Luna

The reason this place went out of business was because it failed the health code inspections and violated many rules. The place was a hazard to the health of the general public.

I have had good experiences at Luna, but today was just ok. Four of us went for brunch and even though we had a reservation, it took a while to get seated. The service was a bit slow, but it was pretty busy.
The pear beignets were yummy and the coffee was good. The entrees were a little disappointing especially since I’ve had a good brunch here before. We ordered the croque monsieur and swiss roesti. Both come with a fried egg on top, but the egg yolks were hard and not runny at all — maybe because our food sat under the heat lamp or broiler for too long.
I will go back because I want to give Luna another change to make my brunchy dreams come true.

Wait staff is slow… The owner sits at the bar on his phone. He could help with coffee refills and be social… First and last time for me.

So, when you show up at the restaurant and tell the hostess you love the menu online, and she replies ‘Oh that? We, like, changed our menu, like, 6 months ago’… and then you are seated in a completely empty restaurant when said restaurant is participating in the supposed restaurant week… you’d be concerned, right? Yeah, my friend J and I were ready to bolt! But…
Amazing drinks (none of which I can remember exactly, and the online menu doesn’t show drinks beyond wine… one may have had cucumber in it.?). Some pretty darn tasty small plates (none of which I can remember… and the online food menu looks the same as when I was there in mid-​July).
Hate the location, at least 1 – 2 blocks away from anything else that’s cool. Our waitress was ditzy and couldn’t handle us + the table of four women that came in after we’d been there for about 45 minutes, at the same time. The restaurant week menu was lame with no real choices (I’m obviously spoiled in Detroit… and how sad is that… because we have OPTIONS with our restaurant week menus).

Unable to get in to the restaurant we wanted, discovered Luna by chance. Although it was busy, the host found us two seats at the bar, and we had a wonderful time. Although the bartender was new, and had to ask the host about our questions on the menu items, the service was lovely, ambiance very warm and inviting and the food superb! Every item we ordered was a symphony to our palettes. The owner/​chef, Raquel Aikman, came out to inquire how we enjoyed it, and we had a lovely chat. Will be back!

I WOULD RATHER EAT OUT OF THE GARBAGE … than eat at Café Luna again.
The day we went they had a set menu for $ 45 a person. 4 courses. Without exaggeration, THE FOOD WAS DISGUSTING. This was my first time here, so I didn’t know what to expect. The restaurant looked nice, good atmosphere. The service was fine.
FIRST COURSE: Lox with cream spread and bread and Oysters
The salmon tasted like it was two weeks old. It had that rancid fish smell you get when you buy old discount fish from meijer. The oysters were the same. Terrible.
SECOND COURSE: Coconut Shrimp and Mixed greens with beets
The Coconut Shrimp tasted like it came straight from the buffet line at a cheap Chinese restaurant. Cheap quality. I wouldn’t be surprised if it came from some frozen bag at costco. Mixed greens with beets was pretty good.
THIRD COURSE: New York Strip Steak and Lamp Chops
I swear on my life this is the worst steak I’ve ever had. The meat was tough and stringy. It was WAY over-​seasoned. And it was like 50% tough, inedible fat. I could make a better steak when I was 12. The Lamb Chops were so tough, we couldn’t even eat them.
DESSERT: Berry pastry, flourless chocolate cake, and some shitty marshmallow thing covered in chocolate and coconut
What can I say? Dessert was the best part of the meal. And it was still awful. The pastry was fine. Nice and flaky. However, the flourless chocolate cake (portion was the size of my thumb) was subpar, and the marshmallow dessert tasted like sugared tar. It was impossible to chew.
Dropped $ 120 with tip (two people) for the worst food I’ve ever had at a respectable looking restaurant. I understand it was a set menu day and their tapas are better. However, what self-​respecting chef/​cook serves food this low-​quality to anyone on anyday? I enjoy good food, but I’m definitely no snob. This was just unacceptable.

I have a few qualms with Luna. I want to love it, I really do, but I just can’t.
–The first time I went there was with a large party for Mom’s weekend and we had a reservation. We ended up waiting an hour to be seated. There was no sitting area, just a hallway so it was rather uncomfortable. When we were finally seated, we had a delicious meal.
+Second time I went there was for a date with my boyfriend. We are both vegetarians and we had no problems finding enough food to eat. We left full and a little tipsy (good wine!).
–I went for a third time recently with my two roommates and it was a disaster. There was hardly anyone at the restaurant but we still had terrible service. They seemed understaffed, apparently due to rehearsal dinner going on simultaneously. I can give some leeway on that, but there was no excuse for the kind of neglect we received. My friend had a very rare steak that took forever to be sent back. We were out of drinks for a very long time, and we needed other things that a more attentive waitress would have easily noticed.
I want to love this place but service is a huge deal for me. It’s disappointing that Luna can’t excel in this because I do think they have some good food.

The last time I ate at Luna, service and attention to detail in the kitchen was spotty, though the food was still delicious.
Thinking that everything would probably be fine this time, we decided to take my brother and his girlfriend (both visiting from NYC) for brunch this weekend. I called up the night before and was surprised to hear that they were closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. They would, however, be open at 10am for brunch on Saturday, according to the message on their machine. So, I went ahead and made reservations for 10:30 the next morning on their website.
Cue 10:30 the next morning, and the doors are locked at Luna with nobody inside… and a note on their door saying they will be open at 10am on Saturday.
I tried calling twice. It rang and rang and finally just beeped at me – not even the same message as the night before. Just… nothing.
Classy.

Tapas. We ordered the first seven appetizers on the menu and they were all perfect. How is that possible? All 7 appetizers perfectly done. We were not in a Michelin star restaurant in New York or LA. This was Champaign, Illinois– a university town. I did not expect such impeccably crafted food and such top notch service but then again I found it here. Food this good merits 5 stars. Deeply satisfying and perfect for a quiet date or even a night out with friends.
Again, I only tried the tapas. I see no reason why the rest of the menu won’t impress.

Among the best restaurants in Chambanavoy (I know that’s not saying a whole lot, but still!)
Tapas is an awesome concept, and Luna does it well. They always have many small plates to choose from. Even though I’m vegetarian there are always plenty of things on the menu for me.
Food has ranged from mediocre to very good. Pesto burgers were definitely the former (I mean seriously, if you’re going to mention pesto, shouldn’t there be pesto involved in the dish?), roasted garlic was definitely the latter (so simple, so cheap, so tasty). I have to dock a star just because at Luna’s price, I don’t expect to see any mediocre dishes — and I’ve definitely had a few there.
Service has been very nice and friendly, but also very slow (and it’s never been all that busy when I’ve been there, so that can’t be used as an excuse). Put two hours on that meter and set a timer on your phone for 1:55 just in case.
It’s a little spendy (expect to spend $ 25+/person + drinks), but if you want a nice meal in Chambanavoy this is about as good as it gets.

Oh man. Croquette Madame and the Croque Monsieur. Seriously killer. It’s so delicious and it has to be one of the best sandwiches in the city, by far. It’s perfect for a brunch but filling enough for later on too. I also really love how beautiful this restaurant is, it’s got a nice French shabby-​chic look to it. It’s usually fairly empty whenever I’m there, but it still takes a little time to get your food, which I don’t mind. I definitely would recommend it anytime you’re in town!

Food was good but not hot. Service was lacking and slow. With many empty tables it was a surprise that getting another drink or being offered dessert was difficult.