Caponata is served at Luna Blu in Tiburon. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Cioppino is served at Luna Blu in Tiburon. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
The exterior of Luna Blu in Tiburon. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Mare e Monte is served at Luna Blu in Tiburon. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Kirsten and Thomas Judd of Tiburon enjoy drinks at Luna Blu in Tiburon on May 29. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Lemon Cloud is served at Luna Blu in Tiburon. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
The view from the outdoor dining area at Luna Blu in Tiburon. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Customers head into Luna Blu in Tiburon on May 29. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
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Caponata is served at Luna Blu in Tiburon. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
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What draws us back to a particular restaurant? What makes that restaurant stand out among so many choices? If you’re like me, that pull sways dramatically: location, food, decor, familiarity, wine list, service, memories, etc.
Luna Blu on Main Street in Tiburon has much to entice diners but, for me, it’s the caponata that stands out. Owner-chef Renzo Azzarello’s caponata is influenced by the ones he grew up eating in Sicily. Sicily’s geographic location, an island at the southernmost end of the toe that makes the Italian Peninsula’s boot, juts into the narrow gap on the Mediterranean between Sicily and Tunisia. Due to Sicily’s location, Greeks, Romans, Normans, Arabs, Catalans and Aragonese people have vied to control this important trade route for four millennia and have greatly influenced Sicily’s cuisine. This was very evident in Azzarello’s rendition of caponata. It had an encompassing flavor of the Levant.
The Caponata ($19) was less a stew and more of a jam of caramelized eggplant with tomatoes, onions, capers and balsamic vinegar. Sweet and sour dishes, known as agrodolce, are popular throughout Italy. Sprinkled with toasted pine nuts, the caponata was carefully positioned in the middle of a round white platter with a bit of arugula, surrounded by grilled toast points. Caponata can be an appetizer, salad, side dish or pasta sauce.
Seafood and pasta dominate the menu with a few nods to chicken and meat.
The wine list is lush with some intriguing and honestly priced Italian wines. It also includes many familiar plus some out-of-the-ordinary California wines. Wines are available by the glass ($12 to $20) and by the bottle (on average $42 to $130), with a few ranging much higher, like the Joseph Phelps 2018 “Insignia” at $550 a bottle, which, while expensive, is a reasonable price for that bottle. I chose a glass of Antinori Guado al Tasso Vermentino ($15). The crisp, dry white wine had good acidity. It was delicious and refreshing on the warm day. There’s a full bar available, too.
One of the specials when I came, the Polpo alla Griglia ($24), was beautifully plated. The thick red bell pepper sauce was neatly arranged in a perfect circle with the skewered grilled octopus topping half of the circle. It was both flavorful and perfectly balanced.
We were seated comfortably on blue-trimmed white wicker chairs on the deck looking out over the sparkling blue bay toward San Francisco. The day was sunny, calm and just the right temperature for daytime alfresco dining. Co-owner Crystal Azzarello, who oversees the front of the restaurant, has created a space that’s welcoming and unpretentious, and the food fits the atmosphere. There was a good mix of locals and tourists and a carefree feeling in the air. The Azzarellos fell in love with the area during a honeymoon stroll and opened the restaurant in 2013.
The Cioppino ($43), with its deep orange broth abundantly full of all the rich flavors of fish and shellfish, came topped with a slice of grilled bread. More grilled bread would have been welcome to soak up that luscious broth.
The Mare e Monte ($36) isn’t the most attractive dish we had but definitely one of the tastiest. Chopped mushrooms and shrimp in a light but flavorful white wine sauce with burst cherry tomatoes were tossed with house-made squid ink linguini. This restaurant has great control over extracting the essence of simple ingredients and accentuating textures. The mouthfeel of the pasta, shrimp and mushrooms was equal. Often contrasts in textures are sought to thrill, but with this wholesome dish the continuity is part of the excitement.
Ending on the Lemon Cloud ($12) was in perfect step with the rest of the meal. Luna Blu isn’t another Italian American place. It’s truly an Italian restaurant, one that serves food where the ingredients talk for themselves. There’s a balance of flavors, textures and colors. The silken lemon mousse dessert topped with a crunchy almond cookie was the perfect ending and demonstrated the chef’s talents.
The late Italian mystery writer Andrea Camilleri came to mind when writing this review. The main protagonist in his novels, Sicilian detective Salvo Montalbano, gets himself into lots of scrapes, but along the way, Camilleri has him eating some fabulous food. They’re fun reads. I envision Camilleri would have Montalbano return often to Luna Blu.
Ann Walker is a freelance food writer. Email her with suggestions, comments and questions at ijfoodwalker@gmail.com.
Luna Blu
Address: 35 Main St., Tiburon
Phone: 415-789-5844
Website: lunablurestaurant.com
Cuisine: Italian
Noise level: Moderate outside; inside can be loud
Seating: Inside and outside
Liquor selection: Full
Vegetarian dishes: Yes
Vegan dishes: Yes
Gluten-free selections: Yes
Dog friendly: On patio
Parking: Street or lot; restaurant validates a portion of the fee
Hours: 5 to 9:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through Fridays; 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. weekends; closed Tuesdays
Prices: $14 to $44
Reservations: opentable.com
Summary: Italian restaurant with southern Italian specialties, an extensive Italian wine list and bayside dining
Dining and Cooking