One of the current Los Angeles hot spots is Luna Park. Sister restaurant to the Luna Park of San Francisco, Luna Park LA expertly captures the spirit of fresh food fare with a funky twist. The atmosphere ranges from shoulder to shoulder to dark and excluded if you are seated in one of the curtained booths. Small parties were sometimes seated together at the larger tables. If that's not your thing, make sure you come with four or more.
Start your night off at the bar with one of their specialty drinks. If the Mojito is your thing, then they must have one of the best. Nearly every other drink we saw made at the bar was a Mojito. Somewhere there is a nude Orange grove just because of this one drink.
Although the beer selection was very week, the collection of liquor was quite varied. I also thought the wine list, though small, was suitable for the menu. However, the prices were inflated. I despise paying more for two glasses than what I would have paid in the store down the street for a whole bottle.
While we visited for dinner, brunch and lunch are also available. My selection was the Cobb Salad. Not at all thrifty on the avocado or the chicken, the salad was near perfect as far as a Cobb Salad goes. As a Cobb Salad purist, my only complaint were the greens, which were too leafy. The dish ordered by our party was the sea bass which they enjoyed. The only problem was trying to substitute the butternut squash and brussell sprouts for the vegetables. The first dish came out all sprouts and no squash, the server was good enough to bring out a whole side place of some very delicious butternut squash as soon as it was available.
For an appetizer we tried to order the Moules Frites, French for mussels and fries. However, they had just run out. A bit frustrating after being forced to wait at the bar for twice the initial estimate. So we ordered the Warm Goat Cheese Fondue with Grilled Bread and Sliced Apples. Using goat cheese as a fondue provides exactly the warm soft feel you would expect. However, the fondue really needed something to add a touch of additional flavor. Do try it for yourself.
As is getting to be the trend, the dessert liquor menu is three times as long as the desserts themselves. We shared the Apple Huckleberry Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream, which quickly disappeared to moans of approval. The Make Your Own S’more dish consisting of Molten Marshmallow
and Bittersweet Chocolate, House Made Graham Cookies looked to be a favorite as we watched a number of these disappear from the kitchen.
Reservations are strongly suggested. Our party arrived without any and had to endure 1.5 crowded hours at the bar until the hostess decided we'd spent enough time in purgatory for our sin. Location and parking is an issue being on the corner of two main streets; so valet is available, in the alley off La Brea, with an inflated service charge of $4.50.
For its good food and drink in a fun, but crowded, atmosphere Luna Park is highly recommended. Food prices are very reasonable. However, if you want the best in food and service, I still recommend the venerable Campanile just down La Brea.
[ttags: lunapark, losangeles, review, restaurant, labrea ]
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