Lulu's Wine Bar and Bistro, Pollença
HUMBLE PIE
A recipe for success.
“Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble/ When you're perfect in every way I can't wait to look in the mirror/ Cuz I get better lookin each day ...”
If you venture into the alleys of Pollença Old Town one of these dark evenings towards the end of winter, and head towards Calvary Hill, you may hear the strains of this old country classic by Mac Davis coming from a dark shopfront. Wafting from the same narrow doorway will be the madenning scent of home cooking. Step inside, if you know what’s good for you.
When they decided to pool their talents, this family of four (mum Jane, dad Mike, daughter Lucy and her partner, Chris) knew they were onto a good thing. As was everyone on the North of the island who had been hankering after a little home cooking: Pies, pasties, yorkshire pudding, meat and three veg, velvet crab soup, fruit crumble and custard – admit it, your mouth is watering just reading about it. Matriarch Jane grew up in catering, helping out from an early age at her parents’ restaurant in Wales. All four family members agreemee that a decent portion of veg is something otherwise sadly lacking on the island.
Husband Shropshire lad Mike is not just a pretty voice. Cabinet maker and chef extraordinaire, his works, in warm Welsh oak and walnut from the family farm, grace the premises. They include the dresser and the best seat in the house, the settle. Watch out for that moment when he takes out his guitar from its alcove, because pretty soon the whole family will be pitching in with down-home harmonies.
After a long and intermittent romance with good weather, it made sense to couple Jane and Mike to settle in Mallorca. Pollença was an obvious choice for the location of the business, because of the high proportion of British in the area, who would soon be queueing up for the chance to get at decent shortcrust- and cottage pies.
Jane also had an ulterior motive in starting up the business. She and husband Mike bought a house in Bunyola in July 1998, and were angling to get daughter Lucy over when they settled here for good. Lucy duly took a temporary position as a nanny in Biniorella. The children she was minding liked tennis and had a private coach – and before long, Lucy and coach Chris liked each other, too. So much so, that Chris, who had been intending to go to Australia and travel the world as from January this year, decided to throw in his lot with the family fortunes. Chris had a hand in running the financial side of several businesses before hanging his hat at Lulu’s, where he now manages “front of house”, does the accounts and recently set up their Website (www.luluswinebarandbistro.com).
So, on your way up Calvary Hill this Easter, look out for a little wine bar called Lulu’s, in C/Temple. To know them is to love them. “Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble, But (they’re) doing the best that (they) can”
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