Newsletters: November - December 2007

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Local Spotlight-Luna's Italian Food

Natural Times-November/December 2007

By Crystal Wakoa

Ever wonder where those yummy Italian to-go dishes New Leaf Market sells next to the deli case come from? New Leaf Market cooks have their talents, no doubt about it, but when it comes to Italian, we manicotti and eggplant parmesan lovers can thank New Leaf Market chefs for letting Renato Avellino do the honors.

Renato and his wife Mary own Luna's Italian Food in the Manor at Midtown.

Renato, from the Campania region of Italy, met Mary in South Florida where he worked as a BMW technician. Mary's long-term ties in North Florida found them frequently in Tallahassee. Our fair city worked its charm on this friendly and enterprising couple, but something essential was missing-a good Italian deli with authentic, homemade, Southern Italian food. Renato is a gifted cook; Mary has business acumen-"She's the boss," Renato tells me wryly. Why not give it a go?

And aren't we glad they did! My husband and I discovered Luna's nearly three years ago, shortly after they opened their doors in the Manor at Midtown, Tallahassee's hip, new gathering place close-in on Thomasville Road. (In addition to Luna's, there's an art museum, coffee shop, yoga studio, tavern, and designer boutiques.) Luna's is not an official restaurant. Rather, it's designed as a deli and specialty shop with a grab 'n go option of selecting dinner items from the cooler to heat and serve at home. Or, Renato will heat them up for you on site, as he did for my husband and me. We chose a cozy outside table to catch the evening breeze. (There are four indoor tables as well.) The eggplant rolatini was five-star. My husband's chicken parmesan had him planning our next visit, and we each bought another entre to take home for the next day's dinner.

The deli menu includes sandwiches-the Spicy Italian and the vegetarian Giardino, among many others-as well as daily specials like baked ziti, chicken parmesan, manicotti, spaghetti and meatballs and eggplant parmesan. The deli case offers up fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, olives, antipasto and other salads.

And then there's dessert. DID I MENTION THAT LUNA'S SERVES GELATO? I do not like ice cream (too sweet, too thick), am finicky about frozen yogurt, and generally try to minimize my sugar intake, but both times I visited Italy I ate gelato at least once every single day. If you have never eaten this fresh-from-the-gods frozen delight, get yourself over to Luna's TODAY and take your friends and family so that you can sample multiple flavors without feeling piggish. Chocolate, pistachio and limoncello are all to die for (limoncello is a liqueur made in the Campania region of Italy), but Luna's gives you lots of choices.

My gelato addiction has kept me from sampling Luna's other desserts-spumoni cheesecake, espresso brownies, limoncello tart, and tiramisu. They all look fabulous (several are available at New Leaf Market); you'll just have to let me know what you think. Coffee and cappuccino are also available.

While waiting for your lunch or savoring your gelato, check out Luna's specialty groceries. You'll find imported pastas, oils, regional tomato sauces, tapenades, the best canned organic tomatoes, biscotti, Italian crackers and candies, as well as a full assortment of hard-to-find Italian wines.

And if you find yourself stretched too thin with guests arriving, or too tired to cook for tomorrow's potluck, all Luna's entrees, from Lemon Chicken with Orzo to Baked Ziti to Stuffed Rigatoni, are sold in family sizes that serve six to eight.

Renato and Mary have invested their hearts and culinary souls in Tallahassee. Now get yourself over to Luna's and invest in some pleasure for your taste buds and full body satisfaction. It's the Italian way!