For our Restaurant Week experience, I decided to make a reservation at LuLu's in Shockoe Bottom. My husband and I have a fondness for open kitchens and were excited to see one when we walked into the restaurant. With an industrial edge, LuLu's definitely has a cool but warm vibe. However, I do have to say I could have used the slightest bit of cushion on the booth seat.
Somewhat surprisingly, we did not stray from the Restaurant Week menu (which has been known to happen in the past). I ordered the country ham and pimento cheese croquettes, the miso-marinated cod, and the sweet potato pie. My husband decided on the lobster tart, hanger steak, and chocolate creme brulee. We both agreed that, while our waitress was nice enough, she did seem pretty distracted.
Our food came out rather quickly and was received with mixed reviews. My croquettes were pretty tasty but heavier than their traditional spanish counterparts. The ham and pimento cheese went well together and I enjoyed the hint of spice in the dish. I only tasted a piece of lobster from my husband's tart. It was well cooked, but something seemed gritty in the sauce. Maybe from the leeks? I asked him how the composed dish was and he said it was good, but almost too rich.
The entrees followed almost as quickly as the appetizers and I found myself disappointed. The cod was tasty and pretty well-cooked but I did not care for anything around it. The fried broccoli garnish had an odd taste to it and the accompaniments were overly miso-ed. The miso was so overwhelming that I did not finish the plate, which was not a super generous serving to start. My husband's steak turned out to be more successful. The meat was cooked well and the classic grilled onion and pureed potato combination was hard to fumble.
Dessert was good, if not a little on the small side. My sweet potato pie slice was thin but the components were good. The chocolate creme brulee tasted like warm brownie batter and somehow ended up on my side of the table... mostly to compensate for the fact that I didn't eat much of my main course.
Perhaps my experience was unique to Restaurant Week, but it didn't leave me excited about going back to LuLu's on a full-priced night. I always feel like Restaurant Week is an opportunity to showcase what a restaurant has to offer, perhaps to an audience it wouldn't have a chance to capture otherwise, and LuLu's missed the mark for me.
