Lulu's and Taco Diablo returning to Evanston!

From Lulu's Facebook page - Finally, after a lot of planning & work, plus a little frustrating delay, the rebuilding of Taco Diablo plus the third updated version of Lulu's, begins.
Demolition of the old Tom Thumb Hobby & Crafts building begins tomorrow morning. Check back because we'll keep you posted on the progression and give you sneak peeks at what's coming.

https://www.facebook.com/lulusevanston

Any ETA on the open dates? I haven't been to either; I recently moved to Evanston last Sep (and mostly regretting it), but Taco Diablo was on my list (from research before moving here).

I recently moved to Evanston last Sep (and mostly regretting it)

Seriously? Why? And Lulu's is nothing to write home about. Don't bother. There are a ton of good restos in Evanston. That was/is not one of them.

agreed - there are plenty of good restaurants in Evanston - the thing I liked most about Lulu's over its 20 year history was its consistency - was it the best or most innovative cuisine in Evanston no - but it was consistent and good.

I enjoyed Lulu's, particularly for their "munch a bunch" special (lunchtime weekends, dinner Mondays-Tuesdays). Unlimited quantities of almost anything on the menu for a low price (around $17). Not that any one dish was amazing, but everything was always pretty good, and that way you got a lot of variety (and of course quantity and value too). I look forward to its return.

That being said, there are indeed many excellent restaurants in Evanston. If I had to name only a few favorites, they would include Oceanique and Quince at the high end, Campagnola and Found for moderately-priced casual finer dining, and Edzo's, Thai Sookdee, and Al's Deli for cheap eats. If I had to name only one, well, there's one place that, every time I go there, I regret that I waited so long to do so: Campagnola. I've been going there maybe once a year, and I'd really rather go there 3-4 times a year.

Has anyone been to Delbe's Corner, which is just west of where Tom Thumb was? A sign on their window says they have "Liege Waffles." Very small place, but looks kind of interesting.

bw77 wrote:Has anyone been to Delbe's Corner, which is just west of where Tom Thumb was? A sign on their window says they have "Liege Waffles." Very small place, but looks kind of interesting.

I've been there. It's a typical café type place, specializing in coffee and lighter fare. The Liege waffles are good - not amazing, but decent.

They also have Liege waffles at Leonidas at Central and Green Bay, but I haven't tried them there.

bw77 wrote:Has anyone been to Delbe's Corner, which is just west of where Tom Thumb was? A sign on their window says they have "Liege Waffles." Very small place, but looks kind of interesting.

They feature what they call "steamed sandwiches," which I don't think I've seen anywhere else. Certainly worth a visit if you want a quick something, and not far from a number of other reasonable destinations, including Smylie Bros. Brewing and Cozy (Thai) Noodles.

mdpilam wrote:Any ETA on the open dates?

Want to add to your list of regrets, eh?

bw77 wrote:Has anyone been to Delbe's Corner, which is just west of where Tom Thumb was? A sign on their window says they have "Liege Waffles." Very small place, but looks kind of interesting.

I haven't had the waffle but did try a steamed sandwich. While the sandwich ingredients were fairly low-quality, the idea of repurposing stale bagels by steaming them is kind of ingenious. I look forward to indulging in more of these after I lose all my teeth.

weinstein5 wrote:agreed - there are plenty of good restaurants in Evanston - the thing I liked most about Lulu's over its 20 year history was its consistency - was it the best or most innovative cuisine in Evanston no - but it was consistent and good.

+1. I've worked off and on and Evanston for about 10 years, and Lulu's was one of my go-to lunch places, usually when I was looking to dine solo and kill an hour and a half with a meal, hot tea, and a good book without being bothered much. When I was pregnant last year, I had a MURDEROUS craving for Lulu's ramen shortly after they closed. I visited several other ramen joints in Chicago after that, all of which were quite good (Oiistar was a standout). But none of them had that familiar, comforting - even though not quite authentic - Lulu's flavor my pregnant brain was looking for.

