Conscious Choice: Hip & Hearty Veggie Delights at Lula Café

February 2005 | Conscious Dining

Hip & Hearty Veggie Delights at Lula Café

by Janine MacLachlan

A few years ago the New York Times published an article that credited Chicago chefs with creating a distinctive American cuisine. Restaurants celebrated in the piece included North Pond, Blackbird and the Ritz-Carlton, all great kitchens that often come with a hefty tab at the end of the meal. Also credited was Lula Café, the hip spot in Logan Square, which is — not surprisingly — often cited as a favorite for chefs on their night off.

Owned by chefs Jason Hammel and Amalea Tshilds, Lula Café cranks out three meals a day, six days a week, and meanders around the globe while serving up local and sustainably raised ingredients. Seen weekly at Chicago’s Green City Market during the season, Hammel and Tshilds feature ingredients from the same farmers and producers that supply the more posh tables in town, but at a price point for a more artistic pocketbook. And the crowd is indeed artsy. Green or purple hair highlights, tattoos and piercings, and carefully cultivated non-fashion attire are all part of the comfortable, friendly atmosphere.

Global Flavors, Local Food

My favorite main course, which I’ve replicated in my own kitchen, is the Moroccan chickpea and sweet potato tagine ($8) punctuated with Saigon cinnamon (a spicier version than most of us are familiar with) served over couscous. Another favorite vegetarian option is bucatini pasta with feta, garlic and brown butter ($7.75).

Indeed, you may select from an all-veggie appetizer menu, including peanut satay noodles ($6.50) with tofu and a spicy shiitake mushroom quesadilla ($5.50). Creative veggie sandwiches include an open-faced beet bruschetta ($7) with arugula, goat cheese and red onion, and a spicy peanut butter ($5.50) with tomato, cucumber and red onion.

Dinners are just as innovative, and specials change daily. On one visit, dinner included a “beggar’s purse” pastry filled with wild rice and Swiss chard ($15), served with golden turnips, crispy leeks and crème fraiche. My friend raved about the Zinfandel lamb jus that accompanied a seared lamb steak with red quinoa, (pronounced KEEN-wa) a high-protein grain from Ecuador, and raisin-almond chutney.

Brunch is another opportunity for adventure. I loved the special brioche French toast ($9) filled with mascarpone, the rich cream cheese used in Italy’s signature dessert tiramisu, complemented with caramelized apples, hazelnuts and vanilla crème anglaise. Those with more savory taste can choose a pan-roasted sea bass eggs Florentine ($10.50), a twist on eggs Benedict, with spinach, poached eggs and truffle hollandaise on sesame crostini. Menu mainstays include house-made granola ($5.50) with dried cherries, almonds and fresh fruit, smoked salmon scramble ($9) with arugula, dill and cream cheese and a tofu scramble ($7.50) with ginger miso sauce. Patrons can upgrade to organic eggs and house-made bacon is a recent menu addition.

On Mondays — long considered chefs’ night out — Lula hosts a three-course farm dinner to showcase local ingredients, and it’s a remarkably well-rounded menu when you consider Midwest winters often mean slim pickings. One chilly Monday started with cremini mushroom bruschetta with pecorino cheese and arugula, followed by a chicken breast from Gunthorp Farm stuffed with apples and walnuts served with wine-braised collard greens and fingerling potatoes from Nichols Farm. Crème bruleé with port-poached cherries rounded out the meal, all for an ultra-reasonable $24 per person.

Desserts (most $6) also rotate. I’m always waiting for my favorite to return: an almond spice cake in a luscious pool of guajillo chile ganache, with a robust taste of chocolate until about five seconds after swallowing, when the chile kicks in a little heat at the finish. Hammel says it’s an adaptation of the Mexican mole, which adds a hint of chocolate to a chile sauce. Other days I console myself with the rich organic carrot cake, but I’ve also found myself yearning for the orange olive oil cake with Riesling honey pears. I can’t remember passing on dessert here.

The Final Word

To be candid, some friends have asked me not to write about Lula Café for fear their favorite spot will be overrun. But Lula deserves credit for delivering creative, delicious food using ingredients from growers who care for the Earth while producing great food. When chefs buy directly from farmers, those growers reap the entire purchase price (as opposed to six cents per every grocery store dollar), ensuring they’ll be around to grow another season. This local “fair trade” is another reason we should all shop the farmers’ markets during the season. Fresher, more nutrient-dense, delicious food is a great bonus.

Lula Café, 2537 N. Kedzie Blvd., Chicago, 773-489-9554, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, 9 a.m.–11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Tuesday. Smoke free.

Janine MacLachlan is a freelance writer, cooking school owner and farm groupie who seeks out restaurants that focus on well-raised food. Her Web site is www.rustickitchen.com .

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