A longtime mainstay of the local foodie scene, the recently renovated Loca Luna is just one of the new gems in Riverdale’s crown. The restaurant marked its 30th year by debuting a fresh, yet familiar atmosphere and menu that’s “easy to love, easy to return to.”
Remolinos Group, which owns Sterling Market and the Fidel & Co coffee shops and co-working space, is now behind four of those Riverdale gems: Loca Luna, an under construction Red Door, a new concept called The Landing and a new Fidel & Co location.
We spoke with owner Fidel Samour about his outlook on trends, tradition and the timeless taste of Loca Luna.
Two years ago this summer, Remolinos first announced it was taking over Loca Luna and Red Door. How has your vision for these establishments changed in that time?
FS: We knew Loca Luna needed real investment, a genuine revamp of the space and the menu, but we didn’t want to lose the comfortable feel. What’s become clearer over these two years is how to do that without losing what made people fall in love with the place to begin with, but also give those who haven’t experienced Loca Luna, or haven’t come back in a while, something new.
So the space has changed, the menu has changed — quite a bit in both cases — but every decision got run through the same question: Will a longtime regular still walk in and feel like this is their spot? That’s the balance we’ve been chasing: Give it the update it deserved, while honoring where it came from and embracing where it’s headed. That’s easier said than done, we’ve had some good and bad feedback, but overall, we think we’ve hit that mark and are really enjoying seeing all of our old customers, many new ones and connecting them as new friends together.
Loca Luna has a new tagline: “Easy to love. Easy to return to.” How does that manifest in the space and menu?
FS: It’s really a promise about consistency and comfort. We wanted a place that had approachable dishes and approachable prices, but hit the right feel where you might decide to run in for a last-second dinner in a baseball cap, hear some live music for a long dinner and drinks or still be able to choose it for a date night. In the space, it shows up as richly colored wood paneling, exposed brick, leather, a little brass. Warm and lived-in rather than sleek or showy, so it feels like it’s always been part of the neighborhood.
On the menu, it means we didn’t chase trend. You’ll find well-executed American staples — steaks, roast chicken, burgers, salads — dishes people already trust and don’t have to think hard about. The tagline isn’t a marketing line to us. It’s more of a filter. If a dish or a design choice doesn’t make it easier to come back, it doesn’t make the cut.
The significance of stepping into these iconic businesses is, of course, not lost on you. What have you learned in this process about balancing old favorites with fresh ideas?
FS: That the “old favorites” aren’t really about the specific dish or the specific chair, even though many of our patrons had both. It’s about the feeling. Guests don’t come back for a burger, they come back because it’s a good burger, but the same friendly faces make them feel taken care of. Once we understood that, balancing old and new got a lot less fraught. We could update a recipe or refresh a room as long as we protected the feeling underneath it. We hope that’s exactly what patrons feel the moment they walk into the new space, that same love and care, just given room to grow.
Loca Luna and Red Door are the first restaurants in your portfolio that have such a longstanding history in the foodie scene. What made you want to step into that arena? What itch does it scratch?
FS: There’s a different kind of responsibility, and a different kind of reward, in stepping into something with over 30 years of memory already built in. With a brand new concept, you’re building trust from zero. Here, the trust already exists, the job is to be worthy of it. That’s the itch — less “look what we built,” more “look what we protected and made better.” Loca Luna already had a great history. Mark Abernathy had been delivering that for 30 years here. We felt like sometimes honoring and building on a legacy is a better contribution to the community than building something new.
Talk to me about Loca Luna’s menu. What does your take on “classic Southern American” fare bring to the table?
FS: We didn’t want to turn Loca Luna into a Southern restaurant. It never was one, and that’s not the assignment. It’s American food with manners and memory. So you’ll see Southern touches folded in: cornmeal crusts, smoked bacon, heirloom grits, pimento cheese, skillet cornbread, pickled vegetables, greens. It’s more Sunday supper than deep-fried novelty. Desserts stay in that same lane with slight twists. Our berry buckle is a slight twist on what would be a traditional Southern cobbler, but with the same characteristics. Really shooting for dishes that are familiar and satisfying, not elaborate. And the bar respects tradition: a whiskey-forward, simple unique take on classic cocktails, Old Fashioneds and martinis done right, alongside a solid by-the-glass and bottle wine list.
