First review from Chicago- Lula Cafe

This post is long overdue mostly because of unemployment induced laziness and the hectic weeks surrounding my move to Chicago. I wanted my first post from the Windy City to be a review of a recent meal at my favorite restaurant, Lula in Logan Square.

Mac and Cheese
Penne pasta
Emmental cheese
Cornichons
Yellowfin tuna
Oyster mushrooms
sauteed onions
finely chopped scallions for garnish

This was a brilliantly conceived dish and extremely well executed. The texture of the penne was perfect, not at all sticky or too crunchy. The combination of the Emmental and the cornichons reminded me of the fondue I had in Switzerland and northern France which is always served with cornichons and tartly pickled pearl onions; the sourness is a great compliment to the rich, nuttiness of the cheese. The Yellowfin was cubed in thick chunks throughout the mac and cheese. The server said the kitchen recommended the tuna be served raw but I requested medium rare which I think was a better choice for both the texture with the cheese sauce and the taste was more pronounced. The chewiness and earthiness of the oyster mushrooms was a nice contrast to the sour, crunchy cornichons. I drank a Leffe Blonde beer with this dish which was a good choice though a white wine would have complimented it better.

Jasmine Rice Pudding
Mandarin champagne sauce
Candied lavender

The fresh squeezed mandarin orange juice mixed with champagne was a such a bright and fresh contrast to the warm, sticky rice pudding. The candied lavender not only a lovely color contrast but also added a more complex, aromatic taste combination to the dish.