Are they links to dining nirvana.....or are they chains of fools?
So goes the conundrum of chains, those bastions of food consistency so
beloved by time-pressed suburbanites and so often despised by die-hard food
lovers for their perceived and often very real mediocrity. Endless
repetition of mundane cookery seven days a week, 365 days a year, forever.
So say their detractors.
To be sure, not all restaurants with multiple locations suffer from this
perception. Remember, Craft, Oceanaire, and Lawry's are all chains, and they
are often mentioned when the subject of fine dining comes up. The key is to
empower a standout chef and let him explore his creativity from time to time
while simultaneously presenting the restaurants strong points. One of the best
ways to keep a fresh perspective is to introduce new, bolder dishes periodically to the faithful.
Luna de Noche still manages to present a high standard of quality in its
signature line of thoughtful Tex-Mex items. But after a decade in
operation, a fresh infusion of ideas would not be amiss.
Luna's interior designs have always been one of their strongest points,
simultaneously casual and chic. For instance, the Plano location that I
recently visited sports cream-colored walls, woods, well-placed plants, and
a postmodern bar, complete with water wall. Instead of blaring mariachi
music, soft flamenco guitar and South-of-the-Border jazz are used for
atmosphere.
The entire effect is sharp enough to be considered upscale, yet
laid-back enough for Tex-Mex. I've been to several Lunas over the years,
but chose the Plano location because it's newer and I wanted to get a firsthand glimpse of
how the interior design has evolved over time.
Luna's salsas excel as well. The red has pronounced garlic notes, the green
a more subtle cilantro burn. Superbly marinated fork-tender chicken fajita meat was easily the
best dish we tried, served with a classic Tex-Mex cheese enchilada that was quite flavorful.
Bean soup was another plus, redolent of bacon and spices, although it lacked the final
touch of smokiness that really makes this dish sing. Spicy Enchiladas
featured shredded beef, not the all-too-typical ground, plus pork commingled
with cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions, and serrano chiles, served with rice
and rather soupy refried beans. The serranos added an extra punch to the
dish, greatly assisting the pork, which was slightly bland. The beef was
spiced more aggressively, although a bit too dry.
Total with tax and
generous tip for the very good service was $40, which was somewhat expensive
for a meal for two people with iced tea and no alcohol.
All things considered, Luna de Noche is an excellent Tex-Mex chain meal, one that was state
of the art for Dallas a decade ago. Since then, however, other worthy
contenders have entered the fray, such as Carolinas and Los Cucos, and both
places feature more choices not typical of area chains such as carnitas,
caldo de res, and pollo con mole. Surely, Luna de Noche shows enough
staying power to remain a player in the new decade, but they need to expand
their offerings to suit the ever-growing sophistication of Dallas and
suburban diners. To not do so might be quite foolish.
Luna De Noche
1401 Preston Rd
Plano
972 818-2727