Do you have a personal favorite dish or drink? And what do you recommend most often?
FS: If I’m being honest about what I order for myself, it’s the crab cake on the starters. It’s the kind of dish that doesn’t need to shout, it just does everything right. We still have white cheese dip and salsa harkening back to the thing that has been on the Loca menu since day one. For an entree, the pork chop is really one of the best I’ve had, but it’s really hard to choose a best.
And on the drink side, I always find myself reaching for the El Pepino. It’s built on cucumber tequila and cucumber bitters brightened with fresh-squeezed orange juice, rounded out with a touch of vanilla liqueur and finished with agave. Refreshing without being one-note, and it pairs perfectly with an evening on the patio or a long dinner with friends. We’re excited for the weather to cool off as we’ve put a lot of effort into making the patio a really lushly green space that will grow more over the years so you feel like you’re in a private garden instead of a parking lot.
Everything on the menu is really great, and you won’t find anything unapproachable, so you can try them all. We didn’t want it to be one of the menus where you only have a couple of items you feel comfortable ordering and the rest it’s just not worth risking it.
What was one new element or aspect you were determined to include in the space?
FS: We really feel like the times of going to a restaurant with friends, having a great meal and drinks and just talking to each other have been lost a little bit. One of our coasters even states, “No wifi, talk to each other,” which gave us all a small chuckle. So that overarching theme of giving a comfortable place people want to break bread and connect with friends was important. So many elements were important for that. Comfortable chairs you can sit in for two-plus hours if you wanted to. Extra room on the booth tables so you didn’t have salt shakers, candles, etc. in your way. Low lighting, but enough you can still read the menu.
We also feel like music, food and drink go hand in hand, so maybe if we had to pick just one thing, the small one-to-two person stage was an important element to include so we could have live music. Currently, we have live music scheduled every Thursday, but we’re considering adding in some more days, potentially brunches, just because it’s another aspect that really helps encourage connecting with your friends and neighbors, conversing with the table next to you and enjoying yourself.
What can you tell us about The Landing?
FS: The Landing is something genuinely different for us. It’s a Chesapeake Bay-inspired oyster bar and cocktail bar tucked into the Old Cantrell entrance of Loca Luna. Oysters by the half shell alongside a full small-plates and cocktail program, including a different burger recipe to Loca. (You have to have a great burger and fries even if seafood is the star.)
The room leans into nautical design: boat captain’s chairs as bar stools, oars, signal flags, warm wood and brass. Given Loca Luna and the old moon logo alongside the nautical theme, we thought it was fun to play on words with a boat landing and the moon landing. So there’s a layer underneath all of it, a subtle, hidden conspiracy theory theme woven through the decor, from the moon and astronauts out front to nods to the moon landing, JFK, bigfoot and more scattered inside. Gives people something fun to try and figure out while they’re enjoying some great food and drink.
I understand Red Door is still pretty under wraps, but are there any updates, timelines or insights you can share?
FS: Red Door is still very much in development, although we have some pretty good direction. We wanted to ensure that we gave Loca Luna and The Landing care and focus rather than rush to open everything at once. What I can say is that it’s getting the same philosophy as everything else in our portfolio: Respect what made it matter in the first place, then build forward from there. More information to come soon on this.
Between Loca Luna, The Landing, Red Door and a new Fidel & Co location, what do you hope to bring to the area?
FS: Range, without losing a common thread. The Loca Luna is the neighborhood spot that feels like it’s always been waiting for you. The Landing is the getaway you don’t have to leave town for. Fidel & Co brings specialty coffee rooted in Salvadorian heritage and a genuine belief in creating better opportunities across the whole chain, growers, team members, guests and community. And Red Door will add its own chapter, but the same idea underneath all of them: hospitality that’s honest, unpretentious and built to last.
Riverdale, and specifically the stretch on and around Old Cantrell, has been a consistent food and beverage haven, and we are just honored we get to be a part of some amazing restaurants down there, old and new. We’re excited to contribute to the area, but know there is a lot to live up to with some really amazing neighbors in the area.