Paul Luna (born c. 1966)[1] is a Dominican-American chef, restaurateur, author, and political activist. In Atlanta during the 1990s 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 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 (opened in 1999),[8] 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 left Atlanta in late 2002, and worked as a chef in Canada,[9] Washington, D.C.,[10][11][12] Hawaii,[13][14] and California.[15]
He returned to Atlanta in 2009, and opened Lunacy Black Market.[16]
Luna has also 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.[17]
In 2009, Luna wrote and published a bilingual children’s book, Luna Needs a Miracle! ¡Luna Necesita un Milagro![15][17]
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]
Luna's tenure with Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Hawaii[13][14] gave him the opportunity to lead cooking classes for children through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui program.[18]
In 2009 he opened a training kitchen for refugee women, Lunacy Black Market,[1] a low-cost restaurant in downtown Atlanta.[19] 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.[20]
Beginning in 2010, Luna occasionally declared for a few years that he would run for mayor of Atlanta.[1][21][22]
Personal life
Luna is married to Cynthia T. Luna.[23] After she moved to Switzerland, Luna moved there as well in 2013 to be with her.[24]
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c Lauterbach, Christiane (April 1, 2011). "Culinary Character: Paul Luna". Atlanta. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ Kessler, John (April 15, 2011). "Food from the heart". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. pp. D1, D4. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Bostock, Cliff (May 8, 2002). "The mystique of Paul Luna". Creative Loafing. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ Kaupman, Gary (May 20, 1993). "Eat" (PDF). Southern Voice. pp. 25–26. Retrieved February 15, 2024. (p. 26)
- ^ 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.
- ^ McKibben, Beth (October 26, 2021). "Restaurant Prepares to Spice Up Alpharetta Development With Paella, Sangria, and Salsa Dancing". Eater. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ Innovative Restaurant Concepts, Volumes 3-4. Ecklein Communications. 1999. p. 9.
- ^ Bostock, Cliff. "Eating in all directions". Creative Loafing.
- ^ Sietsema, Tom (March 1, 2005). "The Weekly Dish". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ Sietsema, Tom (June 21, 2005). "Taking Some Heat". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/2005/10/16/food-moods/5af1149f-59de-4c07-8062-9e7afece7f2e/
- ^ a b "Hawaii Restaurant News Archive". Gayot. November 16, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Cabasin, Linda; Wang, Amy (2008). Fodor's Maui 2009. Fodor's Travel Publications. p. 203. ISBN 978-1-4000-1945-8.
- ^ a b Pizarro, Sal (August 13, 2009). "Il Fornaio chef Paul Luna cooks up a children's book". The Mercury News. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Lauterbach, Christiane (April 1, 2011). "Culinary Character: Paul Luna".
- ^ a b "Hotel News". FourSeasons.com. Four Seasons Atlanta. September 25, 2009. Archived from the original (press release) on March 8, 2012.
- ^ "Big Brothers Big Sisters Has a 'Private Chef'". ChefLuna.com. The Maui News. September 30, 2007. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008.
- ^ "Lunacy Black Market". Atlanta. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Townsend, Bob (October 20, 2014). "Lunacy Black Market Closed". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Endolyn, Osayi (October 30, 2012). "Paul Luna stirs up guisados, runs for mayor". Atlanta. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Chopra, Sonia (January 4, 2013). "Paul Luna for Mayor?". Eater Atlanta. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ Spivak, Caleb J. (October 15, 2014). "Lunacy Black Market Shutters". What Now Atlanta. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Wheatley, Thomas (December 15, 2013). "Omnivore - Paul Luna has left Atlanta for Switzerland". Creative Loafing. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
External links
- Official website (archived 2021)
- Lunacy Black Market