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Luna moves to downtown Champaign
4:00 am Jun 12 - by Janice McDuffee – buzz Writer
The corner of 116 N. Chestnut St. has transitioned once again to please the lunch-breakers, foodies and drink connoisseurs of downtown Champaign. Once the city’s train station, and most recently known as Track’s Bar and Grill, the south side of the building now houses Luna — formerly known as Cafe Luna.
Luna was originally located at 313 E. Green St., and opened at its new location two weeks ago. Owner Iren Aikman said the move came into works at the end of January after dealing with “issues” at its old building on campus.
“We were pretty quiet on campus and were pretty quiet about the move,” Aikman says. “We want people to know that we’re here.”
The inside of Luna has an old, rustic feel within the aged building. This helps it exude more of a fancy ambience with its long bar and leather seats, white-clothed tables, and chandeliers. There is outdoor seating on the lifted patio by the front door, with more outdoor seating to come on its even larger patio behind the building.
Aikman promises virtually the same products as before, with menu changes according to season in its regular fashion. The summer lunch menu includes soups, salads and sandwiches such as the tuna club, chicken, ham, bacon and fried egg, as well as the Portobello with cilantro, aioli, and brie. Featured entrees include herbed gnocchi with parmesan, herbs and truffle oil, as well as beef tenderloin with roasted vegetables, pomme frites and a whiskey sauce. The drink list is fair; it’s large enough to be presented in a mini-book.
Janie Calle, a server at Luna for four years, said the biggest change has come from its new location off of a busy intersection and extended parking on the east side of the building.
“People have come in that wouldn’t normally venture onto campus,” Calle says. “We’ve had a great response to the food — the first timers were blown away.”
Patron and University student Candice Choe of Urbana wasn’t “blown away” as a regular of Luna (and Cafe Luna), but loves the food and said the production was impressive. “The location is great,” she says.
Luna is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch, and 5 to 11 p.m. for dinner. There is also a Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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