It's a Lulu 

If the name Lulu rings a bell, it's probably because you're thinking of a deli/wine market of the same name, a favorite spot in SouthEnd, which closed a few years ago. The new Lulu is located in a small old house on Central Avenue in Plaza-Midwood. Owners Fabrice DiNonno and Chef Marc Jacksina opened this bistro-styled eatery several weeks ago. They named their first business enterprise after a combination of their firstborn childrens' names: Lucy DiNonno and Lucas Jacksina.

The location has already proved fruitful, although not totally unexpected. Plaza-Midwood is a fiercely loyal neighborhood and perhaps the last stronghold of creative individualism in the city. The price per square foot in Plaza-Midwood is lower than, say, Dilworth, giving entrepreneurs the chance to make things work financially without been dunned by an insatiable landlord. Lulu pushes the boundary line of Plaza-Midwood's shopping district a bit further down Central, which hopefully means more entrepreneurs will follow.

What I enjoy about Plaza-Midwood is the mix of people: from dinks to retired people, pierced punks to professionals. Folks here are out and about, living an urban lifestyle, as opposed to those sequestered by 485. The neighborhood has an eclectic, accepting face. Jacksina, who once manned the kitchen at the forgettable Kaffé Frappé in Myers Park, said he had wanted to be in this kind of creative neighborhood from the beginning. Both Jacksina, from upstate New York, and DiNonno, a native of France, worked in New York before moving to Charlotte.

The front of Lulu is aptly managed by DiNonno as he makes the rounds in the dining room. If you enjoy having an eye-catching Frenchman recite the ingredients of a dish in an accent dripping with Gallic intonation, Lulu is your place. (Um, could you say celery again?)

Lulu opens into a small bar area from which the friendly and inclusive dining areas unfold. Tables are topped with crisp white linens and crisper butcher paper. The front room overlooks the street-side patio, but Plaza-Midwood, for all its charms, still does not have enough pedestrian traffic necessary for sidewalk dining. This is fenced front-yard dining. At lunch, the aroma of gruyere (from the French onion soup) may greet you.

One very minor complaint: Lulu's sign looks suspiciously like the font-style and logo of another restaurant in town. I know imitation is a form of flattery, but Charlotte has a group of amazingly innovative graphic designers with original ideas.

Lulu's menu is typical of a bistro -- a real bistro, that is, not a place that attaches the word bistro to the name but is really a chef-driven restaurant. This is a small neighborhood joint offering good comfort food at a modest price, considering the quality of ingredients. It attracts a steady, loyal -- and nonfinicky -- local crowd for dependable lunches and dinners. Charlotte needs these small, humble places and could probably stand to have 20 more scattered around town.

While Jacksina is the executive chef, the chef is Thomas Martin. The kitchen is crammed into a tiny space, as is typically true of kitchens in old houses. Soon, the restaurant will get a new stove, but for now all the food is produced on a two-burner and a flat-top stove.

You can order from a deceptively simple, warmly appealing menu all day. Sandwiches, large plates and small plates appear side by side. Lulu focuses on earthy bourgeois cuisine served in ample portions. On the roster is lavender roasted half chicken stuffed with Brie; steak (filet) and fries; pork chop on ratatouille; Maine lobster salad sandwich on brioche; Angus burger on challah; steamed mussels; and an artisanal cheese plate. The brief wine list offers many varieties by the glass.

The superb sausage and red pepper sandwich comes on a crusty baguette slathered with creamy goat cheese filled with D'Artagnan's wonderfully spicy lamb sausage, and as catalyst for a satisfying sandwich, there's a spoonful of unexpected sweetness from the pepperonata.

Jacksina serves his snails in challah, kind of like the old soup in a bread bowl. This doesn't work. The snails are tender as a baby's breath; the challah is dense. Also on the questionable side was the heavy garlic on the salad accompanying the entrées. Don't get me wrong, I love garlic, but this garlic was not garlic-fragrant, it was garlic-maximus.

If the aggressive menu diversity of most new restaurants says anything, it's that more is less. This is true here. The breast of duck is fine, although more fat could be removed. The barbecue pulled duck topping is excellent; however, add to this red onion marmalade, a cabernet jus and a hefty portion of double starch sweet potato risotto, and the duck is eclipsed. The better entrée is the more subdued and balanced rack of lamb with Israeli couscous spiked with pistachios, tomatoes and olives.

For a sweet rush, opt for an elegant dessert made by Marguerite French Bakery.

Lulu's entrée prices range from $11 for cabbage wrapped salmon to $22 for the lamb rack; and $8 for a burger.

Have a restaurant tip, compliment, complaint? Do you know of a restaurant that has opened, closed, or should be reviewed? Does your restaurant or shop have news, menu changes, new additions to staff or building, upcoming cuisine or wine events? Note: We need notice of events at least 12 days in advance. Fax information to Eaters' Digest: 704-944-3605 or leave voice mail: 704-522-8334, ext. 136. To contact Tricia via e-mail: tricia.childress@creativeloafing.com.