Lula Cafe

Earlier this week I went to Lula Cafe with my sister. This place is impossible to get into on a weekend so I was pleased to get a weekday reservation. Although this place has quite the reputation, it looks like a small neighborhood restaurant when first walking up, and you can tell it's been several storefronts combined into one. The inside is very cozy though, and almost has a homey feeling.

The food was phenomenal and I had the best pasta of my life, literally. I had never heard of bucatini, which is a thick spaghetti like pasta with a hole through the center of the noodle. The dish was called Pasta YiaYia and had bucatini with feta, brown butter and cinnamon. Those do not sounds like the usual suspects for a dinner pasta dish, but it was so amazing that I've been dreaming about it.

I did some googling, and found an adapted recipe. I am going to have to try to make this. Soon. Definitely come to this restaurant and order this dish, even if sharing with the table, it's a must.

¾ lb. bucatini
6 tablespoons butter
1 head garlic, each clove sliced very thinly crosswise (slices will be petal-shaped)
4-6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
½ teaspoon cinnamon (Café Lula uses Moroccan cinnamon, I only had regular cinnamon)

Boil pasta in salted water until al dente.
While pasta is cooking, heat butter over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Just as the butter turns to turn golden-brown, add the garlic slices. Continue to cook the garlic and the butter until the butter is browned and the garlic turns dark golden-brown and crispy. Remove from heat. Do not overcook the garlic or it will taste bitter.
With a slotted spoon, remove the garlic slices and set aside.
Drain the pasta and add to the butter.
Add the cinnamon to the noodles. Stir until noodles are coated with butter and cinnamon.
Plate the pasta on individual plates.
Divide the feta and the garlic slices evenly between the plates.
Sprinkle with additional cinnamon, if desired.