"Enjoyed an excellent lunch at Casa Luna today (March 25, 2024). I 'm relatively new to the area (two years) and have been trying out various Mexican restaurants in search of some authentic and traditional tasting food. I was particularly excited to try Casa Luna because of some things mentioned in a negative review ... cinnamon in the beans?? Bring it ON! Not familiar with this? Look it up online for yourself. To quote one culinary site, 16th century culinary fusion that resulted in Mexican cuisine, the Spaniards brought spices to the New World, along with olives and olive oil, almonds, grapes, dairy and wool-bearing animals, rice, wheat and citrus. These spices, including cinnamon, cloves, anise, cumin and saffron, joined pre-Hispanic herbs and chiles to create the sophisticated, multi-layered flavors that are the hallmarks of fine Mexican food. Just saying... Oh, yes, the rice here has saffron in it too. NOT your boring Americanized orange Mexican rice. Food appreciation is subjective, and if you like gooey cheesy refried beans then this probably isn 't going to be your style. Do you typically fill up on multiple baskets of chips before your meal? Then you might not appreciate the fresh and simple salsa with (IMO) a great balance of onion and tomato and chips without a lot of salt. The green tomatillo sauce has a great spice balance btw. This kitchen doesn 't cheat and aimlessly throw mass quantities of jalapeños around just to create the illusion of spicy. I 've had some fairly banal Mexican meals around Kitsap county, and I don 't waste time posting bad reviews. I simply like to point out good food when I encounter it and today was one of those days. I had a special combo of a chicken enchilada and a pork tamale. (I like to sample the basics on my first visit) The masa was moist. The portion was plentiful but I didn 't feel like a stuffed piñata when I left. Just happy!! My dining partner had a Taco salad and the kitchen easily accommodated a request for half and half shredded beef ground beef. Tons of meat... the fried flour tortilla shell was like having dessert at the end. We devoured our meals and shared an ice cold Negra Modela. What a lunch... deserving of nice afternoon siesta. ¡Que Bueno! Our server was extremely pleasant and professional. A nice get-away on a drizzly afternoon. Come with a good attitude and a sense of adventure and surprise your taste buds with a satisfying change from the ordinary. Looking forward to returning and trying out more items on their menu."
