TOO-DA-LULU (Lulu & Mooky’s)

The future of ice cream seems to have ended. Or just needs a publicist.

Lulu & Mooky’s has always been an intriguing concept. It’s a little shop on the Lower East Side that makes liquid nitrogen ice cream. You pick your flavor and they freeze it for you on the spot with lots of smoke and mirrors and more smoke.

I’ve been hearing about this crazy spot for a few years. Problem is every time I went by to try some for myself, the shop was closed. I even went on a Saturday night recently around 8pm and it was closed. Why would they close at what seems to me the prime time for ice cream?

I always thought the owner was independently wealthy and this was a passion project and he could close whenever he felt like it. Except now comes word that that was not the case.

The mystery at the lack of business skills continue, but the fate of Lulu & Mooky’s is sealed. They are closed. Finito. El fin.

We walked by after dinner last night and discovered the doors open (were they serving ice cream?). But there was no furniture, no ice cream scoops, no mad scientist machines. The store was being painted and renovated and the maintenance man told us that Lulu & Mooky’s had closed. He didn’t have more specifics. But that was it.

I was sad I never got to try this cutting edge ice cream, although I’m sure someday soon somebody will give it another attempt. And hopefully this time, they’ll have enough business savvy to realize in order to make money and thrive, they need to open the doors once in a while.