geli wrote:Actually, while I personally feel that I would rather have dogs join me on a patio for lunch than have them mope around outside the barrier, this is a city law, and restaurants break it at their own risk. I've heard a rumor that the law might be changing soon (to let pooches join their humans on patios/in sidewalk cafes) but I can't remember where I heard that, so...

If that is the case (that it was due to a city ordinance), how or why are some city restaurants able to handle things differently? E.g. Brasserie Jo?

Don't they use degrees Celsius in Montreal? If so, you must have been sweating!

Due to my superhumanly giant brain I was able to convert 1.66666666 degrees celsius to 35 degrees Fahrenheit. YMMV.

Actually, while I personally feel that I would rather have dogs join me on a patio for lunch than have them mope around outside the barrier, this is a city law, and restaurants break it at their own risk. I've heard a rumor that the law might be changing soon (to let pooches join their humans on patios/in sidewalk cafes) but I can't remember where I heard that, so...

If that is the case (that it was due to a city ordinance), how or why are some city restaurants able to handle things differently? E.g. Brasserie Jo?

I took a quick google, and apparently the ordinance allowing dogs on outdoor patios at Chicago restaurants has been passed as of Jan 1st , but there are some significant requirements. I have a feeling that as the weather improves and more places actually open their patios, many restaurants will meet the requirements in order to accommodate their dog-owning patrons. Previous to this my impression was that places allowed dogs "at their own risk" similar to the many establishments that continue to offer foie-gras (not to derail this thread!) For example, when my mother came to visit me in the fall we went to a bar and grill in Logan Square with her very calm Standard Poodle. Initially our server said we could have the dog on the patio with us as long as no other customers objected. But as soon as the night manager showed up, the dog was out. At the time I had no clue about Chicago dog laws, but I learned more than I cared to that night.

The new ordinance is seemingly at the discretion of the individual restaurant to a certain degree--that is to say, they can allow dogs if they meet all of the legal criteria and if they wish to allow dogs. I have a feeling that places that are mainly restaurant vs. mainly bar and are crowded already will likely decide to take a pass on this ordinance. But that is purely a guess on my part.

I had a really great meal here tonight - from their fresh and simple house salad, that came accompanied by a piece of bread and their housemade honey butter with sea salt, followed by a beautiful halibut with peas, parsnips and cabbage. Dessert of a fancy trio of ice cream sandwiches was the best of all though.

The restaurant is definitely hipster-friendly, and the waitstaff dress the part, but they are not at all pretentious or unfriendly. Our waitress and busboy were both very pleasant and willing to answer any questions about the menu. At one point, the busboy was even about to get me a new water glass when I accidentally got goat cheese on mine I insisted that wouldn't be necessary though. My friend doesn't eat pork, and wanted to make sure that there would be no pork in the quail entree, and our waitress said she would be sure to double-check. The pan roasted quail with pumpernickel stuffing was incredible as well...with a generous serving of asparagus and served atop young garlic and hickory nuts. I was lucky enough to try a couple bites from my friend's plate.

Two women sitting at the table next to us were clearly trying to cultivate hipster-social capital by ripping on Lady Gaga, and rather loudly too, to the point where I almost wanted to chime in and defend her music and wacky antics. But aside from that, my meal was phenomenal. I will definitely be returning, perhaps to try the famed pasta yiayia...but more likely, I'll be sidetracked by another seasonal special.

Hurdler4eva wrote:I will definitely be returning, perhaps to try the famed pasta yiayia...but more likely, I'll be sidetracked by another seasonal special.

Try weekend brunch ( more seasonal specials). I also think they turn out one of the best pancakes in the city. I don't like dense pancakes.

Monday night is still Farm Night (I think) 3 courses prix fixe.

Over the years, I really wish they took reservations, this place consistently has churned out delicious and delightful desserts. That last course I take seriously and too many places with great 1st & 2nd courses, fail miserably with the Last Course.

There was talk a few months back that Lula's would expand into the space housing the dry cleaner and that they would begin accepting reservations at this time. If I recall, they were hoping to be done by May but I don't know if that's anywhere near accurate at this point.

Here's an article with more information:
http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2011/ ... rogram.php

pairs4life wrote:

Hurdler4eva wrote:I will definitely be returning, perhaps to try the famed pasta yiayia...but more likely, I'll be sidetracked by another seasonal special.

Try weekend brunch ( more seasonal specials). I also think they turn out one of the best pancakes in the city. I don't like dense pancakes.

Monday night is still Farm Night (I think) 3 courses prix fixe.

Over the years, I really wish they took reservations, this place consistently has churned out delicious and delightful desserts. That last course I take seriously and too many places with great 1st & 2nd courses, fail miserably with the Last Course.

Thanks for the recommendation I, too, take dessert quite seriously.

