Luna Rossa

Luna Rossa, Outer Richmond, Dinner
March 26, 2016

P:
SPINACI, spinach potato dumplings, creamy tomato sauce
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

J:
MELANZANE, grilled eggplant, house dressing
PAPPARDELLE, house made, chicken, prosciutto, mushrooms, tomato sauce


Notes:
After a full day of modern breakfasts, milk teas, and laundry, we were hungry (how?!) and decided to (finally!) try out Luna Rossa, one of the many neighborhood Italian restaurants situated within walking distance from our apartment.  We hadn't heard anything about this place, it was only ever in our minds when we'd pass by; the blacker-than-black exterior in stark contrast the once weathered peach paint of its well-loved predecessor, Mescolanza.  (More on that at the end.)

The restaurant is small and the clientele regular, or so it seemed; there was an air of familiarity between the guests and the staff.  Having not yet earned this distinction ourselves, we instead detected a scoff or two.  It didn't really matter, though, I suppose we weren't expecting much.

The bread was a nice crusty sourdough; the soft, salty butter wrapped in gold foil.  The wine, poured nearly to the rim of the glass, was decent.  The grilled eggplant looked promisingly simple: 1/4" thick slices of fresh eggplant were lightly grilled and brushed with an herb-y dressing.  Unfortunately, it was also exceedingly bitter and under-seasoned.  Not something I would order again.

The pasta and gnocchi turned out better than expected.  Patrick's spinach gnocchi were damn good, arguably not perfect for reasons I can't pinpoint, but not too far from it.  The creamy tomato sauce was just that, deliciously uncomplicated and not at all heavy.  It was an outstanding dish (the server did tell us "best in the city," but don't they all say that?).  The pappardelle (3/4" wide noodles of fresh pasta), was extraordinary.  The pasta itself had unbeatable flavor with a tender bite (a touch beyond al dente if I had to find any fault), each ribbon well coated by the rich tomato sauce.

Patrick wanted dessert, I wanted a bite.  He chose the chocolate mousse; we ordered a cappuccino (him) and an espresso (me).  The coffees were on the too-bitter side, Patrick's much more so than mine (curiously - the addition of milk should have tempered that bitterness).  The chocolate mousse turned out to be more of a chocolate mousse pie, as it had a crust and some ridiculous garnish characteristic of the pre-made pies and cakes some restaurants rely upon.  We were brought a complimentary glass of mediocre dessert wine after all was said and done.  We tried to wipe everything post-pasta from our memory.

If we return, and we probably will, we won't be messing around - we'll come here for the pasta (and gnocchi).

Just for fun:
I found this interesting tidbit on a local blog:

Mescolanza recently closed which saddened some fans, but a new, nearly identical concept called Luna Rossa opened in its place. It’s no accident – the owners of Luna Rossa were the original owners of Mescolanza back in the day and sold the lease, and the restaurant’s name, to an employee. But now they’re back, and after displacing their tenant, Mescolanza, have opened Luna Rossa.

"Displacing their tenant" sounds like a dick move, as it's called, but it also sounds like I've got HAY-mazing pasta dishes only blocks away from where I sleep.  Hmmm...perhaps a little pasta-off is in order with a future visit to Mescolanza in its new location?!  Yessss...