Bayou Eats | Lula Perl Café

article by Vanelis Rivera
photography by Kelly Moore Clark

With Lula Perl Café, owners Kate and Paul Halaszyn prioritized creating a community-focused, homestyle atmosphere with a menu that evolves with regionally sourced ingredients resulting in a space that evokes the food and comfort of “the simple life.”

THE APPEAL OF A COFFEEHOUSE LIES IN ITS SIMPLICITY. Think, a cozy and inviting atmosphere, the whirring sounds of an espresso machine, and the confluence of aromas permeating from the kitchen, coffee bar, and pastry shelf. Of course, good food and even better coffee are quintessential variables to the success of any coffee-centered establishment, which is where one of Ruston’s newest eateries stands out. 

Kate and Paul met in New Orleans. At the time, the pair was in their twenties working at Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House. “This tall chef kept standing at the end of my bar,” she recalls. Finding herself in a “Yes, Chef, what can I help you with?” situation, she asked Paul on a date. “And that’s the end of the conversation. We’re here fifteen years later.” The decision to move was twofold. “One, this little monster was gonna be brooming in the picture soon,” Kate quips referring to her son. Though New Orleans held a special place in her heart, she envisioned a spacious, free-roaming environment for her child, one comparable to her dynamic upbringing on a chicken farm in Hico, Louisiana. Jointly, her father’s declining health was also pulling her back home. Kate transitioned with eagerness and ease, but Paul, a military brat with roots in Houston, Texas, struggled with balancing his offshore job with parenthood. Paul reveals, “I would come home and he would be a different kid. And he wouldn’t recognize me.” Naturally, something had to give. 

“We knew that we were going to open something,” says Kate, though the where, when, and how were still elusive. On Christmas 2023, she approached Paul with a direct message, “We have to do something.” And just like that, around January, location scouting began. One of their stipulations was a space with a drive-through, a convenience stemming from their restaurant experiences during the pandemic. Kate explains, “We wanted something that had that flexibility so that if we didn’t have people in the dining room, we would still have that outlet.” Their search landed them in the corner of Trenton and Kentucky—a space already familiar with the clink of coffee mugs by way of Railway Coffee. The location checked all of their desired boxes. And so, they wasted no time curating a creative menu and space meant to reflect, “down home from the heart” cooking.

“We wanted it to feel more like a community space,” says Kate, keeping in mind the many New Orleans eateries that always made her feel like she belonged. “Kind of like the Cheers-vibe.” The couple poured their heart into conceptualizing the space’s inviting aesthetic by thinking of the Ruston community, prioritizing the display and selling of local artwork without taking a cut. Currently, the crisp white walls of Lula Perl feature various artists (with room for more). On the wall closest to the coffee bar, multi-sized, colorful pieces belong to Kyndall Reyes, a Louisiana-based visual artist known for her abstract acrylic paintings of landscapes. Ayah Tamimi’s graphite and white charcoal sketch on toned tan paper is displayed in a clean white frame. And mounted on an exposed, white-washed brick wall, lit by an exquisitely chic pendant suspension light fixture, hang a few of Genie Cooper Marsalis’ stylistic watercolor paintings. Overall, the space is designed to mimic the feel of a dining room belonging to that eclectic great-aunt with fascinating pieces, each carrying a distinct story. The mismatched approach to tables, chairs, and kitchenware was achieved thanks to carefully selected vintage finds and gifts from friends. From charcoal-painted booths, industrial-styled wooden tables, and an array of midcentury wooden spindle and ladder-back chairs, the multifaceted atmosphere creates an inviting and cozy space that elicits ease, enjoyment, and fellowship.

