Diners looking for healthy eats, artistic flavor and a chic
political scene should head for the Luna Tierra Sol Café.
Those interested in fatty burgers and a mindless eatery should
stick around, too ““ they will be surprised at how good a meal
they would otherwise miss.
Luna Tierra Sol seems to have a way of awakening the taste in
otherwise mundane vegetables. The subtle aromas created by
vegetarian cooking are matched whiff for whiff by the beatnik
atmosphere hovering in the café. Large, simple paintings adorn
the walls, providing artistic color and food for thought for hungry
patrons. The clientele is a colorfully splattered demographic,
varying widely in age, sex and ethnicity. But Luna Tierra Sol has
found a canvas capable of collecting each of these figurative paint
droplets: intellectualism.
And the food! Never in my life had I come across a zucchini I
was fond of, but Luna Tierra changed my mind. They can be found
perfectly grilled with mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, tofu and egg
in the Performance Burrito ““ one of Luna Tierra’s
gargantuan testaments (the thing is bigger than any Carne Asada
equivalent I’ve laid eyes on) to the simplistic pleasures of
vegetables wrapped in a tortilla. Topped with a mildly spicy tomato
sauce, the Performance Burrito offers belly-filling sustenance
without the belly-widening fat found in meat.
Another good choice is the Avocado Sandwich. Aside from the
heavenly fruit (or is it a vegetable?) the sandwich is named after,
it also holds lettuce, sprouts, and tomatoes between two slices of
wheat. The sandwich would be as bland as its description if not for
the mustard and house sauce (a tangy-sweet mystery) smeared on the
bread. The sauces compliment the sandwich’s veggies perfectly
““ a treat even for those dedicated to a meatier diet.
Try the café’s Pineapple Brew to accompany any meal.
The citrus concoction is what every Snapple wishes it could be
““ sweet and homemade.
The prices at Luna Tierra Sol are every bit as smart as the
customers. The Veggie Tofu & Avocado Omelet weighs in at a
paltry $5.50 and is the menu’s financial heavyweight. Every
other item on the menu (dinners included) is less than five dollars
and tipping is done Starbucks style.
Despite the low prices, Luna Tierra Sol manages to provide
friendly, personal service and a welcoming staff. Two couches sit
against one wall of the main room and face a stage, nurturing the
homey feeling one finds in this restaurant. Even on the slow
afternoon I ate at the café, it was evident this was as much a
place for hanging out as it was for grabbing grub.
The only things lacking from this motley café one might
find at a more expensive restaurant are a few ornate pieces of
furniture and a boatload of self-importance. Students ought to give
this simple approach to dining a shot ““ they just might find
what they’ve been looking for.