My husband and I had met Chef Raphael Lunetta at a friend’s surprise birthday party earlier this year. On meeting Raph, as he is known to his friends, I found him to be a positive force of energy, full of joy and earnest. He seemed very grounded and shockingly self-effacing. I mentioned how a friend was upset about the closing of Raph’s longtime restaurant, Jiraffe, as it was her favorite special occasion restaurant whereas I had been a more frequent visitor at his casual cafeteria-style restaurant, Lemon Moon. My favorite dish was the half chicken with salad and fries. It was the perfect combination: protein, greens and crispy potassium. I was saddened to hear that Jiraffe was closing its doors but even more surprised that Lemon Moon followed shortly thereafter. That is when he mentioned that he had two new restaurants which were set to open before the summer. 
Last night we had the great fortune of dining at Lunetta All Day which is the more casual establishment of the two. We put our name on the list and headed to the beautiful bar. The wait wasn’t long. Chef Lunetta surprised us with two amazing treats: grilled octopus salad and mussels which I believe were two of the specials of the evening. I had never had octopus before and was apprehensive eating anything with suction cups. I removed the feared circles and took the plunge. I took a bite and was surprised that it had the consistency of chicken that had been grilled to a moist, smoky perfection. It sat on a bed of greens with red peppers and tomatoes. The salad dressing was subtle and perfectly complimented the heart of the dish. The mussel appetizer was the second delicious addition. Neither my husband nor our friend were fans of mussels like I was but my husband took the plunge and removed the mussels from their shells and placed the meat on the perfectly toasted sourdough bread. He was sold. I went paleo style and practically inhaled the flavorful mussels that had been sitting in a white wine lemony broth. The rest of our dining experience was nothing short of spectacular. Highlights were the carnitas which shockingly was not shredded like at other establishments. This one was a filet and like the grilled octopus, it had a smoky flavor but was tender with a hint of citrus accent. The lemon ricotta pancakes that my husband ordered as his dessert were a very pleasant surprise. I had read some of the Yelp reviews but until I tasted it for myself, I wasn’t quite sure of their accuracy. Each bite had a consistent but light combination of the tanginess of lemon combined with the creaminess of the ricotta topped with the tartness of the blueberry butter and the sweetness of the maple syrup. The flavor combination was exquisite. However, the dish that stole my heart was the sticky toffee pudding cake. The only way to describe it was….it tasted like heaven. The ice cream melting into the toffee oozing into the moist, light crevices of the pudding cake was the trifecta of all things good in life. If a dessert could channel the sweet perfection of happiness, this would be it.
Lunetta All Day will definitely be in our regular restaurant rotation. Everything was reasonably priced, the space is light and airy with a Cape Cod feel and yet it still felt intimate. You can dine here with friends and still be able to carry on your conversations. I cannot wait to try out the rest of the offerings on Chef Lunetta’s menu as the experience is certain to be a sensory adventure and journey that will be infused with unique, refreshing and sophisticated fusions of flavor. 

2420 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405

https://www.lunettasm.com