The couple behind Tre Luna Catering in downtown Birmingham is bringing their Italian cuisine to The Village at Brock’s Gap this spring. As a chef, Brian has always dreamed of opening his own restaurant. The name Tre Luna, meaning “three moons” in Italian, is a nod to Erin’s heritage, a play on their last name Mooney and a reference to their three children—the inspiration for them to work hard and dream big.
When is the Hoover location of Tre Luna Bar + Kitchen slated to open?
We hope to open mid- to late spring! We have partnered with foodies and long-standing supports Rick and Christine Botthof to create a long-awaited and much-anticipated date night spot in Hoover. This locally owned hot spot will incorporate Tre Luna’s upstanding reputation for gourmet cuisine, and Christine Botthof’s flair for impeccable design elements to bring forth a trendy take on bar and kitchen elements, including a one-of-a-kind pizza oven and raw bar.
How would you describe Tre Luna to a newcomer?
Fun date night, trendy, upscale, cozy and romantic.
How will your pizza oven create the pizzas your customers have come to crave?
We met a new friend cooking together for the Tum Tum Tree Foundation that was former owner of Strada di Napoli. We immediately connected and found our Acunto Mario wood fire pizza oven. We will offer a selection of traditional and creative pizzas with a special dough recipe Brian has been working on taking elements from a true Neapolitan style and blending it with his New York roots.
What else can patrons order at Tre Luna?
Handmade pastas, locally sourced produce, daily specials, upscale raw bar, Italian-American comfort foods. We are bringing some of our tried-and-true best sellers from our downtown catering company. One of our favorites is our Slow Braised Boneless Beef Short Rib. Others are our handmade pastas, our famous spinach and artichoke dip and our citrus herb shrimp.
Are you making any changes to the restaurant?
Christine Botthof has gone above and beyond to create the most beautiful restaurant we could ever dream of. Also, we can’t wait to see our guests enjoy our spacious, private patio on a nice day sharing company, appetizers, one of our specialty cocktails or a refreshing glass of rosé.
