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Paul Luna (born c. 1966)[1] is a Dominican-American chef, restaurateur, author, and political activist. In Atlanta he opened and operated a number of successful restaurants, including Luna Sí, Eclipse di Luna, and Loca Luna. In 2009 he opened a training kitchen for refugee women, Lunacy Black Market, in downtown Atlanta.[1]

Early life

Luna was born circa 1966[1] in the Dominican Republic, to middle-class parents.[2] He was one of 13 siblings.[2] He is of Italian and Spanish heritage.[3]

Career

Luna moved to Atlanta in 1992 and opened Bice, a Milan-based, upscale Italian restaurant chain.[2][4]

In 1993 he opened his own first restaurant, Luna Sí, on Peachtree Road.[5]

He was a controversial figure on the Atlanta restaurant scene in the early 1990s, often critical of local trendiness and faddish tastes.[6] He introduced European, Mediterranean, and South American cuisine through his restaurants Luna Sí, Eclipse di Luna (opened in 1997),[7] and Loca Luna, and was widely known as a "bad boy" who ruled his dining room impetuously, sometimes staging impromptu striptease dances to amuse and shock patrons.[4]

Luna has worked with chefs such as Michele Attali at Petrossian in Paris, Terrance Brennan at New York City's Picholine, and Gianni Scappin of BiCE Ristorante, Milan.[8] He also opened and ran establishments in Washington D.C., Italy, and Canada.[8][9][10] Luna's tenure with Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Hawaii[11][12] gave him the opportunity to lead cooking classes for children through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui program.[13]

In 2009, Luna wrote and published a bilingual children’s book, Luna Needs a Miracle! ¡Luna Necesita un Milagro![14][8]

Advocacy and philanthropy

Luna advocated small businesses run by mixed-income, multi-national owners as the way to rejuvenate Atlanta's historic downtown area. "We're still segregated," he says. "All my white customers think, downtown: black. Period."[1]

In 2009 he opened a training kitchen for refugee women, Lunacy Black Market,[1] a low-cost restaurant in downtown Atlanta.[15] He worked with BryAnn Chen, executive director of Refugee Women's Network, to identify appropriate candidates for employment in this restaurant.[1] It closed in 2014, a year after Luna moved to Switzerland.[16]

Beginning in 2010, Luna occasionally declared for a few years that he would run for mayor of Atlanta.[1][17][18]

Personal life

Luna is married to Cynthia T. Luna.[19] After she moved to Switzerland, Luna moved there as well in 2013 to be with her.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Peisner, Lynn (May 18, 2010). "Paul Luna pioneers downtown dinnertable politics". The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c Lauterbach, Christiane (April 1, 2011). "Culinary Character: Paul Luna". Atlanta. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  3. ^ Kessler, John (April 15, 2011). "Food from the heart". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. pp. D1, D4. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Bostock, Cliff (May 8, 2002). "The mystique of Paul Luna". Creative Loafing. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  5. ^ Kaupman, Gary (May 20, 1993). "Eat" (PDF). Southern Voice. pp. 25–26. Retrieved February 15, 2024. (p. 26)
  6. ^ Eldredge, Richard (January 7, 2010). "Chef Paul Luna Returns to Dabble in Downtown Black Market Lunacy". Atlanta. Archived from the original (blog) on March 23, 2010.
  7. ^ McKibben, Beth (October 26, 2021). "Restaurant Prepares to Spice Up Alpharetta Development With Paella, Sangria, and Salsa Dancing". Eater. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c "Hotel News". FourSeasons.com. Four Seasons Atlanta. September 25, 2009. Archived from the original (press release) on March 8, 2012.
  9. ^ Sietsema, Tom (March 1, 2005). "The Weekly Dish". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  10. ^ Sietsema, Tom (June 21, 2005). "Taking Some Heat". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  11. ^ "Hawaii Restaurant News Archive". Gayot. November 16, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  12. ^ Cabasin, Linda; Wang, Amy (2008). Fodor's Maui 2009. Fodor's Travel Publications. p. 203.
  13. ^ "Big Brothers Big Sisters Has a 'Private Chef'". ChefLuna.com. The Maui News. September 30, 2007. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008.
  14. ^ Pizarro, Sal (August 13, 2009). "Il Fornaio chef Paul Luna cooks up a children's book". The Mercury News. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  15. ^ "Lunacy Black Market". Atlanta. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  16. ^ Townsend, Bob (October 20, 2014). "Lunacy Black Market Closed". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  17. ^ Endolyn, Osayi (October 30, 2012). "Paul Luna stirs up guisados, runs for mayor". Atlanta. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  18. ^ Chopra, Sonia (January 4, 2013). "Paul Luna for Mayor?". Eater Atlanta. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  19. ^ Spivak, Caleb J. (October 15, 2014). "Lunacy Black Market Shutters". What Now Atlanta. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  20. ^ Wheatley, Thomas (December 15, 2013). "Omnivore - Paul Luna has left Atlanta for Switzerland". Creative Loafing. Retrieved February 15, 2024.

External links

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Luna&oldid=1208362750

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