I didn't get to the taco place before the fire, but the rooftop bar sounds like it could be a nice summer hangout.

Hope Lulu's moving on the same block doesn't hurt Cozy, which I like.

Hi- I live a block away from Tom Thumb. I had to walk to the dentist today, and I walked right past Tom Thumb, and it does not look like the demolition has begun yet. Pineyard was supposed to rebuild across the street too, but nothing has been done to that lot since the building was demolished after the fire over a year ago. I used to enjoy Lulu's. No it was not the best food in the world, but it was always solid. I never had a bad meal there.

Ah, but if you looked at the back of the building you would see something completely different.

I'm so excited.

I started working in downtown Evanston about a year ago and was a fan of Lulu's and Taco Diablo. I was sorry to see them both disappear. I've tried just about everywhere that's walkable from the office, but I have to admit that I haven't found too many places I'm in love with except for Edzo's. I love Weiner & Still Champion, but it's a bit too far to walk to during the winter. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

BTW, I've been to Delbe's twice and was disappointed both times. I do understand that it's a small place, but it's disheartening when they run out of ingredients at lunch time.

Vittrick wrote:I've tried just about everywhere that's walkable from the office, but I have to admit that I haven't found too many places I'm in love with except for Edzo's. I love Weiner & Still Champion, but it's a bit too far to walk to during the winter. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Sticking to places that are walkable from downtown Evanston, and are open for lunch - conditions which eliminate some great Evanston places like Campagnola, Oceanique, Quince, Terra Bistro, etc - places I would recommend for weekday lunch in addition to Edzo's include Davis Street Fishmarket, Prairie Moon (Californian/sports bar), Mount Everest (Indian with buffet), Thai Sookdee, Lao Sze Chuan (I'm actually not all that fond of it but a lot of people love it), 527 Café (Taiwanese), Lou Malnati's (deep dish), Giordano's (stuffed), and Bat 17 (deli). I've also been to Boltwood and Farmhouse but haven't been all that impressed (I thought Boltwood was pretty good for dinner, for lunch not so much). When the weather is nicer so a longer walk works, Al's Deli and DMK Burger & Fish may also be doable.

Check the Events Calendar forum for the LTH Evanston Lunch Group. We get together approximately once a month; sometimes walkable from downtown Evanston, otherwise drivable but not all that far away. All are welcome. Nice folks, and we split items so you get to sample a lot of items on the menu.

Have you tried Naf Naf? I thought their pita bread was excellent. I am not saying that I would want to eat there every day, but it was not bad, and it was not expensive. Soulwich is supposed to be good too, and I like Celtic Knot. Smiley's is also supposed to be good. I suspect that it is going to be a year before Lulu's and Taco Diablo open up.

Thank you for the recommendations, nsxtasy. A short lunch break certainly limits where I can go, but I'm open to try anything. And thank you for mentioning the LTH Evanston Lunch Group. I look forward to joining the group one day.

From http://chicago.eater.com/2015/1/21/7863 ... ne-plywood looks like they are aiming for a fall 2015 opening -

Looks like the construction is underway - https://www.facebook.com/lulusevanston/ ... =1&theater

End of June or early July.....
https://www.facebook.com/lulusevanston/ ... =3&theater

As far as stealth openings, this one was a big one for fans of LuLu’s, the suburban Evanston Asian restaurant that closed in 2013 after more than two decades of operation. The new incarnation of the restaurant finally opened this week—albeit only for lunch—at their new location at 1029 Davis Street.

http://chicago.eater.com/2016/12/13/139 ... k-open-new

Note, they have not yet updated either their website or their Facebook page.

