Chef Jason Hammel opened Lula Café more than 20 years ago at the corner of Logan and Kedzie, helping to pioneer a farm-to-table philosophy that would put Chicago—and most definitely Logan Square—on the dining destination map. In the decades since, Hammel has stayed true to his hyper-seasonal approach, turning frequently to local farmers for the ingredients that land on his daily changing menus. Experience those practices any time of day with dishes like sweet potato gnudi (dumplings with ground cherries and hen of the woods mushrooms), Rushing Waters trout (with Genesis Farm cucumbers and poppy seed), and challah French toast (with Klug Farm peaches and butterscotch). For a prix-fix taste of what the team here does best, visit for the Monday Farm Dinner Series, when the kitchen creates a $45 three-course meal of local and organic dishes that rotate weekly—and are never repeated.
