Lula

For years I have lamented the dearth of Spanish restaurants in Philadelphia. New York City is filled with fabulous places featuring tapas bars and the multi-regional dishes of Spain. Mallorca opened here a number of years ago, but it is more of a Continental place, circa 1950, that serves veal Marsala and coq au vin.

A Mediterranean restaurant recently opened at the corner of 12th and Locust streets, a spot that has been a virtual revolving door for some time. It once housed Pamplona, later something else, then a Thai restaurant. The new place is called Lula.

Lula is awash in the sunny colors of sunny Spain. It has high ceilings, a large bar with overhead high-tech and roomy tables with cozy sage green ultra-suede banquettes. The tables are cool, solid granite laid with crisp cinnamon-colored linen napkins and pretty modern white china.

My husband, Edward, my mom, Berthe, and I arrived for an early dinner. We were met at the door by a young man who showed us to our table. An exceptionally professional waiter took good care of us. He knew every item on the menu and explained there were two sizes of tapas, the little dishes of Spain. At Lula they are called small plates and shared plates.

The bartender sure knows how to fix a perfect martini ($8). We each received individual, ice-cold stainless steel shakers and a cold, small martini glass, similar to the ones William Powell and Myrna Loy sipped in The Thin Man movies.

Our server told us about the few specials. And, as we perused the menu, a pretty basket filled with bread warm from the oven arrived with a dish of top-quality olive oil and roasted garlic cloves.

Grilled octopus ($8) had a marvelously smoky flavor. It was toothsome, yet not chewy, and was enhanced by roasted red bliss potatoes and a delicious mix of roasted bits of pancetta and onions. The dish was bathed in light olive oil before it arrived.

Fried lamb meatballs ($12) were pricey for the three tasty pieces. The tender minced lamb was mixed with spices before frying. The outside was nice and crusty, the inside quite juicy. We all enjoyed the coulis of yellow tomatoes and a touch of mint. Mint is often used in Mediterranean cooking and I sometimes wonder why more chefs do
not use it.

The most unusual tapas was broccoli rabe ($7) simply sautéed with lots of chopped garlic, a bit of pepper and served with three slices of the best fried eggplant I have ever sampled anywhere. The latter was thinly sliced lengthwise, coated in seasoned crumbs and deep fried to a crispy perfection. We used our fingers to eat the tapas, which resembled Middle Eastern flatbreads. Mom dipped hers into the tomato mint coulis sauce served with the lamb and so did I. It was downright delicious.

Next up was Lula’s version of Caesar salad ($9). The plate contained one small heart of romaine lettuce, some roasted peppers, homemade croutons prepared with chiabatta and the surprise addition of two fried anchovies. We cut the latter so all of us could have a taste. The salad was small, but the homemade dressing, which was slightly pink due to the roasted peppers, was tasty.

One of the specials was striped bass ($19). American striped bass is a cousin of the Mediterranean bronzino. Two small slices of this delicate fish were seasoned and quickly seared. It was served with wedges of savory bread pudding, which was particularly interesting since I have never tasted a savory version before.

Paella is one of my favorites and it can be made with any number of ingredients. The name refers to the pan in which the fish, chicken and sausages are cooked and served. Restaurants rarely get the dish right because it must be made fresh. Lula’s paella for two ($36) was a salty disappointment. Very small, salty shrimp were used and they were overcooked. It also contained clams, mussels and some lobster sitting on a bed of too-salty rice.

We then tried the crab cake ($19), which arrived cool and was also too salty. It lacked flavor and texture and was ultimately not enjoyable. It was served with broccoli rabe and a roasted orange pepper sauce.

From the desserts ($6), which included tiramisu and a flourless chocolate cake, we shared ripe strawberries topped with a rich crème anglaise.

Service was first rate. Our waiter was professional and understanding. The paella and crab cake did not appear on the bill.

It is not unusual for a restaurant to serve fine appetizers and then fall short on entrees. Lula has only been opened a few months, but I see potential here.

I would make a return visit just to make a meal out of the various tapas on the menu.

Two tips of the toque to Lula.

Lula
225 S. 12th St. at Locust
215-925-5040
Credit cards accepted
Wheelchair-accessible
Open for lunch and dinner