Cafe Lolo operates as both a restaurant and a retail larder in Seattle's Summit neighborhood on Capitol Hill. It's a project from co-founders Leah Engel, Alex Halmi, and Brett Bankson, named for Carol, a close family friend who introduced Alex to cooking as a child; the restaurant is dedicated to her memory.
Alex trained at the Culinary Institute of America before cooking in Australia, Portland, and Seattle, including four years as sous chef at Salare and a stint as pastaioli at Cascina Spinasse. Leah studied at the Apicius culinary school in Florence, worked with Tonnemaker Valley Farm, and held pastry and kitchen management roles at Lucinda Grain Bar and Coyle's Bakeshop.
The kitchen treats local grain as a foundational ingredient, building dishes around grains, produce, and livestock from Washington state farmers, and frames the food as a bridge between farmer, cook, and guest. Service runs lunch, brunch, and dinner, and the pastry program has built a following of its own among regulars who return specifically for it.
Alex trained at the Culinary Institute of America before cooking in Australia, Portland, and Seattle, including four years as sous chef at Salare and a stint as pastaioli at Cascina Spinasse. Leah studied at the Apicius culinary school in Florence, worked with Tonnemaker Valley Farm, and held pastry and kitchen management roles at Lucinda Grain Bar and Coyle's Bakeshop.
The kitchen treats local grain as a foundational ingredient, building dishes around grains, produce, and livestock from Washington state farmers, and frames the food as a bridge between farmer, cook, and guest. Service runs lunch, brunch, and dinner, and the pastry program has built a following of its own among regulars who return specifically for it.