We went to Lula last night for my birthday dinner when Schwa phoned an hour before our reservation to say they were closed due to a gas leak (hmm, that happened last time we booked at Schwa. what a coincidence) Anyway, friends had recommended Lula to us, and we noticed that they were in the "a la card" discount card deck, so we headed up there. It took longer than it should have, and we were both a bit crabby by the time we arrived since we were hungry, wet, and not where we'd planned.

We were seated right away (7:45 on a Wednesday, for reference) and decided to do the vegetarian six-course dinner for $45. Good choice! Everything was really good. I also had an Italian red wine by the glass for $8 each. We had the vegetable tart, green garlic soup, semolina gnocchi with soft-cooked egg, green garlic crepe, cheese course, and cheesecake with sorbet and passionfruit (?) sauce. It was a ton of food for the price, seemed like a good value.

Service was excellent. We had a woman with dark curly hair, and she was on the ball all night. Water glasses topped up frequently. The only service misstep was that they initially brought our soup with snails in the bowls (which are obviously not there for the veg version).

I really enjoyed my meal, and like the idea that you can get a simple sandwich for dinner, or a fancy set menu, whatever you want. Plenty of vegetarian options, and decent drinks list. There was a bit of a hipster vibe, but didn't feel out of place at all, and there were certainly plenty of older couples and groups as well. I can imagine we'll head up there more when the weather is a bit better and we can cycle.

I had a really nice lunch at Lula Cafe on Friday - "ham and raclette panino — radish, farm egg, pickled onion, black currant mustard". It reminded me that I need to eat here more often.

This is the first time I had been there since they did a remodel to the front room. The space looks great.

Had a really fantastic meal at Lula last night - it was perhaps the best meal I've had in Chicago in 2012. First time going for the Monday Farm Dinner. $58/person with wine pairings, which happened to be a cider ("julien frémont cidre brut 'par nature' normandy"), a white ("domaine guiberteau chenin blanc 2009 saumur, loire valley"), and a dessert ("domaine de fenouillet ‘muscat de beaumes de venise’ 2010"). Loved the cider and chenin, wasn't too crazy about the last one...too sweet for my tastes.

FRIED QUAIL, birch syrup glaze, crispy panceta, creamed fava beans, pickled peanuts, radicchio

Small serving, but perfectly cooked, and the glaze was delicious. Pancetta added a gerat touch. Favas weren't creamy enough, IMO.

PAN ROASTED LUBINA, zucchini, porcini, red currants, cucumber, sun flower seeds, dill, chilis

Standout dish. Two good-sized pieces of the fish, crispy skin, buttery soft meat. Just perfect.

STRAWBERRY SORBET & RASPBERRY GRANITA, elderflower tapioca and pudding, candied pistachio and brittle, fraise de bois, raspberries

One of the better desserts I've ever had. Pistachio brittle and elderflower tapioca really kicked this dish up a notch. All the elements worked seamlessly together.

All in all, a very creative and expertly-presented meal. I've had hit-and-miss luck with Lula before, and this was the first time I'd been in a few years. At $58, I'll definitely be back for more Monday nights.

We made our first visit to Lula Café yesterday after several failed attempts over the years due to calling for a reservation without enough advance planning. Dined in their outdoor space on the sidewalk on a lovely evening. The setting reminded me of some sidewalk dining experiences in Paris (the parkway street isn’t really a main thoroughfare and it looks out at a roundabout). Dinner was terrific.

First courses:
A summer salad of tomato and lemongrass braised braodbeans, smoked grapes, ground cherries, 
elderberries, thai basil, and goat cheese custard. My wife really enjoyed this salad.

and

Birch syrup glazed quail with crispy pancetta, cranberry beans, pickled peanuts, radicchio, and crispy sage. This was a great dish. The bean/peanut combo was as satisfying as the quail.

Mains:
Sweet corn white miso tamale with hen of the woods mushrooms, blackberry, fried masa, candied sage, and sheep’s milk cheese. I loved the bites that I tried of this.

and

Malloreddus pasta (similar to cavatelli) with sungold tomato, saffron, goat sausage, broccoli, pantaleo, and bottarga. Very enjoyable.

Desserts:
Brown butter sweet corn ice cream 
with basil granita, roasted peaches, cornmeal poundcake, brown butter struesel, and raspberry coulis. Good, but it sounded better.

and

Buttermilk pie with malted sour cream, blueberries, and caramel. This was a fabulous dessert! We loved it.

Per their twitter, Lula is closed today due to flooding. This is the third time in three years that this has happened to them, I can't even imagine the frustration. So far no news on when they're re-opening.

geli wrote:Per their twitter, Lula is closed today due to flooding. This is the third time in three years that this has happened to them, I can't even imagine the frustration. So far no news on when they're re-opening.

I feel awful for them. That really sucks.

=R=

This is one of my favorite places to eat in the city. Love the regular menu and the specials.

I hope they dry out quickly!

Lula is back up and running as of brunch today.