Chef Rogelio Garcia Announces Surprise Departure From Napa’s Auro, the Restaurant He Led to Michelin-Star Acclaim | Eater SF

"Known as a beloved Palestinian-inspired California cuisine restaurant, this spot is undergoing a major transformation from full table service to a counter-service format and rebranding itself as Lulu’s Little Kitchen. Starting Friday, February 6, the menu will shift to rice bowl’d versions of existing favorites like the toum Caesar salad, alongside roti wraps filled with braised lamb shawarma, sumac fried chicken, and falafel. On weekends, the offerings will expand to include popular dishes from the fuller Lulu menu, such as shukaquiles, knafeh pancake, and baklava French toast. The dining rooms are being converted into a private event space, and catering will continue, with chef Mona Leena Michael emphasizing that this evolution is meant to make the restaurant more affordable during difficult times, more accessible to those with dietary restrictions, and more reliable as an everyday option, all while honoring the dishes and values that originally drew people in." - Dianne de Guzman