea bass. There wasn't much flavor to the dish, leaving us wanting more.

Thankfully, our main course was superb. I ordered the Petto D' Anitra Agil Agrumi & Miele (carmelized breast of duck, sauteed with pearl onions and enoki mushrooms in honey, mango, and citrus sauce). The duck (top left) was amazing; it was tender, and thanks to the sauce, very sweet. The pearl onions were also very sweet, and were so well cooked, they almost melted in my mouth. Aegean ordered the linguini with fresh clams (top right), which she described as amazing ("I love the texture of the pasta" is the exact quote). Kathy ordered spinach and egg pasta with bolonese sauce (bottom right), which was "perfectly al dente." Mickey ordered a pizza (bottom left) with artichokes and mushrooms that he too seemed to enjoy (I enjoyed the crust-- thin and crisp).

We went all out and ordered dessert ($8 each). Aegean and I went for the tiramisu, Kathy and Mickey, the creme brulee. The tiramisu was probably one of the best I've had at a restaurant in L.A.-- it was soft and fluffy, the espresso was subtle and didn't overpower the other flavors, and as a nice little touch, there were chocolate flakes sprinkled on top. Mickey was a little disappointed with the creme brulee because he didn't get to crack the layer of sugar on top-- it was more like large, granulated sugar, not like what you'd expect for creme brulee. But the custard underneath was light, and even I enjoyed it (I'm not always a fan of custard).

Overall, I'd give La Luna a B/B+. At one point our service was a bit slow (I spent 5 minutes trying to call our waiter, who was apparently busy telling another table the history of the champagne they chose), but we were never rushed. It reminded me a bit of the service in Europe, and I welcomed that. I enthusiastically recommend La Luna, and hope that they do "Save La Luna."

La Luna Ristorante
113 N Larchmont Blvd,
Los Angeles 90004