Luna Long Beach, the Mexican-fusion restaurant that has officially opened in Bixby Village Plaza, might be one of nearly ten restaurants for restaurateur Christian Alvarez and the second iteration of Luna’s flagship—but it is a gem for East Long Beach. The area is dominated by corporate spaces, with the 2nd & PCH retail complex acting as the hub for Food Beyond the Chain. (The smaller plaza at the southwest corner of Loynes and PCH, which houses OBRA Handbakery and formerly Local Spot, is the only exception. Also, please, don’t confuse it with Luna Belmont Shore, the independent jeweler.)
Christian, an experienced operator if there ever was one, has magically revamped the space in one and a half months. With furniture and tiles he designed with a company in Tototlán, Jalisco, along with his own taste, there is little question that Luna is an escape from its strip mall counterparts. But he is also tirelessly dedicated to the communities he serves. With Luna Long Beach, he clings rightfully to his roots in a way that only celebrates the beautiful influence Mexicans have had on California, the United States, and the world.
The food behind Luna Long Beach melds Mexican traditions with a boy’s love of his culture and Food Network.
“MTV, Comedy Central, and Food Network—and Michoacán—that sums up my personality,” former bartender and server Christian says, laughing.
Born in Sahuayo in the great Mexican state of Michoaćan, the California-raised restaurateur—whose father tended one of the farms of Delano, just 30 miles outside of Bakersfield, when he was five years old after they had reached amnesty—had long dreamed of owning a restaurant. With parents working in the field, food wasn’t just a means of work but a means of existence, influencing his future role in feeding communities.
As a way to make ends meet, his mother would sell tacos and enchiladas out of their apartment complex. “After school, I would go straight home, drop off the backpack, and be my mom’s sous chef and front-of-house,” Christian said. “I would also be a cashier… That’s how I started.”
During the pandemic, friends operated a Mexican joint out of a gas station window. (About as Californian as you can get, especially along routes like the 15.) And Christian would help with that, or what is commonly referred as a puesto within Latino communities. But he saw bigger plans. Why not formally name it—aptly, “El Puesto”—and make it bigger and outside, given the promotion of outdoor eating spaces during COVID?
And with that, a restaurateur was born in Bakersfield.
In essence, El Puesto birthed Christian’s restaurant career—and Luna Long Beach.
El Puesto soon became a brick-and-mortar and a massive success—something Christian had been devising all along. From there, overseeing a mixture of creating spaces while overseeing their menus became a second instinct. Rosa Madera, his three-location concept birthed in Santa Ana with other locations in Sacramento and Camarillo, Christian began watching his restaurant career blossom.
And then Luna’s first location was born back near home, in Bakersfield. Named after a niece and the desire to help his brother grasp the industry, Luna was both a metaphorical and tangible expression of Christian’s life. The moon has many faces, depending on where you’re looking at it on earth. But everyone on earth is looking at the same object. That dichotomy—being simultaneously connected yet not—reflected Christian’s life as a Mexican-born resident of the States.
“I’ve just always loved cultures—plural,” he emphasizes. “Everything is under the moon. Luna is that. It’s this thing where I threw in some sashimi with my mom’s ceviche because it was easier and then I had sesame and lime melding with one another and it worked. I was a few tequilas in, I admit, but it worked. That was where the ‘ceviche Asiatico’ came from.”
Each dish at Luna Long Beach has a story—just ask its owner Christian Alvarez, who designed every aspect of the menu.
“Ceviche Asiatico,” a wondrous, ponzu-centric blend of sesame, soy, and Serrano, is one of many dishes Christian unabashedly fuses cultures he both inhabits and loves so that the world can experience that melding. There’s also a spicy shrimp fried rice where drizzles of salsa macha give the dish a Mexican-centric tone. Wings doused in marinara or classic Chinese salt’n’pepper dustings. Salmon “al pastor.” Chicken with garlic confit that uplifts the love of ajo amongst Mexicans in a way that borders Italian…
Of course, where Luna shines best is where Christian’s background becomes involved. Eschewing the fusion-ed nature of Luna, there are dishes that are just outright Mexican, even if there are hints of boundary-pushing. The space’s carnitas—featured in both a traditional plate and as a side in enchilada form on some plates—are quite possibly the best in Long Beach. And the steak plates? It’s everything you dream of with a bisteca ranchera, where edges are crisped and the meat is still beautifully tender. (And, to join its wonderfully perfect tomatillo salsa, if you’re seeking a salsita with more of a spicy punch, ask for the kitchen’s arbol-centric sauce they use for themselves: packed with heat, definitely flavorful.)
A further look at the menu…
Warmly welcomed. Deliciously deviant from the neighborhood’s offerings. An outstanding offering from a new restaurant (and, please, if you go, give the space some grace as they are new). Here’s a look at some of the offerings from Luna Long Beach, for which I strongly recommend the steak al sur, carnitas tradicional, and ceviche Asiatico.
Ceviche Asiatico: Shrimp | Lime | Cucumber | Red onion | Soy-ponzu black sauce | Sesame-chile oil | Sesame mayo | Ancho-duted tostadas
Spanish shrimp and mussels: Shrimp | Mussels | Mushrooms | Chorizo | Garlic-lemon-white wine cream sauce | Bread
Steak al Sur: Flap steak | Carnitas enchiladas with salsa verde and crema | Jalapeño-garlic butter | Tomatillo salsa | Casamiento (rice and black beans) | Ancho-dusted tostada
Salmon al pastor: Salmon | House-blended achiote | Pineapple | Grilled onions | Salsa verde | Casamiento (rice and black beans) | Ancho-dusted tostada
Pollo con ajo confit: Grilled chicken breast | Lemon-garlic butter | White wine | Garlic confit | Lemon | Herbed oil | Mashed potatoes | Broccolini | Carrots
Spicy shrimp fried rice: Garlic-butter rice | Shrimp | Mushrooms | Peas | Carrots | Soy-oyster sauce | Salsa macha | Frenched onions
And a look into Luna Long Beach’s solid cocktail program.
Porch pounders. Booze-forward. Basic (in the best way possible and we all know we have that friend). This is an accessible, well-crafted—all syrups are made in-house while all juices are fresh—where plays on Painkillers, Aviations, and more solidity into a wonderful amalgamation of offerings.
Detour in Rome: Sping 44 Gin | Luxardo | Aperol | Lemon | Simple
Call Me By Your Name: Beyond vodka | Prosecco | Crème de peach | Peach purée | House-made lemon syrup | Basil
Lychee Garden: Spring 44 Gin | House-made herbal syrup | Lychee | Basil | Lemon
Christian’s Sour: Botanist Gin | Aperol | St. Germain | Lemon | House-made herbal syrup | Egg white | Angostura bitters
The Flower Girl: Beyond Vodka | St. Germain | Crème de Mûre | House-made herbal syrup | Passion tea | Lemon
Mirame: Real del Valle Tequila | Domaine de Canton Ginger liqueur | Prickly pear | Aloe vera | Lemon | Angostura bitters
Luna is located at 5755 E. Pacific Coast Hwy.
