Café Luna offers tasty, unique brunch

One can only go to Sound Bites, Renee’s and Tamper so many weekend mornings before things start to feel monotonous, especially when there are so many other brunch places to check out in the greater Boston area. One of these is Café Luna.

Only three stops away on the Red Line, this Central Square spot boasts four pages of delicious and interesting brunch options and is definitely a worthy destination for one's next foray outside the Tufts bubble.

The restaurant’s space is pretty small and narrow, and it has limited seating. The wait for Saturday and Sunday brunch can easily be an hour or more, so reservations are recommended and should be made at least a week in advance.

Café Luna’s main draw is not its ambiance. Tables are crammed pretty close together to make the most out of the small space, so there is little room for privacy or personal space. Despite this, the restaurant does have its charms, like paper tablecloths and crayons for pre-meal artistic expression and a nice patio space with outdoor seating available.

Regardless, this is brunch, so the food and drinks arguably carry the most weight in terms of appeal, and Café Luna does not disappoint in this category. On weekends, the expansive menu features unique takes on classic brunch staples. The grilled biscuits are a must-try starter. Served with a side of homemade honey butter, these biscuits are advertised as one of Café Luna’s specialties and do not disappoint. Its coffee and espresso drinks also are very well done, especially the vanilla latte, which is made with real vanilla bean. For those who believe brunches are best when boozy, there is a cocktail menu with both traditional and more eclectic alcoholic combinations, many of which are made with freshly squeezed juices.

As for entrée choices, it is hard to go wrong. The lemon ricotta pancakes are light and fluffy but still decadent, layered with mascarpone and topped with a heap of fresh berries. The waffles are also uniquely tasty, grilled with honey butter to make for a crispier, almost caramelized exterior. For those who would rather go more in the savory direction (particularly if you don’t make it out of bed for brunch until closer to 1 p.m.), there is the jalapeño s’mac and cheese, which is slightly spicy mac and cheese topped with breadcrumbs and poached eggs. It is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it is a welcome indulgence – particularly when the runny egg yolk marries the already incredibly rich cheese-coated pasta – although it could turn it up a little more with the spice.

Also very popular at Café Luna are its variations on the classic eggs Benedict. The hollandaise sauce is made with tarragon and lemon and is as velvety as it should be. All of the Benedicts on this particular visit notably featured perfectly poached eggs, with the yolk runny but the whites firm. The English muffin they’re served on is large and thick and can be kind of difficult to slice through, especially when one is trying to inhale food as quickly as possible, but a steak knife is provided with each Benedict order to help the eating process. The prosciutto, fig jam and arugula Benedict is a standout and a good solution to the dreaded decision between savory and sweet that one must always make at brunch. The flavors meld together for a well-rounded bite, with some saltiness from the prosciutto, sweetness from the jam, richness from the egg yolk and peppery freshness from the arugula. The ultimate indulgence at Café Luna, however, is undoubtedly the lobster Benedict though, marked at $24, it is an indulgence in more ways than one. Despite its steep price tag, it makes good on its label as Café Luna’s signature dish. The lobster is well cooked and very juicy and sits atop a layer of mashed avocado. It’s definitely worth a try on a special occasion.

In general, the prices here are on the slightly higher end as far as breakfast food goes. Dishes typically average around $15, and the various coffee drinks can cost another $4 or $5, so it is not necessarily the casual Saturday brunch place. But the food is most definitely worth it for that special occasion, or if you just decide to splurge a little – you definitely deserve it.