Usually it’s the other way around: A Manhattan hot-spot restaurant
takes pity on the poor undernourished masses across the river, and
opens a branch office in Kings County. Boerum Hill’s Italian
small-plates specialist Lunetta, however, attempts the comparatively
rare Brooklyn-to-Manhattan culinary commute, and judging by the
popularity of the original and this city’s unwavering hunger for
Italian food, it should do all right. Chef-co-owner Adam Shepard is
bringing his house-made ricotta, his toasted-garlic-tomato-sauce
meatballs, and his cavatelli with braised lamb. The design, unlike the
Brooklyn space that never really changed from when it was the
Asian-influenced Taku, is heavy on the old-world charm, and aims to
evoke Arthur Avenue and Italian-American social clubs of yore.
— Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite
When I made a reservation for Lunetta online, I put a note in the reservation about my mother-in-law having Celiac Disease and I forgot to mention it when I confirmed. When we were seated, the server asked if she could put bread out, because she knew that someone in our party had a gluten allergy. The manager asked who was the celiac, and had the chef mark up a menu with gluten-free options. It was a huge relief that my mother-in-law need not explain her disease again and have the usual back-and-forth with the kitchen about what she can/cannot have. Here, my mother-in-law could order without worrying. Our food was wonderful (I recommend Tagliatelle with Short Rib Ragu) and my mother-in-law had Veal Saltimbocca (She often cannot order veal, as itÂ’s usually breaded, or has flour-based sauces), which she loved. The only drawback was that they were out of a few items on the menu, which was unfortunate for early on Saturday. I will definitely return and recommend.
I'd walked past Lunetta a hundred times and always admired the building and its decor. (I also once had to point out their misspelling of "formaggi" on the menu but I can now forgive them for that.) I finally took my girlfriend last Saturday for a romantic dinner, and boy was it romantic. Modern chandeliers glowed upon old world leather banquettes, while sweet soul music echoed off the vast glass windows in a rare, hushed atmosphere. The wine list is excellent -- we had a Barbera d'Alba DOC from Piemonte -- but I also had a bottle of Menabrea when I arrived (my favorite Italian beer and very hard to find in Italy, let alone New York). We both shared the risi e bisi -- a risotto with peas and bacon -- and the veal saltimbocca. Both were lovely, though nothing could prepare me for my dessert: panna cotta made with honey and blood oranges. I can confidently say it was the best panna cotta I've ever tasted, which coming from someone who lived in Italy for years is praise indeed.