What does Logan Square's trendy Lula Cafe have in common with a "Streetcar Named Desire"-themed restaurant in New Orleans and a grey-shingle diner in Nantucket?
They're all on Travel + Leisure magazine's recently release list of the ten best pancake joints in America.
The award might come as a surprise to Lula's regular patrons, who likely know the restaurant better for its gourmet fare -- artisanal cheese plates, chilled octopus confit -- than its traditional breakfasts.
But as Travel + Leisure points out, the griddle cakes on Lula's menu have accompaniments that change with the seasons. "In winter, they might be paired with stone fruit preserves, candied pumpkin seeds and maple sabayon," the magazine writes; "as summer arrives in the Heartland, you can expect grape jam, poached raisins, and spiced creme anglaise." It also won praise for its use of fresh, locally-sourced ingredients.
The restaurant serves its breakfast menu from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. during the week, including the nationally ranked pancakes, a delicious smoked salmon plate, homemade granola and an organic tofu scramble. On the weekends, that's supplemented by a brunch menu including custard stuffed brioche french toast and rabbit and chihuahua sopes.
And, as the Chicago Sun-Times writes today, you'll have to go a long way to find pancakes as good as these: Lula was the only restaurant in the Midwest to make the Top 10 list. (Anywhere else around that you think deserves consideration? Tell us about it in the comments section.)
Lula Cafe is located at 2537 North Kedzie Boulevard; outdoor seating, while limited, offers views of the beautiful eagle statue in the park at Logan Square.