What: Luna Restaurant is the latest Italian eatery to open in downtown Jersey City. Located in the former home of Park & Sixth at 279 Grove Street, Luna is sister restaurant to Paisano’s — a Bergen County staple for 30+ years.
Interior: Despite its cavernous size, the multi-level restaurant has a welcoming vibe. Candle-lit tables, exposed brick walls, and soft lighting give the space a clean, cozy feel. The restaurant’s long, narrow bar leads to a small dining area where the image of a full moon is projected onto a wall. Further back you’ll find a private dining room and a small, upper level dining area.
The Menu: Luna’s menu is as diverse as Jersey City itself. You’ll find your typical Italian dishes like Cacio e Pepe ($13) and Pappardelle ($18), but you’ll also find some unusual dishes like Cajun calamari ($9), empanadas ($10), and lollipop wings with teriyaki sauce ($10). Some items from Paisano’s also made it to Jersey City, including their braised short ribs ($24). In terms of pricing (which the restaurant doesn’t post online), “starters” range from $4 (bread and tomato sauce) to $18 (charcuterie); “greens” from $11 to $12; “comfort food” from $10 (Luna burger) to $16 (churrasco); and “big plates” from $18 (Pappardelle) to $24 (Branzino). There are a healthy amount of red and white wines in the sub-$35 range and cocktails range from $8 to $14. Beers tap out at $8.
Pappardelle ($18)
We Loved: For such a young restaurant, Luna is showing practically no kinks. Service is very friendly and accommodating and if you don’t know what to order, staff is more than happy to make suggestions. The octopus is an excellent starter with tender chunks of octopus served with paprika-dusted potatoes. If you want classic Italian, the Pappardelle is delicious and hearty. The broad, flat noodle is made in-house (as are all pastas) and served tender, but slightly chewy. Paired with Luna’s old-style Bolognese sauce and parmegiano regiano, it makes for a hearty and satisfying meal. The Branzino fillet is soft and flaky and comes with hickory-smoked tomatoes and jumbo lump crab meat served over a generous portion of buttery, pesto mashed potatoes. Finally, the salmon fillet has a punchy, Cajun-spiced twist and is accompanied by roasted Brussels sprouts that are perfectly sweet and can make even the biggest hater into a Brussels sprouts aficionado. Both fish entrees are excellent, but the salmon could easily become my go-to salmon dish in Jersey City.
Salmon ($22)
Could Be Better: We love calamari and the idea of Cajun-spiced calamari sounds absolutely delicious, but both times we ordered the Cajun calamari the flavor didn’t live up to the name. The calamari itself is great, but lacks the Cajun-spiced flavor found in the salmon dish. Luna is still working on a dessert menu, so in the meantime we’d save the calories for a neighboring dessert spot (of which there are many). Lastly, the upper level of the restaurant tends to get warm as there’s little air circulation in that area.
Final Take: Downtown’s Italian restaurant scene is strong. Within the span of a few blocks, there are over six Italian eateries. However, Luna raises the bar significantly with a diverse menu that showcases old favorites with new twists and flavors.
Octopus ($14)
Branzino ($24)
Cajun Calamari ($9)
Dessert
Bar area
Private room
Luna | 279 Grove Street | www.lunajc.com
