Lulu’s Kitchen1313 Main St.
Napa
(707) 258-1313
Wine Country Cuisine
Dinner Tues.-Sun.
Small plates: $3-$16
Fine spirits, excellent wine list
Set inside 1313 Main, a fine wine tasting lounge and events venue, Lulu’s Kitchen is sleek, with high, wooden tables and leather seating, wines all along the northernmost wall and occasional live music. The wine list is very comprehensive, with lots of flights and the ability to order something (often very rare wines and spirits) by the taste or full glass. There’s also a list of fine spirits available in the same manner, some of which you may not have heard of before (very fun). The bottle list is long, yet well worth the time to check out, especially if you’re seeking something really special or unusual.
The venue used to only offer simple bites, but now has a full kitchen where Executive Chef Isaac Coles and Sous Chef Evan Doyle have put together a seasonal menu with small bites, plates, select platters and a “secret” menu (on the back) that has a handful of casual items. The overall experience is a combination of new taste discoveries and endless pairing possibilities.
An amuse bouche of tomato soup with mozzarella and olive oil was a great way to wake up our taste buds. We also chose a glass of Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé, since we decided it would be versatile enough to go along with several “bites” we wanted to try. The plan was a flight of bites, which is a taste of each one on the menu. There were six: truffled gnudi with ricotta and buerre monte; a baked Miyagi oyster atop braised greens and topped with bacon; a lobster roll with nice chunks of Maine lobster on focaccia with parsley and lemon; a house made turducken roll with crisp edges, cut into a medallion, atop cranberry and apple chutney; craft mac ‘n’ cheese, pan fried into a square and topped with a crisp, thin slice of pancetta and julienned apple celery slaw; and a sweet and crunchy bacon-crusted butternut squash.
The larger plates have enough food for a few people to share if you choose several items. We enjoyed shrimp and grits, drizzled with balsamic reduction and basil olive oil, topped with julienned peppers and carrots; hearty venison chili served in a cast iron skillet with cornbread, heirloom beans and Parmesan crisps; and moo shoo mushroom, cut into thirds, stuffed thick and with a nice kick.
Along with dessert (we went for the Nutella-blueberry “pie” off the secret menu, which was two hot and delicious turnovers with flaky, golden dough), we tried a flight of Chartreuse, which is a spirit originally made by monks in France using a secret recipe. No one knows the entire recipe, which consists of 130 different plants. We’d never tried it before and had a great time learning about and tasting it. Special thanks to Jordan Nova, who did a great job of explaining it to us, and to the restaurant’s team for the excellent service, food and beverages. Lulu’s is definitely a great place to visit and explore.
