How Chef Joe Found Home at Luna
Cooking Up Something New
For Joseph Morris, food is about community, creativity, and the moments that bring people together.
At Luna Restaurant on Spokane’s South Hill, guests gather over brunch with friends, to celebrate an anniversary, savor a thoughtfully plated duck dish, or a burger and a glass of wine after work. For Chef Joe, all of those moments matter.
After more than a decade at Luna, the executive chef has become one of Spokane’s most recognizable culinary voices, helping shape the restaurant’s menu as well as the city’s broader food culture.
His journey, however, didn’t begin in a professional kitchen. It began in search of a place where he felt at home.
From Florida to Spokane
Born in Orlando, Florida, Morris spent his childhood moving around as his father served in the military. Eventually, settling in Spokane. He enrolled in Spokane Community College’s culinary program and discovered a path that felt right. Like many culinary careers, his started humbly. At Luna, he began as a dishwasher.
Over the years, he worked every opportunity he could find, learning the craft, building trust, and slowly moving through the ranks until eventually becoming executive chef. Today, that climb remains one of the things he values most about Luna. The restaurant provided a start and gave him room to grow.
As new opportunities emerged, whether leading brunch service, helping guide the menu, or taking on more responsibility, Luna continually gave him reasons to stay and invest in both the restaurant and in Spokane itself.
Where Art Meets Organized Chaos
He sees the kitchen as an art studio. A kitchen, he says, is filled with hardworking artists operating within a structured system. There’s hierarchy, discipline, and accountability, but inside that framework lives creativity.
That artistic mindset influences everything from menu development to plate presentation.
Joe speaks openly about studying composition, color, texture, and visual balance. A dish should taste incredible, but it should also tell a story before the first bite.
A Restaurant That Means Something
For many residents on Spokane’s South Hill, Luna has been the setting for first dates, family celebrations, business lunches, and everyday moments that become lasting memories, and that responsibility isn't lost on him.
“We’re creating a great experience not just for diners, but for the whole city.”
His definition of success isn’t receiving compliments while he’s standing in the room. It’s hearing that guests had an exceptional experience when he wasn’t there. That means the team succeeded. It means the culture worked.
It means Luna delivered on its promise of hospitality.
Energizing Spokane’s Culinary Community
Beyond Luna, Joe has also become known for helping spark collaboration throughout Spokane’s food scene.
Chef Joe is the founder of a collaborative movement he calls Culinary Dope, which allows him to work alongside fellow chefs, restaurants, and hospitality professionals to create dinner series, collaborations, competitions, and community events designed to keep Spokane's culinary culture moving forward. What began as healthy competition evolved into a sense of community.
“I want to come and work with you. I want to collaborate with you.” Joe says about the various personalities throughout Spokane’s culinary community
For Joe, that collaboration and community is about creating energy, introducing diners to new experiences and helping Spokane's food culture grow stronger. Whether collaborating with Radio Bar, Inland Pacific Kitchen, or other local culinary leaders, he views partnerships as opportunities to elevate the entire city.
Discovering Spokane Through Food
As a transplant, Joe sees Spokane differently than many lifelong residents. While some locals dream about larger cities, he experienced the opposite journey.
He arrived from a large city and found what he calls a “big small-town experience”, a city that offers outdoor beauty, thriving neighborhoods, major community events, and an increasingly vibrant food culture, all without losing its accessibility and sense of connection. He points to Bloomsday and Hoopfest as perfect examples.
Morris’ family members from Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Florida regularly plan trips around those events because they represent something uniquely Spokane.
Why Visitors Should Visit Luna
For visitors exploring Spokane, Luna’s menu reflects the diversity of modern American cuisine while remaining grounded in local ingredients and Northwest influences. The atmosphere balances neighborhood comfort with destination-worthy dining. And behind every dish is a team committed to making people feel welcome.
Perhaps that's why Joe's advice to visitors is surprisingly simple:
Slow down.
Take a breath.
Stay awhile.
Experience Spokane the way locals do.
“Don’t wait for a special occasion. Life is short. Just come up and visit.”
For Chef Joe, food has always been a way to bring people together. At Luna, he’s doing exactly that, one plate, one conversation, and one Spokane story at a time.