Former Sea Pines chef opens own restaurant with changing, creative menu on Hilton Head
Lulu Kitchen held its soft opening on Hilton Head last week, but there was one big piece missing: New furniture.
Chef and owner Scott Hastings has been waiting for a shipment, including polished walnut tabletops, to arrive from Atlanta after being delayed for nearly a month. It was supposed to arrive Monday, but that got bumped to Wednesday.
“Once the furniture comes, it’s going to be a whole different space,” he said, explaining that he was prepared to pull an all-nighter to get the furniture set up and moved in.
The look of the restaurant, at 890 William Hilton Parkway in Fresh Market Shoppes, already presents a stark contrast to its predecessors Gusto Ristorante and 843 Restaurant. It is light and bright and blue, with accents in brushed nickel. On the walls hang paintings for sale as part of a partnership with the Art League of Hilton Head.
Once the space is fully furnished, blue upholstered booths will be separated from each other by drapes to offer guests privacy and to reduce noise. Though it wasn’t the initial goal, the decor choice will provide a little extra coronavirus protection between tables.
For those who are not comfortable eating indoors — or those who want to enjoy the spring weather — the patio area has had a makeover, too.
Reservations
While reservations are not necessary now, especially at lunch, they may be later, Hastings said. Around 42 customers can be served inside and about 50 outdoors.
The intimacy of the space was what originally drew Hastings. Other locations were just too large.
“The eye to quality was forefront as opposed to quantity,” he said. “My wife and I had been looking for properties. When the space opened up, we jumped on it.”
Aside from a stint in the U.S. Navy, Hastings, 54, has worked in restaurants his entire career, in the Hamptons, New York City, Pennsylvania and elsewhere. He most recently was chef de cuisine in Sea Pines’ restaurants.
Hastings and his wife, Jennifer, along with Lulu Kitchen’s general manager Danny Pustovit and his wife Nadia, have been working on Lulu Kitchen since November.
“Like the menu, the space itself will continue to change in one facet or another,” Hastings said.
The menu
“For me, it’s about seasonal freshness,” Hastings said. “Everybody has shrimp and grits; everybody has fried chicken. What are we doing?”
That doesn’t mean there won’t be an array of classic dishes on Lulu Kitchen’s menu. There’s a 16-ounce Prime New York strip and, yes, the aforementioned shrimp and grits (each entree $24) and fried chicken ($16).
But there are also items that lean toward the unexpected. Priced at $15, Korean bao buns filled with barbecued short rib meat and a May River crab dish served with mint pearls and yuzu oil — a Japanese citrus — are among the starters. Lulu Chips ($15) are thinly sliced, fried potatoes topped with prime rib ragu, blue cheese, a tomato vinaigrette and charred scallion aioli.
Bluffton-based influencer Hannah Joy Cagas has dined twice at Lulu Kitchen since its opening. She was hard-pressed to pick a favorite dish but settled on three that she recommends: Crab cakes, the Zoe Salad with shrimp and champagne vinaigrette and the pan-seared scallops.
“The food itself is created for you to truly enjoy,” she said, “not just to eat but also for your eyes to enjoy. ... It’s not something to rush through.
“I can’t wait to go back for their Sunday brunch.”
Lulu Kitchen has vegetarian and gluten-free options. A special Easter menu also is posted on the restaurant’s website, and reservations for that day were about a third filled as of Monday.
Right now, the restaurant is allowing BYOB until its liquor license is approved, expected by the end of March.
Lulu Kitchen’s dessert menu is filled with Hastings’ own creations.
The mouth-watering Death by Lemon ($12) includes a lemon sorbet-topped lemon bar with lemon confit. For a small contrast, Hastings uses molecular gastronomy to create strawberry pearls for the top.
The blackberry torte ($11) is topped with a mascarpone sorbet flavored with sweet corn that is roasted and juiced.
If a diner has a special request, Hastings said he’ll do his best to accommodate.
“If somebody came in and said, “Can you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?” I would,” Hastings said. “I want every guest that comes in to Lulu to feel like they are the only guest here.”
If you go
What: Lulu Kitchen
Where: 890 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head (in Fresh Market Shoppes)
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. for lunch and dinner and Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Phone: 843-648-5858
Website: www.lulukitchenhhi.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lulukitchenhhi
