You are truly in for one amazing culinary ride at LULU’s restaurant. This is because everything Alice Waters touches is pure genius. I have been a long – standing customer and fan of hers since I lived in Berkeley in the late 70’s early 80’s. My dear father, Philip Jackson taught me about gastronomic cuisine. Back then it was super hard to get a table at Berkeley’s Chez Panisse, but my dad was a regular. Lucky me, I lived down the street and my dad was in Berkeley as well. We would meet up at Chez Panisse a few times a month, sometimes a few times a week. He knew everyone, and Alice treated him like a family member. I had no idea that these dinners would turn into culinary history. At that time Allice was not super famous but was just getting known. It did not matter to me, what I knew was how delicious it all was. She is the creator of farm to table. Farm to table started in 1971 – Alice took this movement by storm. They way she was sourcing her food back then was remarkable. Her food purveyors were mostly local Bay area farmers and such, she nurtured these vendors and now the rest is history.
Farm to Table History:
Post-World War I:
This early form of the concept gained traction as a way to get farm-fresh goods to urban consumers.
The Modern Movement (1970s)
1971:
Chef Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse, a restaurant that would become a pioneering institution of the farm-to-table movement.
Motivations:
Waters was inspired by the sustainable food communities she encountered in France and aimed to shift away from the processed food culture prevalent in the U.S.
Focus on Local & Sustainable:
Chez Panisse emphasized fresh, locally grown, and seasonal ingredients, connecting diners directly to their food’s origins.
Growth and Evolution (Late 20th Century to Present)
Organic & Slow Food Movements:
The farm-to-table concept was closely tied to the hippie-led organic food movement in the U.S. and later inspired the Slow Food Organization, founded in Italy in 1986.
21st Century Expansion:
The farm-to-table concept has continued to grow, with more restaurants adopting the model and a focus on sustainability, community, and food security.
Alice Waters is considered the chef who pioneered the farm-to-table movement, advocating for a food system that connects consumers with locally grown, seasonal, and organic ingredients while also supporting the farmers who produce them. Her philosophy emphasizes eating food in season, with an awareness of its source, to create a more sustainable, healthy, and delicious way of eating that benefits people and the planet.
I did a tasting before it became LULU’s, and when I came here for a For Your Consideration event for Television Academy members, they showed off their party food because of the show Legends Chefs Table being nominated for 3 Emmy’s. I am a Television Academy Member so being able to get re introduced through this event was pure magic. I met the creator David Gelb and was able to speak with Alice. Restaurant upper management – Nathan Ray and Jesse Mc Bride, both showed me so much kindness and I was invited back in to do this current review.
LULU’s restaurant is named after a wise Provencal cook, Lulu Peyraud, whose cooking and hospitality at Domaine Tempier in Bandol, France has always inspired David and Alice. Conceived with legendary chef and food activist Alice Waters and led by acclaimed chef, writer, and cookbook author David Tanis, LULU is a shared celebration of good food that is good for the planet. LULU is a restaurant committed to prioritizing sustainability through local, regenerative food and design. Their mission focuses on procuring food directly from small, nearby farms practicing regenerative organic agriculture, which results in wholesome, delicious food grown using methods that combat the climate crisis.
At lunch, LULU offers a daily changing three-course market menu as well as an à la carte selection of salads, soups, sandwiches, light lunch fare, coffee, tea, and desserts. Lunch is served Tuesday through Sunday. A bar menu is available throughout the day. For supper, in addition to the three-course market menu, there is small à la carte menu, with salads, first courses, fish, sustainable meat, and vegetarian main courses. Supper is served Tuesday through Saturday. A light bar menu is available as well. Seasonal local produce anchors our cooking; the market dictates our menu. You’ll find Tanis and other LULU chefs at the farmers’ markets most mornings.
They offer indoor and outdoor seating all four seasons, with their covered dining room and heated outdoor courtyard. Their restaurant is surrounded by art and nature, offering a beautiful landscape and backdrop for an intimate meal and remarkable dining experience.
Here’s What I Tried:
À La Carte:
Tuna Carpaccio with arugula, truffles, potato chips, and aioli. This fish is so fresh and delicious, with the chips, arugula and aioli, they are all hidden under neath the tuna, it’s just so perfect!
Santa Barbara Rock Fish with saffron vinaigrette, blistered cherry tomatoes, and Romano beans. An amazing fish, with its super yummy crust, the whole dish is a real winner.
Stemple Creek Ranch ribeye, with eggplant, shishito peppers, romesco and torpedo onions. The steak is just so flavorful and tender, all I can say is – wow.
Scallops with polenta, brown butter and parsley. The polenta is sweet and creamy, the scallops just pop in your mouth, pure joy.
Baked Sonoma goat cheese with mixed lettuces. This is a staple at Chez Panisse, and once you wrap your taste buds around it you will know why. A must have menu item.
Small Bites:
Spanish tortilla with smoked trout roe. I loved this dish, the roe just creates a whole other texture, and the tortilla bursting with rich flavor.
Desserts:
Chocolate Pavé with crème Chantilly. Short of like a brownie but so much more layers, amazing.
Plum Frangipani Tart, with almond, custard, plums, and Chantilly crème. This would be my dessert, its not too sweet, but has that almond marzipan type texture, I just could not get enough.
Profiterole Rolls, or cream puff, with lemon curd and raspberry. Super delicate, light and fluffy, if you never have had one of these now is the time to try it.
