Tastes of LA: Lulu at the Hammer
This is a flat out love letter to Lulu.
In 2021, Foodie Friend #3 and I splurged on a culinary adventure called Outstanding in the Field, wherein fabulous feasts are presented in beautiful and/or imaginative locations, communally enjoyed at one long table. By chance, we were seated next to chef and food writer extraordinaire David Tanis, who divulged plans to open a restaurant with his former boss, the California cuisine diva Alice Waters at the Hammer Museum. We couldn’t wait to see what they came up with.
I have now dined at their Lulu four times, and every meal has been a wonder. It isn’t just the immaculately-sourced, ultra-in season local ingredients, perfectly curated and imaginatively combined that makes me fawn. It’s the whole package. The word that keeps coming to mind is elevated.
The ambience is inspired: outside in an atrium with fanciful lighting fixtures, comfortable seating and soft, but not Muzak-y jazz in the background. (That’s right, a Los Angeles restaurant that is not blasting music so loudly you have to shout at your dinner partner; imagine!) Everything from the soft napkins to the clay salt dish has been hand-crafted by artisans. The hostess is a smooth, fashionably stunning gateway to your table, and the wait staff are charming, helpful and almost invisible once your orders are in, slipping by to quietly fill a glass or visually check on the progress of your meal. Elevated, all of it; perfectly choreographed and so thoroughly satisfying, I am still uplifted by last night’s dinner.
Since the menu is a constantly moving target based on the ingredients at their peak at any given time, it’s almost pointless to talk about what I’ve eaten at Lulu, but last night, the arancini (cheese-filled rice croquettes) were the exactly right size to accompany a cocktail. The Gruyère soufflé was a perfect blend of custard and cloud, the chimichurri rib-eye melted in my mouth, and I do not have words for the stone fruit cobbler and chocolate pave we shared. Have I over-used elevated?!
There are plenty of restaurants I love in Los Angeles, but it’s hard to think of one that has delighted me the way Lulu has. So, go! Eat! Elevate yourself!
Logistical tip: Consider including a peek at the Hammer exhibits before or after lunch to further elevate the experience. GET THE DETAILS.
Molly Cheek
Molly Cheek is a retired actor and Epicurean School graduate. She is best known for her roles in “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” and the “American Pie” franchise, (she baked the pie!). For her second act, she turned to her real love: Eating!!! Molly created a catering and home-cooked gourmet gift basket business, placing her baked goods in coffee joints and on craft service tables around Los Angeles. And even though she’s moved on from that endeavor, she still loves to eat. She starts dreaming of lunch as soon as breakfast is done. Cooking is fun, but eating out is her happy place. And she loves to talk about what she eats…..and what you eat and what people on TV eat…. So, she hopes her enthusiasm for food will ignite some tastebuds and inspire you Tomatoes to try something new.
