Luna Rossa: A Good Excuse To Walk South Down Court Street

I love a good excuse to walk south down Court Street.  My brother's apartment off 4th Place just doesn't cut it sometimes.  I need to go further.  I need the streets to quiet down; I need some of the "hip" to go away for a second.

On Friday night, with a little bit of rum in our bellies, my boyfriend, Michael, and I braved the chill and walked to Luna Rossa for a late dinner.  This authentic Italian restaurant is understandably overlooked as it's quite far down, kissing the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, but after our meal there we both felt it deserved some blog recognition.  Because Luna Rossa is GOOD.  Eying a menu of Neapolitan dishes, wood-burnt brick oven pizzas, and a reasonably priced wine list, we didn't hold back.

The answer is always "No" when I ask Michael if he'd like to share a salad with me.  It's always just a little bit heartbreaking.  So when he looked at me and suggested we try the Beets (under Salads on the menu), my heart fluttered and that's when I knew we should order some wine.  I felt like celebrating the Beet.  This dish should have been called "Beets Surprise!" because they were kept secret by a gorgeous mountain of crunchy, fresh string beans mixed with wisps of red onion, squeezed with lemon and drizzled with olive oil.  We shared this dish and that was fine, but I probably could have eaten the whole plate on my own.  It was a perfect palate cleanse before the pizza hit the table. 

With fourteen pizza amalgamations to choose from, we settled on the Diavola pizza (mozzarella, tomato sauce, hot sausage and chili flakes).  Michael likes meat; I like a kick.  (Thankfully, we can always agree on pizza.)  The pie was quartered when it arrived and after all those string beans, I was guilt-free and happy to indulge in two fatty slices.  Not "fatty-greasy" - more "fatty-wide."  The crust was thin and chewy, beautifully charred, hot, and I'm telling you - delicious.  Mind you, this is coming from a pizza snob who believes no one can (or should!) compete with Di Fara Pizza on Avenue J...but for the un-snobby, go right ahead and treat yourself to an impressive little pie here.

Next up was the gnocchi served alla Sorrentina in a little bowl with melted mozzarella, tomato sauce, and basil - aka: a little pit stop in heaven.  Granted there was nothing special about the tomato sauce...but sometimes there doesn't need to be, you know?  

Luna Rossa boasted an ambiance of true coziness with its warm brick walls, soft Italian music, and lots of old framed photographs.  Our waiter was kind and lovely although he had a hard time recommending the best dish.  "Everything is great," he said.  At the time, we were frustrated by his response but perhaps everything is great.  I'd believe it now. 

Luna Rossa
552 Court Street bet/ West 9th and Garnet St.
(718) 875-1384
www.lunarossabrooklyn.com