Like most hip things in North Carolina, Luna’s Living Kitchen is housed in a re-purposed red-brick warehouse located in Charlotte’s South End neighborhood. It’s the place to be for anyone on a raw vegan diet. Step into the sunlight-filled space and you’ll immediately feel healthier– an adorable white-tiled juice bar looks out over trendy wooden tables dotted with (yep, you guessed it!) tiny succulents.
Photo courtesy of vegcharlotte.com
My friends and I showed up at dinner time on a Tuesday night. We had no problem getting a table right away on the warm-but-pretty outdoor patio, despite being a herd of seven bright-eyed, snap-chatting fiends.
One of the most impressive things about Luna’s Living Kitchen is the range of food they’re able to serve up in flawless clean-eating fashion. As a vegetarian, I’m usually confined to choosing between one or two menu items at restaurants. So, needless to say, I would describe the experience of reading over Luna’s expansive menu as something between euphoric and spiritually transformational. From sandwiches on sprouted bread, to hearty salads, to creative vegan takes on manicotti, pad thai, and burritos, there were zero things that I was not willing to order.
Photo courtesy of charlotterestauranttraffic.com
Overwhelmed and side-tracked with photo-documenting the experience, I went with our server’s recommendation of the pad thai, and what a phenomenal choice it was. If you’re not in Charlotte, try this recipe to recreate the glory.
#SpoonTip: Put an avocado on it. No matter what “it” is that you order.
Another glorious thing about Luna’s: not only does it taste great, but it actually fills you up. While the food is squeaky-clean, the portions are real-person sized. Many of the entrees are balanced with protein complements and heartier veggies (like the sweet potato “noodles” in my pad thai) so that you aren’t left feeling faint an hour later.
On our inspired health kick, my friends and I passed on dessert, but word on the street is that the Lemon-Berry “Cheesecake” (cashew-coconut based, yum) is to die for. Next time I stop by, I’ll also be sure to grab one of their gorgeous bottles of cold-pressed juice on my way out.
Photo courtesy of livingkitchen.com
Whether you do it for the insta, your own good health, or the ethically righteous raw vegan movement, choose Luna’s Living Kitchen over burgers and beer the next time you’re in Charlotte. Literally an impossible decision to regret.
Bonus: they’re opening locations in Raleigh and Chapel Hill in the next few months, so then you’ll really have no excuse for not giving Luna’s a try!