It's been many moons since Two Moons To Go, on Second Street just feet from the Downtown Mall (and right below offices of The Hook, coincidentally), closed its doors.

As of Saturday, February 9, however, the little space has new occupants and a new lease on life.

Marco and Luca is the name of the diminutive eatery, which serves fresh dumplings, sweet and sour soup, and soft drinks-- for dollars less than almost any other downtown meal. Don't believe us? Consider this: $4 will buy you six dumplings and a large cup of soup; another $.75 and you've got your drink. Whoa!

Owned by Dragana Katalina-Sun, a Bosnian refugee, and her Chinese-born husband Sun Da, Marco and Luca (named for their two sons) marks the culmination of a dream for the couple, who met in Germany before emigrating to the U.S. and settling in Charlottesville to raise their sons.

Discovering the space was serendipitous, says Katalina-Sun. One night while strolling down the Mall, the couple spotted a "For Rent" sign on the window. "We just took out a loan and hoped for the best," she says with a shrug.

We wish them the best!

Delectable deli
We at Dine-o-mite thought we'd seen it all when it came to local eateries. But every once in a while, we're proven wrong. And this week, it's Ciboulette that's thrown us for a loop.

It had been a while since we'd been down to the old MacGregor Imported Auto building, so we were delighted last week to learn that the Dean and Deluca-type deli had opened its doors.

Delight turned to ecstasy when we stopped in for lunch. A glass display case runs nearly the length of the space, and behind that glass sit delicacies fit for a king (or queen, for that matter). We tried the (nonfried) spring rolls, filled with veggies and Asian noodles and accompanied by a tasty dipping sauce. Virtue never tasted so sweet. But the crowning lunchtime moment, by all accounts, was the squash soup with creme fraiche; even now, days later, the memory is as savory as the soup itself.

Amazingly, the a la carte lunch items aren't Ciboulette's only selling point. The shelves lining the wall opposite the glass counter are filled with gourmet treats.

And best of all, an industrial-style loft allows diners to gaze down on the store and the indoor "courtyard" that connects Ciboulette with its soon-to-open sister stores Feast!, a fishmonger, and a gourmet chocolatier.

Dim sum happens
What makes a restaurant great? Weeks of planning? Blood, sweat, and tears? For restaurant veterans Tim Burgess and Vincent Derquenne, whose successes include the Metropolitain and Bizou, a great restaurant "just happens." Or at least that's what Derquenne says when asked about their latest creation, Bang! Or is it Bang!! Or maybe Bang!!!

Whatever the number of exclamation points, one thing's for sure: the new restaurant will open with a dim sum bang within the next couple of months, according to Derquenne.

Diners can look forward to dim sum, he says, as well as dishes "inspired by the flavor and style of Pacific Rim cuisine." Dim sum yum!

As for the new restaurant's ambience, it's too early to tell just by looking, and Derquenne's not talking. We do know the back of the former Memory and Company house on Second Street has been pushed out (possibly to accommodate a larger kitchen), and from the looks of it (and the amount of time it's taken) the interior work goes far beyond cosmetic changes.

Stay tuned to Dine-o-mite for dim sum updates.

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