Dinner at Luna Rossa

***Too good to pass up: Scopello Ristorante in Ft. Greene on Lafayette & Fulton,
will be giving away Cannolis today during Happy Hour from 5pm - 7pm.
Drink specials include buy one get one free as well!
Check it out and let me know how they are!***

There seems to be no shortage of wood-burning pizza places these days, which is fine by me, and we checked out a new-ish spot on the Carroll Gardens/Red Hook border recently (and by new-ish I mean less than 2 years old). Luna Rossa (552 Court St., between W. 9th Street and Garnet Place, 718-875-1384) is located practically in the shadow of the Gowanus Expressway, with dark and cozy interior and a large backyard that needs some work. We sat there one recent evening, with the sounds of the highway in the background, and enjoyed our tasty dinner.

We started out with a Caprese Salad, something I'm quite obsessed with at the moment. It was good, with big, round slices of tomato and mozzarella, topped with chopped basil. The mozzarella was fresh and the tomatoes ripe. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar added some bite. While this isn't as good as the Caprese at The Good Fork, it was good.



We also shared a salad from the specials menu, with mixed greens, thinly sliced green apple, walnuts and goat cheese. It was delicious - the tart apple, the creamy cheese, the crunch of the walnuts all combined to make a great dish.



Then there's the pizza. We ordered a Prosciutto and a Rustica. The Prosciutto had slices of the meat, fresh arugula, thinly shaved pieces of Parmesean and cherry tomatoes. The crust was chewy but thin, not soggy and had a slight sourdough flavor. Yum!



The Rustica had mozzarella, mushrooms and sausages. There was a nice balance of all the ingredients, all were flavorful and the crust was again thin, chewy and slightly tangy.



Luna Rossa is a good local spot, without the crowds, attentive service (maybe too attentive at times), and decent, tasty food. Perhaps not a destination from far away, but I hope enough people go here to keep these guys around.