Luella’s Southern Kitchen – Southern Comfort from Breakfast to Dinner
By Christina Ruiz
If you’re tired of scarfing down a measly piece of toast on the way to the Red Line every morning, then you need to hit up Luella’s Southern Kitchen. Serving up hearty and soulful breakfast bites, Luella’s Southern Kitchen is now serving weekday breakfast. Chef and owner Darnell Reed offers a comforting space in the heart of Lincoln Square for you to stop off and fuel up on the most important meal of the day!
On a Thursday morning, the counter-service dining room at Luella’s Southern Kitchen was buzzing. Patrons were spread across the long, family style tables for ten. The menu was filled with traditional Southern staples prepared with fine ingredients.
The menu pays homage to the breakfasts Luella, Reed’s grandmother, prepared for him. The lineup of delights included Jambalaya, prepared with Carolina Gold Rice and Andouille Sausage. Satisfyingly savory, the Jambalaya is topped with two poached farm eggs.
Although I choose savory over sweet almost every time, one of my favorite picks was Luella’s Buttermilk Blueberry and Brown Butter Pancakes. Topped with maple syrup and dotted with fresh blueberries, the pancakes were delectable and complex, far from the one-note, cloyingly sweet pancakes found on many other breakfast menus.
Another standout at Luella’s Southern Kitchen was the Soft Shell Crab Benedict: buttermilk fried crabs perched atop perfectly poached farm eggs and smoked hollandaise drizzled over it all. The benedict came with a side of thinly-sliced Red Bliss Potatoes and Caramelized Onions.
The Nashville Hot Chicken and Waffles were a delicious salty-and-sweet option. The dish was served with three pieces of golden crispy chicken set atop three Liege waffles. Prepared with Nashville Hot Sauce, the intense spiciness of the chicken was countered by the sweetness of the waffle and the maple syrup topping the dish.
If you stop in for breakfast, be sure to check out other mouthwatering options, such as the Brioche French Toast and their Bourbon Strawberry Shortcake Waffles. The menu also includs add-on sides that exude Southern Comfort: a Smoked Biscuit with Sausage Gravy, Boudin Breakfast Sausage Patties, and fresh, house-made Beignets that will transport you to New Orleans in a puff of powdered sugar.
Luella’s Southern Kitchen is BYOB and is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 10 PM, Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Weekday breakfast is now being served Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. They will continue to serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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