I dined at Lulu's tonight with three friends. I was a fan of the old Lulu's; and now I'm a fan of the new. I do not usually post reviews, but given that I've been told of some unfavorable comments posted on Yelp I thought a well deserved commendation was in order. One friend and I shared the chicken wings, potato croquettes, and string beans - which were even better (i.e., as crisp with a greater depth of chili pepper spice) than my fond memories of them. We also shared the hot & sour soup and vegetarian egg rolls, which were meh. My other two friends said they very much liked the Vietnamese Noodle Salad and another noodle dish (the Mongolian Beef?) but I did not get to taste them. We all also enjoyed the wines we ordered by the glass.

Reminder, those interested in trying the reincarnated Lulu's are welcome to join the Evanston Lunch Group™ for our lunch there this coming Wednesday. Click here for details. All are welcome!

The Evanston Lunch Group™ visited Lulu's version 3.0 Wednesday. Compared to its previous iteration (where Boltwood now resides), the menu is somewhat pared down, but many of the highlights from the earlier restaurant are still there.

One that I always loved at the old place was the cold Sesame-Peanut Noodles. It's a refreshing starter; I don't think this would work as well if it were hot.


Handmade Pot Stickers were enhanced with garlic and ginger, in a black vinegar sauce.


I thought the Yasai Potato Croquettes sounded a bit pedestrian. While I can't get excited about fried mashed potatoes, the siracha-kewpie mayo added a lot of flavor.


Blistered Green Beans with tofu elicited varied opinions. Although everyone liked the beans in the ginger-garlic oyster sauce, several avoided the tofu. I thought it did a fine job soaking up the sauce's flavors.


Crystal Shrimp Dumplings were beautifully formed, firm dumplings with a nice chew, partially from the good-sized chunks of shrimp inside.


Probably the most successful dish was the Panang Curry Noodles. The complex sauce had a nice touch of spice.


On the other hand, the noodles in the VietnameseRice Noodle Salad were a bit on the bland side, with just a touch of lime flavor. A little soy sauce (from interesting little squirt bottles) helped a lot.


Finally, the Wide Rice Noodles had great texture, with big chunks of chicken.


As a Pan-Asian restaurant, does Lulu's offer a variety of authentic dishes? Probably not. But it does offer tasty, approachable fare that's easy to like. It's worth checking out, especially with a large group for good ordering power.

I really liked most of the dishes we had, and I agree with Tom's assessments. It's probably also worth mentioning that the acoustics at their new location are VERY VERY LOUD.

nr706 wrote:Compared to its previous iteration (where Boltwood now resides), the menu is somewhat pared down, but of the highlights from the earlier restaurant are still there.

They mentioned that they are still working on developing the menu and will be adding and subtracting dishes from it as needed. This is apparently why they have not yet posted it on their Facebook page or their website, which is currently inactive. This is what the menu looks like right now:

nsxtasy wrote:It's probably also worth mentioning that the acoustics at their new location are VERY VERY LOUD.

Sigh. I realize this is (apparently) a matter of taste--i.e., apparently there are people who enjoy screaming through their meal--but I wonder if restaurants realize how many potential customers eliminate them from consideration due to this factor.

riddlemay wrote:

nsxtasy wrote:It's probably also worth mentioning that the acoustics at their new location are VERY VERY LOUD.

Sigh. I realize this is (apparently) a matter of taste--i.e., apparently there are people who enjoy screaming through their meal--but I wonder if restaurants realize how many potential customers eliminate them from consideration due to this factor.

To be fair, a lot of newly-opened places don't give much thought to it until they can get a few weeks in with a full house and start to appreciate what a potential problem it can be. I stopped going to Boltwood (in Lulu's old space) because it was just too noisy for me.

nsxtasy wrote:Note, they have not yet updated either their website or their Facebook page.

nsxtasy wrote:They mentioned that they are still working on developing the menu and will be adding and subtracting dishes from it as needed. This is apparently why they have not yet posted it on their Facebook page or their website, which is currently inactive.

Lulu's has now updated their website, including menu:
lulusevanston.com