Saturday, January 19, 2008

Loopy For Loulou



Last night we felt like eating something good but not actually cooking anything. After reading this post on Couch Cubicle, I wanted to give Loulou a try. I've lived here for two and a half years now, and I didn't even know this place existed. It's tucked away right next to the much larger Black Iris, so it's easy to miss - I've walked that block dozens of times and never seemed to notice it. Turns out, that was a big mistake on my part.




Loulou's a charming little French place, with tables tucked inside a pretty small space. It's relatively dark, but very cozy - we were at the table in the front corner, and we didn't feel cramped at all. Mick liked the cute table settings and wall lanterns in particular. We got there a little early, around 7:30 or so, and the place was completely empty. By the time we left, it was packed, so it seems like everyone else already knows about it.




On to the food! On Couch Cubicle's recommendation, we ordered a bottle of Chateau Pontet-Barrail - a reasonably-priced Bordeaux from Medoc that we ended up really enjoying. I'm a big Bordeaux drinker, so I couldn't pass one up while eating French food. Sorry for the poor picture.






The menu had a lot that we were interested in, most notably the crepes. We wanted to order them all, but settled on only two. To start, I had the sea scallops and mushroom crepe, and Mick had the special soup - carrot with creme fraiche. The picture makes it look like the bowl was two feet wide - it was a healthy portion, but not that big. The soup was very good - not too rich and it had a hint of mint that was really good. The crepe was amazing - the scallops and mushrooms and cheese all combined really well.





Next, Mick had her crepe - blue cheese, lamb sausage, roasted peppers, and spinach. I personally find lamb sausage to be a little too rich for me, but Mick loves it and she loved this. If you like the Green Eggs and Lamb at Olea, you'll love this. I had the Tilapia, served on yet another crepe. The fish was cooked perfectly - seared but not over cooked and a little bit spicy. It's served on a crepe filled with ratatouille, a roasted red pepper sauce, and the ubiquitous greens that come with all of the crepes. I'd considered ordering the roasted half chicken, but our waitress talked me out of it, rightfully guessing I'd have trouble finishing even the fish. I'm getting the chicken next time, though.





While dinner was good, dessert was even better. We were stuffed, but when we saw the dessert menu, we couldn't resist. Mick stepped up to the plate with another crepe - this time banana and chocolate. It was even better than she'd hoped - warm and sweet and rich. The kind of dessert you want to keep going forever. I felt like something simple, so I ordered the Warm Chocolate Cake. I expected a nice, traditional slice of chocolate cake. What I got almost made me pass out with delight - a crispy, tender, warm, rich chocolate brownie-like cake server in a mug with a dollop of ice cream and a sliced strawberry. It was like the best thing ever. I beseech you: If you eat at Loulou, save room for dessert.

After one meal, Loulou's become one of my favorite spots in the neighborhood. I really can't wait to go back.

Information:

Loulou
222 Dekalb Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11205
718.246.0633
www.louloubrooklyn.com

Google map

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for linking to me! I'm glad you liked it, LouLou is one of our favorites.

Brian said...

It's quickly become one of ours. We'll be going back as soon as we can.

Delirium Tremens said...

I'm glad you like it so much. we used to love LouLou's but haven't been back after a few disappointing experiences. Maybe its time to try it again. I always *want* to like it. Its so cute. And the backyard is really pleasant in good weather.

Brian said...

Can you elaborate on what disappointed you?

We'll definitely try out the backyard once the weather gets nicer.

Anonymous said...

I have never been disappointed by brunch at LouLou's.

Delirium Tremens said...

well the original(?) chef was really creative and had some exceptional dishes...a steak au poivre crusted in pepper and coffee for example, and a cod dish with lobster mashed potatoes with large chunks of lobster in them (one of the best side dishes I've ever had). When he left, those dishes left the menu, and I started getting things that were totally good, but never exceptional. So we went less frequently but still went.

Then last summer I got a dish of mussels that was just *wrong*. Not in a "the mussels are over the hill" way thank goodness (which I *have* had at Chez Oskar), but the sauce was incredibly alcoholic and sour, as if they never cooked it down at all. I can't really describe it well, but it was thoroughly unpleasant. I'm sure it was a fluke, but after having a series of fine, but not terribly good meals and then that, well, I haven't been tempted to go back.

I don't eat out in the neighborhood that often, and when I do, I generally go somewhere I know I'll enjoy. LouLou used to be one of those places. I'll definitely give it another shot though. As I said, it is a place I really would like to like!