While food influencers urge followers to “run, not walk” as they highlight the next hidden gem, Lulu – the restaurant tucked away in the Hammer Museum’s courtyard – actually earns the title.
World-renowned chef Alice Waters and her business partner David Tanis opened Lulu in fall 2021. Lulu offers fresh produce, local farmers and exciting cuisine, said Giles Clark, Lulu’s chef in residence. Today, Waters and Tanis do not manage the day-to-day operations, and Clark said he and his team oversee seasonal – and sometimes almost daily – changes to the menu and coordinate the many special events that the restaurant hosts.
“We have to take a lot of care about the quality, condition and treatment of the ingredients,” Clark said. “There’s a lot of conversations that I have with farmers, fishermen, ranchers and suppliers to get a sense of how the week looks for produce.”
Clark said he values his relationships with farmers and purveyors as well as working with seasonal produce and proteins, noting these connections inspire spontaneity in the kitchen. He added that he incorporates these creative moments into his weekly planning of the a la carte, prix fixe and special event menus.
“Some things always will come and go based on the moment: the weather, or a certain ingredient that’s just come from the mountains or the sea,” Clark said. “We have to always be flexible.”
Head pastry chef Deirdre Feeley said special events give her team the ability to take on ambitious experiments. She added that specific event theme requests from patrons allow her team to explore beyond the Californian and Mediterranean cuisines Lulu is best known for.
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For a pearl-themed Jimmy Choo event, Feeley and her team made white chocolate pearls and used brushes they bought at Ulta Beauty to apply an edible shimmer. Feeley said it’s in moments like these when her team pulls off ambitious ideas even though the layout of the kitchen isn’t necessarily suited to make those kinds of desserts.
“They’re (special events are) fun because they’re things we wouldn’t normally do,” Feeley said. “I was learning new tricks along the way.”
From studying plant biology at UC Davis to running her own micro-bakery and working at the award-winning bakery Tartine in San Francisco, Feeley said her experiences have given her a strong foundation in both produce and pastry techniques that inform her daily responsibilities.
“I studied sustainable agriculture, and I loved being around produce … There’s really cool stuff like that that introduced me to a lot of special varieties, uncommon varieties of fruits,” Feeley said. “I love that at Lulu that is valued and not something that’s seen as excessive or unnecessary.”
Additionally, Feeley said working at Lulu under Waters’ tutelage – someone whom she grew up admiring – reminds her of her childhood in Berkeley.
“Me and my family were always cooking from different Chez Panisse books. … It’s very full circle in a fun way,” Feeley said. “When she first came down here while I was working, I got to chat with her, so it was special.”
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Lulu’s location near UCLA has made current and former students a key part of its staff. Bar manager Luke Jackett said the mix of staff with and without restaurant experience has developed Lulu into a kitchen that prides itself in learning.
“The thing with the students is there’s such a positive energy that is consistent and there’s an eagerness to learn,” Jackett said. “Lulu’s almost a school, in a way, and I think that’s what they’ve always wanted. Having people such as myself, Deirdre and Giles teaching a younger generation no matter what they go on and do.”
From collaborating on cocktail pairings with the pastry team to incorporating ingredients used in the restaurant’s dishes into drinks, Jackett added that Lulu’s ingredients and tight-knit relationships set it apart along with the supportive and enthusiastic culture among the team.
There are many moving parts in the week’s work at Lulu, including shopping at farmer’s markets, preparing menus, planning for events and completing three complete services six days a week. Yet each of the three added that amid the constant motion, Lulu’s leadership and staff learn from one another as they deepen their understanding of the food they prepare day in and day out.
“When we come in the kitchen, we leave the rest of our lives behind, and that’s part of the joy of it,” Clark said. “It’s a kind of therapy.”
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