Paul Luna
Paul Luna (born c. 1966) is a Dominican-American chef, restaurateur, author, and political activist. In Atlanta during the 1990s he opened and operated a number of successful restaurants featuring European, Mediterranean, and South American cuisine, 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.
Early life
Luna was born circa 1966 in the Dominican Republic, to middle-class parents.{{cite news |last1=Lauterbach |first1=Christiane |title=Culinary Character: Paul Luna |url=https://www.atlantamagazine.com/article/culinary-character-paul-luna1/ |access-date=February 11, 2024 |work=Atlanta |date=April 1, 2011}} He was one of 13 siblings. He is of Italian and Spanish heritage.{{cite news |last1=Kessler |first1=John |title=Food from the heart |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/423316408/ |access-date=February 11, 2024 |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=April 15, 2011 |pages=D1, D4}}
Career
Luna moved to Atlanta in 1992 and opened Bice, a Milan-based, upscale Italian restaurant chain.
In 1993 he opened his first proprietary restaurant, Luna Sí, on Peachtree Road.{{cite news |last1=Kaupman |first1=Gary |title=Eat |url=https://gahistoricnewspapers-files.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn61311684/1993-05-20/ed-1/seq-25.pdf |access-date=February 15, 2024 |work=Southern Voice |date=May 20, 1993 |pages=25–26}} ([https://gahistoricnewspapers-files.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn61311684/1993-05-20/ed-1/seq-26.pdf p. 26]) He introduced new types of European, Mediterranean, and South American cuisine, and tapas, to Atlanta, through his restaurants Luna Sí, Eclipse di Luna (opened in 1997),{{cite web |last1=McKibben |first1=Beth |title=Restaurant Prepares to Spice Up Alpharetta Development With Paella, Sangria, and Salsa Dancing |url=https://atlanta.eater.com/2021/10/26/22746885/alpharetta-eclipse-di-luna-tapas-bar-salsa-dancing-opening-halcyon |website=Eater |access-date=February 17, 2024 |date=October 26, 2021}} and Loca Luna (opened in 1999).{{cite book |title=Innovative Restaurant Concepts, Volumes 3-4 |date=1999 |publisher=Ecklein Communications |page=9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yVgsAQAAMAAJ&q=%22paul+luna%22+%22loca+luna%22+%221999%22}}
He was a controversial figure on the Atlanta restaurant scene in the 1990s, often critical of local trendiness and faddish tastes.{{cite web |last1=Eldredge |first1=Richard |title=Chef Paul Luna Returns to Dabble in Downtown Black Market Lunacy |url=https://press.fourseasons.com/atlanta/hotel-news/chef-paul-luna-and-park-75-s-chef-robert-gerstenecker-collaborate-to-cook-up-some-fun-in-atlanta/ |website=Atlanta |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323115840/http://www.atlantamagazine.com/blogs/atlintel/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10078484 |archive-date=March 23, 2010 |format=blog |date=January 7, 2010 |url-status=dead}} He was widely known as a "bad boy" who ruled his dining room impetuously, sometimes staging impromptu striptease dances to amuse and shock patrons.{{cite web |last1=Bostock |first1=Cliff |title=The mystique of Paul Luna |url=https://creativeloafing.com/content-174320-the-mystique-of-paul-luna |website=Creative Loafing |access-date=February 11, 2024 |date=May 8, 2002}}
Luna left Atlanta in late 2002, and worked as a chef in Canada,{{cite web |last1=Bostock |first1=Cliff |title=Eating in all directions |url=https://creativeloafing.com/content-174338-eating-in-all-directions |website=Creative Loafing |access-date=February 18, 2024 |date=September 18, 2002}} Washington, D.C.,{{cite news |last1=Sietsema |first1=Tom |title=The Weekly Dish |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/food/2005/03/02/the-weekly-dish/3d38968e-b1a1-4efa-88b1-8f87a89c7b81/ |access-date=February 11, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 1, 2005}}{{cite news |last1=Sietsema |first1=Tom |title=Taking Some Heat |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/food/2005/06/22/taking-some-heat-novice-chef/29fcf6a9-39dd-4870-9719-e17a4e1957fb/ |access-date=February 11, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 21, 2005}}{{cite news |last1=Sietsema |first1=Tom |title=Food Moods |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/2005/10/16/food-moods/5af1149f-59de-4c07-8062-9e7afece7f2e/ |access-date=February 18, 2024 |work=The Washington Post |date=October 15, 2005}} Hawaii,{{cite web |title=Hawaii Restaurant News Archive |url=https://www.gayot.com/restaurants/hawaiinews_archive.html |website=Gayot |access-date=February 11, 2024 |date=November 16, 2010}}{{cite book |last1=Cabasin |first1=Linda |last2=Wang |first2=Amy |title=Fodor's Maui 2009 |date=2008 |publisher=Fodor's Travel Publications |page=203 |isbn=978-1-4000-1945-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ncTSIgceVc0C&pg=PA203}} and California.
