LULA CAFE WILL CELEBRATE 25 YEARS IN LOGAN SQUARE WITH STAR-STUDDED POP-UP SERIES
The summer season kicked off with a bang for chef Jason Hammel, who in June took home a James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality at his iconic 25-year-old farm-to-table restaurant Lula Cafe in Logan Square. It was the sole medal awarded to a Chicago restaurant this year, but Chicagoans’ outpouring of joy over the win has taken Lula Cafe to new heights of popularity.
Rather than resting on his laurels, Hammel and his wife, singer and songwriter Amalea Tshilds, are preparing to unveil their hotly anticipated new project, Loulou. Located a short walk from Lula in the long and narrow former home of Mini Mott and Second Generation at 3057 W. Logan Boulevard, Loulou won’t be a traditional restaurant, Hammel says. The couple have long dreamed of a space that blends food with other art forms like literature and music, where they can host pop-ups, special meals, chef and vendor panels, and other gatherings.
Lula has been a linchpin in the community since ’90s and used to host similar events several nights a week. Hammel admits there was some fear when retail chains and others began arriving along Logan Boulevard, but the neighborhood has kept its spirit. “Logan Square remains fiercely independent. owner-operated, and new things are opening all the time,” Hammel said during a June interview with Eater.
Loulou marks a bit of a return to those roots with performers and visiting chefs holding court while the kitchen prepares food based on the event. “That’s why we’ve been thriving for 25 years, because we really care about the stories and the depth of experience,” he added. “We want to do that for the public [at Loulou].”
Now, as the opening approaches, Hammel and Tshilds are setting the stage for future collaborations with 25 for 25, a series of five pop-up dinners featuring some of the city’s most celebrated chefs to raise funds for local nonprofits. Slated to run over the five days leading up to Lula Cafe’s 25th anniversary – Monday, August 26, through Saturday, August 31 – the Resy-sponsored events will feature a distinct menu with a portion of proceeds from the $250 per person tickets going to a different charitable organization.
Check out the lineup below.
Monday, August 26
Chefs: Erick Williams (Virtue), Lee Wolen (Boka), Jonathan Zaragoza (Birrieria Zaragoza), Paul Virant (Gaijin), and Stephanie Izard (Girl & the Goat).
Menu items: Wolen’s bluefin tuna marinated in strawberry, black garlic, and tomato; and Zaragoza’s smoked potato taco with ceviche a la Mexicana, jocque, salsa roja, and peanut salsa matcha.
Charity: Virtue Leadership Development Program
Wednesday, August 28
Chefs: John Shields (Smyth, the Loyalist), Sarah Stegner (Prairie Grass Cafe), Giuseppe Tentori (GT Prime), Sarah Gruenberg (Monteverde), Joe Frillman (Daisies) and Leigh Omilinsky (Daisies).
Menu item: Tentori’s wagyu beef with miso pomme puree and fennel.
Charity: The Evolved Network
Thursday, August 29
Chefs: Jason Vincent (Giant, Chef’s Special Cocktail Bar), David Posey (Elske), Anna Posey (Elske), John Manion (El Che, Brasero), Diana Dávila (Mi Tocaya Antojería), and Sandra Holl (Floriole).
Menu items: Vincent’s eggplant lahmacun with phyllo, tomato, onion, parsley, and grated bresaola; David and Anna Posey’s cured tuna with smoked tomato, sunflower, and marigold.
Charity: The Abundance Setting
Friday, August 30
Chefs: Carrie Nahabedian (Brindille), Joe Flamm (Rose Mary), Paul Kahan (The Publican, Avec), Oliver Poilevey (Le Bouchon, Obilex), and Mindy Segal (Mindy’s Bakery).
Menu items: Flamm’s rabbit mortadella tortellini in brodo; Segal’s Ode to Lula carrot cake.
Charity: Impact Culinary Fund
Saturday, August 31
Chefs: Matthias Merges (Mordecai, Billy Sunday), Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo), Zach Engel (Galit), Andrew Zimmerman (Sepia, Proxi), Tim Flores (Kasama), and Genie Kwon (Kasama).
Menu items: Bayless’ camote blanco tamal with Oaxacan green mole, confit fennel, and grilled chayote; Engel’s cucumber salad with melon, ramps, shmaltz, gribenes, and kaluga caviar.
Charity: Pilot Light
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