Now that Cup It Up has packed it up from the space at 1101 N. Wilmot Rd., #119, a pair of Portland entrepreneurs has taken over with their new pizza concept Pizza Luna.
Cup It Up’s aluminum-heavy interior is gone, replaced with warm woods, ambient lighting, and cute little potted cacti.
Co-owners and operators Tracy and Marc Frankel also run Lovejoy Bakers and Pizzicato Pizza in Portland with 18 locations. Their recent move to Tucson was originally intended to be semi-retirement, however.
“My wife is so mad at me,” Marc said in a press release. “But I can’t sit still.”
“We have created an institution with Pizzicato up in Portland,” Tracy said. “Marc decided to start a new brand so he could have more latitude with the menu and style of the pizzas.”
Pizza Luna describes their pizza as Neo Neapolitan, thin crust pies that combine baking science, curated ingredients, and honed technique. The dough is cold-fermented for three days and baked at a high temperature with a focus on local and premium ingredients. 12-inch pizzas start at $10.25, while 16-inch pizzas start at $17.
Toppings are unusually gourmet with options such as finocchiona, pancetta lardons, house-made cumin lamb and pork fennel sausages sausage, Humboldt Farm goat cheese, and fior de latte.
The menu also features pizzas by the slice at lunch, rotating appetizers, and seasonal salads.
As an introduction to the neighborhood, Pizza Luna will offer a lunch special that includes a plate-covering slice and salad for $8.25.
Grimaldi’s Pizzeria fans are also in luck — Pizza Luna hired two chefs from Tucson’s recently closed Grimaldi’s.
“My cousin lives right across the street from the original Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn,” Marc said in a press release. “I’ve been there many times and I knew these were the right guys for me.”
Pizza Luna is located at 1101 N. Wilmot Rd., #119. Operating hours are 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday. For more information, call (520) 344-7637 or visit pizza-luna.com.
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Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
