In August, Petros Markopoulos opened Luna Mare, a bright, spacious restaurant with what the chef describes as a menu that offers a “flair of Mediterranean.” Markopoulos, who grew up in Olympia and Athens—he arrived in the United States at 31—focuses the restaurant’s menu on small, shareable plates, sourcing food locally when possible. On a recent visit, I noted that oysters came from several purveyors in Rowley, clams from Ipswich. Fruits and vegetables, he says, arrive from Marini Farm, for as long as the weather holds.
Petros Markopoulos
The restaurant’s menu is broad, spanning six categories: charcuterie and cheese; starters; salads; tapas and mezze; sandwiches; and large plates, which are divided between meat, fish, and pasta. Within the diverse charcuterie and cheese offerings, guests can sample imported tastes of the Mediterranean. I chose two Greek cheeses—Kasseri, a semisoft sheep’s milk, and Graviera, a hard yellow—alongside a pile of buttery, dry-cured prosciutto. The plate came with clear honey that tastes a bit like pine needles (an endorsement, not a condemnation).
Lamb Lollipops
Tuna crudo, cut into thin planks, was among the pinkest I’ve ever seen. It arrived atop an avocado mousse and beneath ribbons of pickled red onion, amplified by a fragrant citrus vinaigrette. Marinated olives in shades of green, black, and purple—and cracked with a paring knife—were my choice from the “Starters” category, though the restaurant also serves an array of hummuses and tzatzikis.
Almafi Breeze Cocktail
Among my favorite dishes: a plate simply entitled “shrimps.” The caption detailed “spicy oil,” but that was an undersell. Five plump, perfectly cooked shrimp, tails on, arrived in a tiny pan, sizzling with garlic, butter, and a hint of chili. I could have eaten twice as many with ease. Souvlaki came next (the restaurant offers both pork and chicken, and we opted for the former), seared with a crisp exterior and served atop a lemon-inflected yogurt and with a bright salad of halved tomatoes and onions. Pita triangles are available for scooping.
Ricotta gnocchi
The lamb lollipops are essentially just lamb chops, expertly cooked and topped with a chimichurri. It’s five to a plate for $24, a steal, if you ask me. Is it acceptable to eat them with your hands? I don’t care. I did it anyway. (I’d argue that this is acceptable behavior, for what it’s worth; lamb chops are meant to be eaten with one’s hands.) From the section where the larger plates live, we ordered the Wagyu bavette, also known as the sirloin flap, a lean cut known for its excellent flavor. This piece of steak was no exception. It came with a rich sauce, and with—at our direction—a side of flat, slightly thick French fries.
Mussels Saganaki
That bavette was a concession to my two young children, both of whom are steak eaters. They demolished it, barely pausing to sip their Shirley Temples between bites. If you thought I was a tough critic, well, you should really ask my children how they feel about the area’s local restaurants. (They gave the steak and fries an enthusiastic thumbs-up.)
Their Inviting Interior
The restaurant also serves pastas—a carbonara, pappardelle, and gnocchi. Both the gnocchi and pappardelle are made in-house, Markopoulous says. The Mediterranean is also heavily represented on the drinks list. The restaurant offers four sparkling wines by the glass, all from different Mediterranean regions: Prosecco from Italy, two sparking rosés from Greece, and cava from Spain. The 10 white wines by the glass and nine red wines by the glass are more international in scope, ranging from Italy to France to the United States to, naturally, Greece.
I’m sad to report that we did not stay for dessert. The playoffs were on, and, well, my fellow fans, baseball calls. But that only gives me an excuse to return. Come to think of it, Luna Mare’s long and meandering menu (yet another endorsement, not condemnation) has me thinking of my return trip and the things left uneaten. Dessert, yes, but other things, too: mussels saganaki, maybe, or dates stuffed with bacon and goat cheese, perhaps the sea bass and octopus ceviche in leche de tigre, the paella, the pappardelle. Which is to say: See you soon.
lunamarecuisine.com
Dining and Cooking