Luna Rosa – Tewksbury

by South Florida Eats · November 26, 2023

Luna Rosa: 1699 Shawsheen St. Tewksbury, MA 01876

Mike has been showing me the different favorite restaurants of his as I visit each time. Luna Rosa happens to be one of those, and it is not too far of a drive. We must have passed it several times as we drove to get groceries or many other things, as it is tucked away in the corner of a small strip mall. If you aren’t paying attention, you may end up driving by the restaurant.

We were both hungry for Italian, so we decided to stop in. The place was bustling, but luckily, there was a table clearing, and we only had to wait about 15 minutes before we were seated. I would highly recommend making reservations if you plan on going.

The Restaurant:

From the outside, you wouldn’t think that Luna Rosa had much seating. But as you enter, you are greeted by the host stand. To the left are a couple of high-top-style tables. Then you have the bar area next to them, which can seat about ten people. The walls of the bar area are adorned with two flat-screen TVs.

In the center of the restaurant are four booths that can each seat about four people. On the right-hand side of the room are a few more booths that can seat about six people, some tables for four, and a few larger tables. Luna Rosa is not a huge restaurant, but it is definitely bigger than you first imagine from the outside.

The food is made fresh to order, and the pasta is made in-house. You will find that they are not strictly traditional regarding which pasta is served with what protein you would find in most Italian restaurants. Luna Rosa’s chef/owner is usually there, and it was great to meet him during our meal.

Luna Rosa’s Food:

Now, let’s get into the food we ate at Luna Rosa. For starters, we decided to try a special they had for the evening. It was a Bruschetta, grilled Tuscan bread topped with fresh marinated tomatoes, prosciutto, and fresh mozzarella sitting on a bed of arugula and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. This version is slightly different from the one on their menu and is not always available. We felt the flavors mixed well in our mouths as we enjoyed a glass of wine.

For the main course, I went with a favorite of mine, the Chicken Parmigiana. Luna Rosa put their own twist on it by serving a breaded cutlet topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and served with penne pasta. Many Italian restaurants typically serve this dish with linguini, but I enjoyed having the penne instead. There was a nice crispness to the breading on the cutlets, and the fresh mozzarella added so much flavor to the dish. I highly recommend anyone trying out this dish when you stop in.

Mike decided to try a special they were having at Luna Rosa for the evening. He went with the grilled swordfish, served with green beans and scalloped-style potatoes. While Mike has always loved everything he has had from Luna Rosa before, this was the first time he was disappointed with a dish. As an afterthought, having something like swordfish, which can be challenging to prepare, at an Italian restaurant maybe wasn’t the best choice.

He sent the first piece of fish back due to being overcooked and very dry. The second time around was not any better; this time, it came out still raw in the middle. This may have been due to the fact that the second piece was much thicker, and they were trying to get his meal back out to him quickly. Mike did not let this ruin his experience, and the restaurant did everything they could to make us happy with the situation.