Our name, “Lulu” translated from Arabic to mean “pearl” was Chef Mona’s childhood nickname.
Lulu is an ode to Chef Mona’s childhood with a modern, fresh, and timeless California take on Palestinian cuisine, drawing influence
from her time spent in some of the best Bay Area restaurants. Our menu is anchored in a robust bread program featuring
individual mana’eesh made with seasonal, local ingredients, baked-fresh daily pastries with spins on traditional flavors,
and a fresh seasonal brunch menu available all week. Fresh, seasonal brunch available daily, with dinner service Thursday through saturday.
Mona Leena Michael- Chef/Owner
Chef/Owner Mona Leena Started her bay area culinary career back in 2011 working for the historic Jardiniere, often referring to Jardiniere as her “culinary bootcamp.” From there, Mona made her way through the ranks of some of San Francisco’s best restaurants including being a part of Roka Akor’s opening team, Serpentine’s Chef de Cuisine, and most recently as the Executive Chef of Dyafa in Oakland. Though cooking was always a part of her life growing up in a multi-generational Palestinian househould, she never truly learned to appreciate the complexity and depth of Palestinian cooking until she began cooking professionally. Finding similarities between her mother’s traditional techniques and the immaculate French techniques she was learning, she became mesmerized by and had a new appreciation for the food she had always taken for granted. Being a first generation Palestinian, born-and-raised Californian, Chef Mona’s food embodies the parallels of both Palestinian and California cuisine, while also paying homage to the diversity of California.
Audrey Smit -
Restaurant Designer
Audrey Smit of This Little Street worked with Chef Mona Lee to create a unique, inspiring environment for our guests. Smit developed a fresh, vibrant color palette that mirrors Lulu’s colorful dishes, and infused the Palestinian roots and California upbringing that influence all of Chef Mona’s cuisine into every room of our new Solano location. Lush velvet seating, Arabian-inspired mirrors, beautiful tile patterns, gold accents, Tatreez pattern details, rattan accents, vintage glassware and old family photographs were carefully combined to give space a soulful yet fresh Middle Eastern vibe. Smit also designed custom wallpapers and artwork, and hand-painted two oversized, whimsical murals. The first mural features the purples figs emblematic of the original Lulu location, and the second mural located in the main entrance of the restaurant features giant Matilija poppies - which Smit purposefully used as a symbol for the restaurant. While poppies are symbols of both Palestine and California, the Matilija poppy is a California native with giant blooms resembling sunny-side up eggs.
Audrey Smit is the founder of This Little Street, a design company with her colorful + joyful aesthetic. She works as an interior designer for residential and commercial clients, as well as a muralist and surface pattern designer to create customer wallpapers and fabrics for private clients and brands such as Ikea, Alice & Ames. Audrey is also the co-author + illustrator of the Lily Huckleberry series. Originally from France, Audrey has lived around the world and is now based in Berkeley, California with her four silly, adventurous little girls who give her a good run for her money.