Lulu’s Bread and Breakfast with the best recipes from https://www.village-bakery.com
Dutch Crunch Roll with Spicy Tomato Jam, Eggs, Avocado, Bacon
French Country Ricotta Toast with Nectarine, Cherry, Pistachio, Mint
Cheese Pizza with Caputo new Americana Flour
Fried Churro French Toast Sticks with Raspberry Compote and Dulce de Leche
Pina Colada French Toast with Banana Pudding Custard, Pineapple, Whipped Cream and Cherries
French Country Mushroom Toast with White Bean-Mushroom Hummus, Wild Arugula, Poached Egg and Red Pepper
Although Metro Pizza has long been the flag-bearer for Las Vegas’ now-internationally relevant Pizza scene only select locals are aware of Lulu’s Bread and Breakfast, the cozy dining nook attached to Metro’s Skypointe Drive location run by Chris Decker.
Originally visited as a tourist in 2013 and again in August 2015, the intervening months and rise of Instagram seeing the Chef’s @everythingbutanchovies account become a test-kitchen and showcase for ideas that only a few lucky people besides Chris ever get to taste, it was with the goal of understanding exactly what lies ahead that two diners sat down Saturday morning, a five-course tasting very encouraging should any of these dishes eventually see the light day.
No stranger to the space itself, a pair of educational Pizza courses hosted by the legendary John Arena taking place within the counter-order kitchen since the last daytime visit to Lulu’s, it was moments after entry that the Binghamton New York native offered his greetings, an early morning of deliveries to DTLV spots like Vesta already completed and a full day on the line yet to come.
Still featuring many of the same Pastries, Benedicts and staff members as last time, an elderly woman prone to calling everyone ‘baby’ or ‘honey’ adding a homey sort of charm to Lulu’s ever since the beginning, it was with water poured that ten minutes passed before the meal got started, Chris’ daily inspiration a sweet Dutch Crunch Roll with crackling Rice Flour playing well off fluffy Eggs, smashed Avocado and Tomato Jam plus two strips of Bacon.
Always working with new recipes, the Bread selection ranging from Pretzel to Semolina to Sourdough depending on the day, course two saw Lulu’s French Country Loaf sliced, toasted and topped with Ricotta Cheese, fresh Fruit and crumbled Pistachios, Nectarines and Cherries at the peak of freshness playing well off torn Mint with John Arena subsequently making an appearance of his own carrying two slices of crispy Cheese Pizza created with Caputo’s new autolysing Flour.
Stating that in its final form the Ricotta Toast would feature housemade Cheese it was here that Chef Decker continued to move from savory to sweet, the Churro French Toast presented in a Jenga-style configuration of Deep-fried Bread topped with Cinnamon Sugar and Dulce de Leche alongside intense Raspberry Compote every bit as good as it sounds while the Pina Colada French Toast was an elegant Dessert-for-Breakfast sort of dish featuring buttery Brioche completely saturated with Banana Pudding beneath a ring of Pineapple next to Whipped Cream, Toasted Coconut and Maraschino Cherries for garnish.
Opting to finish up savory, though plenty of Pastries were still available should more have been desired, it was once again on toasted French Country Loaf that Chris sent out two slices topped in White Bean Hummus and Roasted Mushrooms, the flavors robust and woodsy with a bit of heat added by Red Pepper Flake and all of it coming together nicely as carried by a poached Egg Yolk.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (AS SERVED): Basing an appraisal entirely on concept dishes is never ‘fair’, but be that as it may Chris and John continue to exemplify the sort of work ethic it takes to be successful in 2017, a constant desire to learn and improve both technique and product hopefully soon to see Lulu’s Bread and Breakfast move past being a good local spot and live up to its potential as a ‘destination’ for Breakfast and Lunch.
RECOMMENDED: Pina Colada French Toast, Mushroom Toast, Dutch Crunch Roll.
AVOID: Not a deal-breaker, but the French Toast Sticks were touch oily.
TIP: 7a-4p daily.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
