Tucked between Bernie’s Liquor and Doug’s Optical and only identifiable by a large, white illuminated “LUNA” sign on its storefront, Luna’s opening has been soft and humble.

If you’ve been in Fargo long enough, you may remember Luna Coffee. It was around for quite some time, until the owners decided to sell the location to Nikki Berglund, who started a relatively new concept known as “Luna.”

Luna still serves espresso drinks during daylight hours, along with a lunch menu, before switching to fine dining in the evening; indeed, she manages to pull off a remarkably smooth transition.

Entering the establishment, the first two things that caught my eye were an open kitchen and a deli-style display case containing an abundance of cheese and cured meats,

two things representative of a place that is food-oriented.

There is a seating area to the right where the kitchen is in full view, a separate section with additional seating and a bar separating them.

The atmosphere is very simple, clean and neat, but maybe a little too neat. It is not the most inviting, cozy restaurant I’ve ever been to, maybe attributable to the bright lighting and cold color scheme.

Something is missing. Luckily for them, small changes could easily solve this problem. That being said, the following meal and overall experience omitted any of my negative feelings towards a less than satisfactory choice of wall color.

It started with a “cheese plate”, which was a work of art. Consisting of fresh grapes, a variety of cheeses, toasted marcona almonds, dried fruits and olives, it was apparent

that they put this dish together with consideration for complimenting flavors.

Tip: Go on Monday when it’s half off, costing only $8 versus $16.

Following the appetizer, we had Hawaiian Marlin Crudo (a white fish, served raw), accompanied by soy and brown butter, black radish and roe, which was the most impressive dish of the night. It was only four bites in total, but I would spend that $8 again any day.

Later, we had sweet potato soup, white bean chili, salt and pepper chicken wings and seared scallops.

I completely underestimated how filling these small dishes are, so don’t feel you have to spend $50 to leave satisfied.

Luna’s menu changes almost daily, so there will always be something new to try for each visit (this ain’t Applebee’s). Ask your server for recommendations and they will be happy to help you pick apart the menu.

Every individual item we ordered came out within minutes after notifying the waiter, a young man who was charismatic and not only very attentive, but cared to keep us entertained.

Anticipate spending somewhere from $15-$30, depending on whether or not you order a beverage, appetizer or dessert.

Stop in sometime soon for a cappuccino, a cheese plate to-go for the holidays or to dine in.