Wines:
My wines were for the most part chosen by my lovely server Sarah as well as the general manager Jesse. So, I went along with their suggestions, and they hit the right notes with all my delicious dishes.
Vouvray, Blanc de Chenin, Brut, this is a sparkling wine, went great with my tuna carpaccio. It is refreshing, with nice bubbles, and added another element to my delicious tuna starter.
Sylvaner Vielles, Vignes, 2023, Domaine Ostertag, I really loved this wine with the trout roe and the tortilla, it’s got just enough creamy flavors to enhance that dish.
No Love Lost Wine Co., Chardonnay, 2023, Home Ranch, CA. Of course this is the wine to drink with the scallops, no questions asked.
Pinzutu, Vin Optimiste, 2023, this is a very bold Pinot Noir, heavy rich nuances, so it paired perfectly with the steak, as well as the chocolate pave.
The restaurant is named after Lulu Peyraud, of Domaine Tempier.
The story of Lulu Peyraud – LULU’s Namesake – Interview with
Alice Water:
How did you meet Lulu Peyraud?
I met Lulu through a mutual friend way back in the mid 70s. All a sudden I was invited to Domaine Tempier and we just immediately fell in love. I guess part of it was the beauty of the estate, my love of the wines they were making, and when I saw her kitchen! But it was way more than that – her hospitality. There was a fireplace, and she would bring in the wood and make a fire in the morning first thing. And we would tag team by the fire. She would make a lunch table to have her big meal of the day, and if somebody just walked in that she didn’t expect she’d invite them to the table and put down another place setting. And it was that way, right to the end of her life.
She had this sense of hospitality, that really made me think about everything differently. I think she thought of me as one of her daughters and I loved that, that sense of family. And I’ve always tried to have that be a part of Chez Panisse and of course here at LULU. She swam in the Mediterranean every morning, which is too cold for me, and she had two swings in the yard. When I went to see her, just about a year before she died, we went swinging together. She could do that; we had something that was physical that she felt empowered by, it was her exercise for the day, which I loved. She kept up her practice of bringing in the wood in the morning, she didn’t ask anyone else to do that. And so, I think about that as I get older, that I want to be doing meaningful work. And I talk about that always.
Why did you want to open Lulu?
I wanted to open Lulu because I am hoping that the University of California will really change its procurement to regenerative, organic food. I know the power of procurement, but I think it’s important to engage people in that conversation while they’re eating the food that is regenerative and organic. When Ann Philbin asked me if I wanted to open a restaurant here, I thought how wonderful to be outside in a garden center; but I also thought, because it’s part of the University of California, that I can invite people here to talk about those ideas that address climate, and of course, health.
What do you hope people feel when they walk into the restaurant?
When people come into LULU, I want them to feel like in a way they are a part of the restaurant. They’re our guests, yes, but I want them to have a greater sense of belonging. I want them to feel comfortable about asking questions about the food, ‘Where did this come from? Will I like this? Do you have anything else?’ And if need be, the chef can come out into the dining room, or they can go into the kitchen.
Farm Partners: LULU sources their ingredients from farms committed to sustainable, organic, regenerative agriculture. These methods ameliorate the land for future use and help sink carbon. They are proud to support local farmers.
2 Peas in a Pod – San Luis Obispo, CA.
Andante Dairy – Petaluma, CA.
Burkhart Farms – Firebaugh, CA.
Coleman Family Farms – Carpinteria, CA.
Finley Farms – Santa Ynez, CA.
The Garden Of… – Santa Ynez, CA.
JJ’s Lone Daughter Ranch – Redlands, CA.
John Givens Farms – Goleta, CA.
Laubacher Farm – Oxnard, CA.
Murrary Family Farms – Bakersfield, CA.
Olson Family Farms – Kingsburg, CA.
Schaner Family Farms – Valley Center, CA.
Smith Farms – Irvine, CA.
Stemple Creek Ranch – Tomales, CA.
Tehachapi Grain Project – Tehachapi, CA.
Tutti Frutti Farms – Lompoc, CA.
Weiser Family Farms – Tehachapi, CA.
Windrose Farm – Paso Robles, CA.
The matriarch of California cuisine, Alice Waters, has finally touched down in Los Angeles, exactly 50 years after she opened Berkeley’s wildly influential Chez Panisse. With former Chez Panisse chef David Tanis in charge of the kitchen, Waters has partnered with Hammer Museum director Ann Philbin to launch LULU.
The interior and exteriors are as unique as their food. They have Chinese Elm trees with lanterns commissioned by artist Jorge Pando, you can own one for s pretty penny. They recently found out that artic sparrows have inhabited their outdoor patio. The whole patio is so beautiful. Their plates and teeny tiny salt and pepper receptacles were created by Shoshi Watanabe.
I was just so taken by everything that LULU has to offer, it is my serious recommendation for outstanding cuisine, with an amazing history. It’s really a gift to Los Angeles, that needs to be cherished and enjoyed often!
Hours:
Lunch: Last seating is at 2 pm.
Mid-day service (walk-ins only): An aperitif menu with light bites and specialty beverages is served from 2 pm – 5 pm Tuesday – Saturday, and 2pm – 6pm on Sundays.
Supper: First seating begins at 5 pm. Last seating at 8:30 pm.
Bar seating is open during operating hours for walk-ins, which is available on a first come basis. Closed Mondays. Enjoy live jazz on Tuesdays from 6-9pm.
LULU – Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA. 90024
www.lulurestaurant.com
- Note Some Content Was Taken Off of Their Website.