Another point of distinction for this exciting new eatery is the conceptualization of its name, a blend of Kate and Paul’s personal names and family history. When in New Orleans, Paul was referred to by some friends as “Big Daddy Pearl, while Kate’s middle name is Louise, and was often referred to as “Lulu” growing up. Coincidentally, her great-grandmother’s name is Lula, which quickly became an option. After some back and forth, and a quick Google search (to make sure the name hadn’t been claimed), Lula Perl stuck. And up to this point, the eatery can brag there is no Lula Perl in the world except for the one in Ruston.

To conceive culinary innovations that maintained regional familiarity, Paul drew from his years of experience as a cook in Houston and New Orleans. Kate also brought her restaurant expertise to the menu, wanting to highlight regionally sourced ingredients, particularly by way of regional farmers. “Our menu is evolving every day,” says Kate, who credits customer feedback for a few of their culinary shifts. Some of their current mainstay items include traditional ingredients with a visionary edge. “We knew we wanted to do boudin,” says Paul, who had been holding on to a boudin recipe gifted to him from a dear friend. “I tweaked a few of the spices in it, but not much.” At first, this Louisiana specialty wasn’t flying off the menu. So they shifted from cooking sausage links to what has become a Lula Perl house special—Boudin Cake. This imaginative take on boudin is served with a sunny-side-up egg and a side of Perl’s pepper mash made with peppers from Estes Farms and Briarhill Farms. Another refined Southern classic that was a must for the menu is the chicken salad sandwich, served on a freshly baked croissant (grapes or fruit added on request). Though a small menu, the breakfast and lunch selections are sure to appease a wide range of palates, particularly if you appreciate flavorful, made-to-order dishes.

Though the menu lists an appealing array of items, the café’s character is further illuminated by the weekly specials. During weekends, Kate and Paul tap into a sense of play while they strive to plan dishes that teeter on the familiar and lean toward the unexpected. They manage to keep it simple, wanting to maintain elements of comfort food, all while considering what ingredients regional farmers have available. Thus far, the weekly specials board has seen a plethora of imaginative and pristinely made food such as slow-braised brisket with garlic cheese grits and roasted vegetables; pork belly “yaka mein” with rice noodles, kale and deviled eggs; beef birria over pappardelle pasta; along with juicy meatloaf sliders served on a soft brioche bun, topped with spicy aioli, pickled red onions, and manchego cheese. 

The coffee menu also went through careful curation, particularly when considering sourcing coffee beans. “I want free trade, organic, as local as possible,” reveals Paul. The couple decided on the Louisiana Roasting Company based out of Shreveport, which allows all of their coffee to be roasted days before brewing. “Uber fresh,” chimes Kate, personally appreciating the practicality of purchasing from a roasting company that works directly with farmers. The coffee menu is organized into four categories (specialty coffee, traditional espresso, hot bar, and cold bar) and features a few classics and novelties such as Chemex brewed coffee, delectable Vietnamese Coffe (sweetened condensed milk and espresso), and Pecan Brownie Latte (pecan brownie espresso, dark chocolate, and milk). At Lula Perl, all brews are made in a monstrous chrome and candy apple red, Nuova Simonelli espresso machine. 

Adding to their innovative approaches to dining, Lula Perl’s home catering menu is made for those who find themselves confined by the weekly grind. Posted on the cafe’s Facebook page, the menu features main dishes and desserts, along with a “Bulk Coffee” section (sous vide cold brew, house blend beans or ground, espresso beans or ground), and “Extras & Add-ons” listings which include chicken salad, pimento-n-cheese, Perl’s pepper mash, chicken and sausage gumbo, and a variety of sweets. Orders can be placed via Facebook, Instagram, or by calling the restaurant. 

Ultimately, Lula Perl is a small cafe with a big personality making great coffee and food that invites customers to slow down and enjoy a sensory dining experience. Some have referred to the cafe as an “escape,” as many of their weekly specials are as unique as the art displayed on their walls, but Kate and Paul aren’t overthinking their approaches to dining. As they put it, “We’re just a husband and wife trying to raise a family in a quiet home setting, just trying to make a living like everybody else, trying to do it in a comfortable environment.”