He returned to Atlanta in 2009, and opened Lunacy Black Market.
In 2009, Luna wrote and published a bilingual children’s book, Luna Needs a Miracle! ¡Luna Necesita un Milagro!{{cite news |last1=Pizarro |first1=Sal |title=Il Fornaio chef Paul Luna cooks up a children's book |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2009/08/13/pizarro-il-fornaio-chef-paul-luna-cooks-up-a-childrens-book/ |access-date=February 15, 2024 |work=The Mercury News |date=August 13, 2009}}{{cite web |title=Hotel News |url=https://press.fourseasons.com/atlanta/hotel-news/chef-paul-luna-and-park-75-s-chef-robert-gerstenecker-collaborate-to-cook-up-some-fun-in-atlanta/ |website=FourSeasons.com |publisher=Four Seasons Atlanta |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308174519/https://press.fourseasons.com/atlanta/hotel-news/chef-paul-luna-and-park-75-s-chef-robert-gerstenecker-collaborate-to-cook-up-some-fun-in-atlanta/ |archive-date=March 8, 2012 |format=press release |date=September 25, 2009 |url-status=dead}}
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 said; "All my white customers think, downtown: black. Period."{{cite news |last1=Peisner |first1=Lynn |title=Paul Luna pioneers downtown dinnertable politics |url=https://www.ajc.com/entertainment/dining/paul-luna-pioneers-downtown-dinnertable-politics/IkZJ7TC4Xe9kMDUgTF4g6L/ |access-date=July 29, 2010|work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=May 18, 2010}}
Luna's tenure with Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Hawaii gave him the opportunity to lead cooking classes for children through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui program.{{cite web |title=Big Brothers Big Sisters Has a 'Private Chef' |url=http://www.chefluna.com/Updates-20070930.html |website=ChefLuna.com |publisher=The Maui News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905204538/http://www.chefluna.com/Updates-20070930.html |archive-date=September 5, 2008 |date=September 30, 2007 |url-status=dead}}
In 2009 he opened a training kitchen for refugee women, Lunacy Black Market, a low-cost restaurant in downtown Atlanta.{{cite web |title=Lunacy Black Market |url=https://www.atlantamagazine.com/guide/restaurants/lunacy-black-market/ |website=Atlanta |access-date=February 15, 2024}} He worked with BryAnn Chen, executive director of Refugee Women's Network, to identify appropriate candidates for employment in this restaurant. It closed in 2014, a year after Luna moved to Switzerland.{{cite news |last1=Townsend |first1=Bob |title=Lunacy Black Market Closed |url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/atlanta-restaurants/lunacy-black-market-closed/QQh8sYfeTKeNLYDeOXeVXO/ |access-date=February 15, 2024 |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=October 20, 2014}}
Beginning in 2010, Luna declared for a few years that he would run for mayor of Atlanta.{{cite web |last1=Endolyn |first1=Osayi |title=Paul Luna stirs up guisados, runs for mayor |url=https://www.atlantamagazine.com/dining-news/paul-luna-stirs-up-guisados-runs-for-mayor2/ |website=Atlanta |access-date=February 15, 2024 |date=October 30, 2012}}{{cite web |last1=Chopra |first1=Sonia |title=Paul Luna for Mayor? |url=https://atlanta.eater.com/2013/1/4/6500247/paul-luna-for-mayor |website=Eater Atlanta |access-date=February 11, 2024 |date=January 4, 2013}}
Personal life
Luna is married to Cynthia T. Luna.{{cite web |last1=Spivak |first1=Caleb J. |title=Lunacy Black Market Shutters |url=https://whatnowatlanta.com/lunacy-black-market-shutters/ |website=What Now Atlanta |access-date=February 15, 2024 |date=October 15, 2014}} After she moved to Switzerland, Luna moved there as well in 2013 to be with her.{{cite web |last1=Wheatley |first1=Thomas |title=Omnivore - Paul Luna has left Atlanta for Switzerland |url=https://creativeloafing.com/content-229112-omnivore---paul-luna-has-left-atlanta-for |website=Creative Loafing |access-date=February 15, 2024 |date=December 15, 2013}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20211229134912/https://chefluna.com/ Official website] (archived 2021)
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100310014524/http://www.lunacyblackmarket.com/ Lunacy Black Market]
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Dominican Republic emigrants to the United States