I adore....

Lula Cafe in the Logan Square neighborhood here in Chicago.

I've been to Lula more times than I can count and after tonight's delicious meal I felt compelled to offer my undying love for Lula.

It's hard not to fall in love with this place. First of all there's the atmosphere. It's one of those places where you immediately feel comfortable. It's a neighborhood spot, everyone is friendly and conversing openly, the kitchen is open to the dining room, and its just a generally warm and welcoming environment. And, when the weather permits they have an adorable patio.

Secondly, for a lover of the farm like myself the menu is incredibly driven by the season, and the availability of local, sustainable foods.

And even better still, they use local ingredients WELL. I've been to Lula countless times and I have yet to leave saying "eh it was alright." Dishes are executed nicely, seasoning is always spot on, and I'm never lost in a sea of juxtaposed flavors. The food is always the focus - and to me that's what matters.

One complaint I often hear about Lula is that the platings often have a bit of a "rustic" feel. For me, I could care less. The food looks like...FOOD and it tastes great too. So, most likely you won't see a classic French presentation, but it will taste good!

Lula has been an amazing part of Logan Square for a long time now and I look forward to continuing to see them grow and change and feed the neighborhood.

Thanks to Jason and Amalea for really hitting the nail on the head. Keep it up.

If anyone is interested... tonight I had (to start) house made tagliatelle, with homemade spicy ham, basil, gruyere cheese and these delicious little heirloom tomatoes the size of peas. I'm not sure what they were called (mom a little help here?!)

For my entree I had heritage pork shoulder, prosciutto, shell beans, early Brussels sprout choucroute, grapes and hazelnut butter. Everything was awesome. I was a bit worried about the Brussels being a little bitter since we haven't had a frost yet but they were great. The flavors blended fabulously and I love that the cooks at Lula aren't afraid to serve their pork relatively rare!

And, for dessert, a local raw sheep's milk cheese with washed rind, house made grape sorbet, and candied almonds. One of the best desserts I've had in a long time. So light and wonderful, the perfect dessert for a lover of the sweet/savory combo. And for me, the cheese lover.