First Impressions: Nile Restaurant
The meld of Syrian, Turkish, Arabic, Greek, and Moroccan flavors that LuLu’s Deli & Restaurant hit upon in the ’80s, with one of Madison’s earliest and most successful Middle Eastern outposts, rocked what was then still mostly a supper club town that was into fried fish and ranch dressing. Along with Husnu’s, LuLu’s opened up whole new culinary avenues for the city—the deli was in many ways as important as the restaurant—and had an impressive run into 2011, until construction finally forced it to close. But this time-tested product line is once again available at Nile Restaurant (6119 Odana Road, 608-274-1788), run by the former LuLu’s crew. The A.V. Club investigated with great agitation, giddy with excitement about the rebirth, but deeply worried that the prized menu might not have survived its transplant.
The space and service: Lamentably a downgrade from the cheery Turkish inflections acquired over decades at the old spot on University, the new space is drab. A mini-mall aesthetic has not yet been defeated, but not for lack of trying; the proprietors installed a wet bar, booths, tables, and some modern art into the space. Maybe they just need more time to pile up the bric-a-brac. The servers are friendly and ingratiating, if still getting into the swing of it.
The A.V. Club’s food: In a moment of indescribable joy, it became clear that the LuLu’s menu and preparation are essentially unchanged. As The A.V. Club sat quietly weeping with relief, many of the old familiar dishes made an appearance: the warmed pita bread, the hummus, and the dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) are all the equals of their earlier iterations. Seasoned beef with red onions and yogurt sauce makes for a tart and salty shawarma and, with eyes closed, it could be the flagship dish of the old LuLu’s.
The tabouli is sensational as always, light and fine crusts of cracked wheat leavened with notes of mint and lemon; minced tomatoes spiked with light oil provide citrus spark. Baba ghanouj carries sour undertones inside a creamy puree perfect for pita dipping. Falafel is crisped on the exterior but hot and crumbly inside, a potent pouch of protein-laden grain.
The verdict: This carefully crafted cuisine is a linchpin of Middle Eastern dining in Madison, and the survival of those cherished dishes is a win that completely obliterates any reservations about the changes to the physical space where the food is served.
