For some, Luna on Spokane's South Hill is reserved for special occasions. A place to celebrate a birthday or an anniversary. For others, it's a place to watch Sunday football, a corner to read a book on a rainy evening or a spot to grab a beer after a long day of work.
Owner Aaron DeLis and his late wife, Hannah, bought the restaurant from William and Marcia Bond in 2015, when Luna changed hands for the first time since opening in 1993. Some things have shifted since then, while others have stayed the same. But the underlying notion has always been that Luna is whatever its customers need it to be.
"The one thing Luna will always be is an experience-driven place," says Executive Chef Joe Morris. "People come in here to enjoy themselves and to have a great time. They did that back then, and they do it now. That's the beauty of this place, you can come in here and get any experience you want."
That experience has been carefully curated over the years by the Bonds, DeLises, Morris, and nearly every employee, past and present, who's walked through Luna's doors.
"We have a great staff of people who can provide other things besides serving or bartending," Morris says. "When you get like-minded people together, everything continues to flow and everybody sees different things that can improve. Everybody learns, grows and gets better together."
From the outside, the restaurant on the corner of 57th and Perry is simple. But opening the doors reveals a French country-inspired interior with smaller details that hearken back to the Bonds' love of New York City bistros and their Paris residence.
There's a lot of moving parts. There's a bar, two dining rooms, two patios and a wine cellar. There's a lot that goes into opening the doors for this restaurant to turn on the magic for everybody.
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The bustling, enclosed patio brings neighborhood bistro vibes, but the warm glow of the lights in the main dining room offer a homey feeling akin to your grandmother's living room. The bright, white marble bar salvaged from Spokane's Old National Bank building features sleek drinkware handled by bar manager Ryan Brackett. A focal wall behind the bar features a mural of late co-owner Hannah DeLis, who died almost two years ago after a lengthy battle with cancer.
"That's her looking down on us," general manager Brenda Baronian says. "She had a huge role in the attention to detail here. When she was with us at Luna, it was extremely important to her that everything from the flowers to the decor to the menu to the drinks to every garnish was absolutely perfect. A conversation about the little details doesn't exist without Hannah."
Hannah DeLis's presence is still felt throughout Luna in the edible flowers placed gingerly on a sea bass filet, the cozy gray paint covering the walls, and the dining room's birdcage chandeliers. From Luna's leatherbound check presenters to the locally made wooden boards that carry its complimentary, fresh-baked bread, no detail is overlooked.
Baronian describes it as a show that begins at 4 each evening. Servers diligently fill water glasses, replace cutlery and discuss the evening's menu at length. Morris cooks with seasonal ingredients, changing the menu quarterly to ensure high-quality dishes. Bar manager Brackett adjusts the music and lighting as the night progresses, giving each "show" a unique feeling.
5620 S. Perry St.
Open Sun-Thu 4-8 pm, Fri-Sat 4-9 pm
lunaspokane.com, 509-448-2383
Luna regularly sees diners who have been eating at the restaurant since 1993. Baronian attributes their loyalty to the staff's commitment to the customer. She says each member of Luna's team learns from their customers and finds ways to adapt in order to make dining there a phenomenal experience, which contributes greatly to its longstanding success as a restaurant.
"It's a beast of a restaurant to maintain," Baronian says. "There's a lot of moving parts. There's a bar, two dining rooms, two patios and a wine cellar. There's a lot that goes into opening the doors for this restaurant to turn on the magic for everybody.
"The small details are where the magic happens, where it all comes together. You can have good food or good drinks or a good location, but when you have it all together, that's what makes a restaurant amazing." ♦
