Eclipse di Luna (Park Place)

Tapas are chi-chi, tease food that are better consumed with a big group. Because sometimes, you just would rather have variety. Eclipse di Luna is a great spot for tapas in that it has an extensive menu of, well, just tapas. The atmosphere here is lively and loud, and the place is always packed so make sure you have reservations especially on the weekends.

Please excuse these awful pictures. It was unbelievably dark in there.

Although the food here definitely has some Spanish flair, I consider it more modern than what I grew up with. My grandmother is from Spain so all we ever ate growing up was traditional Spanish food. Paella has always been comfort food and making this elaborate dish took my mom (and grandma) hours to make. The version here is passable if you have never had the real thing. I found it less flavorful, the rice more mushy, and the overall dish a bit more wet than what is usual. It did contain the usual suspects of green peas, shrimp, squid, mussels, chicken, and chorizo. I like that they use Calasparra rice which is short grain rice because when it comes to paellas, the choice of rice is key. Nothing irks me more than to see Arborio rice in paella which absorbs more moisture.

The small plates we tried included:

Calamares Fritos: the tender squid pieces were lightly battered in spicy coating and fried golden. The side of slightly spicy salsa contained chunks of fresh tomatoes.

Peixinhos da Horta: though a bit on the oily side, these fresh greens were crisp and the sherry batter was so thin. A sprinkling of coarse sea salt is a nice touch.

Empanada de Langosta: the crust was flaky and buttery. It was filled with flavorful minced lobster and vegetables and was served atop a creamy lobster sauce that made for a wonderful dipping sauce.

Tortilla de Sobresada: a big omelet with Mallorcan sausage and Mahon cheese which is a sharp, lemony cheese. This is a great breakfast food.

Chuletas de Borrego: consisted of grilled lamb chops that were quite tasty but the sundried tomato and goat cheese cream sauce that topped it made the dish off-balance.

Esparrago: these grilled spears of crisp asparagus were doused with lemon and topped with shavings of Manchego cheese. They were very good and refreshing.

Pan Catalan: as much as I love bread, this just did not do it for me. The toasted ciabatta slices became soggy with the tomato-garlic-thyme purée they were topped with. Meh.

Costillas Españolas: this was my favorite dish growing up. It is made with fork-tender, braised pork ribs in balsamic vinegar then broiled (or grilled). The smoky flavor from the char mixes perfectly with the saltish braising liquid and the sweetish-tartish vinegar. Loved it.

Gambas al Ajillo: is another comfort food of mine. The head-on shrimp are sauteed in butter and garlic. Eat this with a crusty baguette (and make sure you sop up the butter-garlic sauce) and you will go to food heaven.

Overall a good place to try a variety of Spanish tapas. Prices are very reasonable.

Insider tip:
If you can’t book your desired time through Open Table, just give them a call and make your reservations by phone.
Located a few feet away from Cafe Intermezzo.

The scoop:
Eclipse di Luna
4505 Ashford Dunwoody Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30346
(678) 205-5862

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