Chicago Eats: Lula Cafe (A 2024 James Beard Nominee & Michelin Guide Restaurant)
Lula Cafe is a 2024 James Beard Award Nominee for outstanding hospitality and 2020 Michelin Bib Gourmand winner, given to restaurants with best value for money. Having now been, I can attest to both and have been super excited to write this review.
Travel, for me, is all about exploration and curating new experiences that are singular to a location or that you otherwise not have at home. When I looked at the menu for Lula Cafe, I saw so many interesting food pairings and combinations of ingredients that immediately drew me to the restaurant.
According to the Michelin Guide, the bib gourmand award is given to restaurants who offer full three-course meals at a reasonable price, have recognizable dishes and menu items, and leaves patrons with a sense of satisfaction having eaten great food without breaking the bank. For $85 (service fee included), I had a beverage, snack (appetizer), small plate, and an entree— all uniquely delicious and very filling.
Let’s chat about what I had.
Fried Four Star Mushrooms
marcona almond aillade
Fried mushrooms are a dish I grew to love in the last several years, so ordering them was absolute. Often, fried mushrooms have a bit of spice to them, which I love, so I was particularly interested in the fact that these mushrooms were paired with an aillade that had a slight bit of sweetness to it.
I learned that aillade is a french condiment often complimentary to meats. Marcona almonds are considered a gourmet item, as they are only imported from Spain, and the higher fat content of these almonds is what gives the aillade its rich texture.
The aillade was sort of an acquired taste and texture, but as you can imagine, I finished every bite of this snack.
Japanese Sweet Potato
chicken schmaltz, steelhead roe, charred lemon, dill
Sweet potatoes are not something I order often and certainly not with this combination of ingredients. I asked my waitress her opinion of the dish and when she described charred potatoes coupled with other light ingredients, I was sold.
Even after carefully selecting from the many other items that sounded delicious, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this dish. Tasting the steelhead roe on top of the potatoes was my first ever experience with caviar, and I have to say I liked it. I would be very curious to know whether caviar is something often, if ever, paired with sweet potatoes, because it would seem to me this isn’t a combination you won’t get everywhere making it that much more worthy of praise for Lula Cafe.
Roast Chicken
potato and bitter greens panzanella, anchovy aioli
Similar to the sweet potato, roast chicken is also not something I’m prone to order really anywhere, but it stood out to me for picture and description. It’s quite a bit more food than I expected but was grateful for. You would think the chicken is the star of the show, but I very much enjoyed the combination of potato and greens.
Succulent chicken, tender potatoes, and fresh greens are an unmatched combination done to perfection at Lula Cafe that I can guarantee you won’t regret having.
After my dining experience, it’s not hard to know why Lula Cafe is nominated for an outstanding hospitality award. Every staff member shares warm smiles and is particularly accommodating, but what I found most special is what happened as I was leaving.
One of the staff members noticed that I dined alone, and as they were boxing my leftovers, she sent me a coconut banana muffin (with miso caramel and banana chips) from the brunch menu to have as dessert or for breakfast the next day. It was less the fact that I received something free as the attention to detail that I loved most about this experience.
I imagine that if I lived in the nearby neighborhood, I’d visit often for the charming dining space, sense of familiarity, and the outstanding food.
