Red Lulu Cocina & Tequila Bar Shakes Up South Norwalk

When I heard that cb5 Restaurant Group owner Jody Pennette, the ingenious restaurant and club developer who brought Lolita

to the Byram section of Greenwich, was opening a sibling restaurant called Red Lulu in the space that previously housed Ocean Drive in South Norwalk, I couldn’t wait to check it out.

Streaking down Washington Street in a car, you could easily miss Red Lulu Cocina & Tequila Bar, but SoNo is a district that must be experienced on foot.

Approach the hostess station and you will be greeted by a friendly host

or hostess.

Once inside Red Lulu, you may recognize the physical properties of the Ocean Drive space—but little else. There’s a bar

and lounge area

just inside the front door, just as there was before, but they bear little resemblance to their predecessors. Gone are the aquamarines and the cabana-style that seemed straight out of an episode of Miami Vice. We’re in the 2010s with a Gothic style more in sync with True Blood or Vampire Diaries sensibilities. It’s campy and fun!

Think I’m exaggerating? Then take the tour. Approach the landing from which you can elect between the upstairs and downstairs seating, and you’ll encounter these masks

and this figure.

Go up this staircase,

as my wife and I did, and join your friends

for a drink.

Take in the curios that surround you.

Enjoy some tortilla chips

and dips (tomatillo salsa, chipotle sauce, and fire-roasted salsa)

and maybe Red Lulu’s sensational guacamoles, which come fresco

picante,

or especial (embellished with crab and lobster)—sorry, no photo.

Then either take a table on the mezzanine

or head back downstairs

to the lower level to what looks like a movie set

but is surprisingly comfortable.

A good beer will make things even more comfortable.

The kitchen is open to view (sort of).

A little mystery is appealing. So let the sorcery begin.

Start with Red Lulu’s exceptional soft tacos,

crispy masa oysters,

ahi tuna tostada,

and sticky spare ribs.

Would you like a moist towel to cleanse your hands?

How about some black bean soup,

verde rice,

zocolo corn,

and incredibly addictive iron pan cornbread in a roasted garlic sauce?

Then why don’t you and your companions move on to the main course? You can’t go wrong with these lobster enchiladas,

this shrimp ajillo,

this swordfish,

these pork carnitas (a personal fave),

or this carne asada.

Got a sweet tooth? Try these treats on for size. Savor cornflake-encrusted fried ice cream,

a cuatro leches cake,

and banana fritters.

Or enjoy some green apple cotton candy, a signature of sibling restaurant, Lolita.

And finally, give thanks to visionary Jody Pennette,

who knows how to inject serious fun into the dining scene!

Red Lulu Cocina & Tequila Bar, 128 Washington Street, South Norwalk, 203-939-1600
www.redlulumexican.com