Chicago (Eclectic) - Lula Cafe

Lula Café
2537 North Kedzie Boulevard, Chicago, IL; 773-489-9554
Date of Review: May, 2008

Lula is a chic spot located right at the junction where the Kedzie and Logan Boulevards meet in burgeoning Logan Square. They have a neat outdoor dining area and draw a crowd of hipsters and dining aficionado’s alike. The entrance to the restaurant features a tiny bar with a small, casual but modern dining area in the adjoining room of about 15 or so tables. Lula features a standard café menu in addition to a daily changing dinner menu. They are known for their organic focus as they use locally grown fruits and vegetables.

Lula is a great spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Some of my favorite brunch items include the Moroccan couscous and the breakfast burrito. They also have excellent coffee. The breakfast burrito is simple with avocado, onion, pepper, potato, eggs, and cheddar, (with sour cream and salsa) but the taste is far from simple. Given the basic ingredients, I almost had to wonder whether they sprinkled msg on top. The flavors were that savory. It is served with potatoes and the hot sauce they offer as a condiment is out of this world. I couldn’t put it down. The Moroccan chickpea sweet potato tagine includes arugula, saigon cinnamon, and couscous. It is a nice combination of flavors and is nice option for brunch or dinner as this dish (and anything on the café menu) is served all day. The roast turkey sandwich on multigrain bread with avocado, chile aioli, lettuce, tomato, onion, and sprouts is excellent as is the large grilled chicken torta sandwich with sweet tamarind mustard.

As for the daily changing menu, I found the cheeses, nuts and honeycomb on the artisan cheese plate appetizer to be a bit too exclusive (and small) for me given its $10 price tag. I thought the focus was on style over substance in relation to this dish. However, the special appetizer - duck filled ravioli in a brown butter sauce – features a large circular ravioli that was succulent. It was outstanding as is the complimentary bread they offer before your meal.

For dinner, anything on the café menu is available in addition to 5-6 changing entrees including things like Atlantic Cod, 24 Hour Lamb Shoulder and a top notch vegetarian selection. On my last visit, I had the excellent locally raised organic wood roasted chicken (from the café menu). Again, a simple dish that was fantastic. Served with sautéed spinach and roasted potatoes, this is a definite winner.

For desserts, we had the banana cream pie. I could do without a bit of the whipped topping but the crust and filling is out of this world. The bananas are fresh and tasty and the crust is decadently good.

At Lula, you can eat for cheap or spend a fair bit of money. On our last visit, our party of 4 had 3 appetizers, 6 glasses of wine, 2 beers, 4 entrées and 2 desserts. That is a big haul and it costs $200 including tax and tip.

Lula is a gourmet restaurant in every sense of the word and it deserves all the accolades it receives. Many of the dishes are simple but the attention to detail by the chef and the fresh ingredients make for incredibly flavorful and innovative menu options.