NOM x 6

Susan and I tried out LUNA PARK from the dineLA list tonight. The restaurant was definitely opposite of what we expected--though we're not sure what our expectations were either. Located on a deserted and shady corner of La Brea/Wilshire, the only landmark immediately nearby was a Blockbuster across the street. We passed by trendy tweens while crossing the street as well, scoff.

'Twas packed. We stepped inside to a Disneyland size crowd by the bar and I observed an overall small, very dim-lit, bustling room with a casual chic crowd. Slightly awk, but, the service was impeccable* and the food...Oh My Gawd, the food. I thoroughly enjoyed every dish start to finish.

Apologies for lack of photographs, but a camera flash in their lighting would've been like the light of Jesus blazing through.

Appetizers:
+Warm goat cheese fondue with green apple slices and bread:: Inspired to melt all the cheese in my kitchen and dip everything else in my kitchen in it.
+Hawaiian marinated tuna "poke" with fried wonton chips:: Basically a light citrus marinated tuna tartare with nicely fried crispy wontons.

Entrees:
+Grilled marinated flat iron steak with salsa verde and french fries:: Wifey is a "meat well-done" but thankfully the waitress convinced her down to medium well, and even luckier for me, it came out more like medium :) Delish, tender steak!
+Grilled salmon with braised greens and grits in whole grain mustard over mashed potatoes:: The whole grain mustard n grits was the only thumbs down of the meal--incredibly bitter >_< (sometimes aZn emoticons are most expressive). Everything else, nicely done.

Desserts:
+Make your own s'mores:: Yesss. Cup of bittersweet fondue o'er candle + cup of molten mini marshmellows o'er candle + house made graham crackers. Leftover chocolate was appropriately slurped up with spoons.
+Deep fried apple pie:: 2 cute deep fried apple "dumplings" with caramel and cup of rich vanilla ice cream.

Then, we exploded.

*Impeccable service comment includes our server being thoughtful and intelligent enough to have the kitchen split our entrees, so we each had a plate of salmon and plate of steak. Four plates?! Fatties are we. It was probably just an optical illusion, but I felt like the split gave us even more food than we would've gotten--my stomach definitely felt the difference.

They also re-filled our water every five minutes, switched out silverware, wiped table before dessert (all things I thought they only did in ultra-fine eateries).

I don't dock points for the slight lag in taking our order, the place was packed, and I just accept the fact that restaurants in America just take forever and a year to complete the bill.
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I should get sleep soon because tomorrow morning I need to pick up two Camp Kindle campers from Santa Monica and bring them back here for Dance Marathon! Originally, I'd planned on taking the free practice LSAT on campus from 12:30-4:30pm, but I think I'd like to spend some time at DM with CK (hopefully you got that, not trying to pull a cool slang thing).
Also, 4:30pm might cut it close to when we leave for KOLLABORATION. Woot woot! I expect the Asian half of UCLA and of other local universities to be there, plus Matt and Alex!

SO EXCITED. Five other CEC-ers that I know of are also going. We takin' over...