YORK, Maine – Long Sands Beach’s newest tiki bar is open to the public after a delay in the restaurant’s permitting process this summer.
Lulu’s has been serving guests of the Nevada Hotel since its historic reopening this summer by Joe Lipton, who completely renovated the property and added a third story. City officials originally required the restaurant to remain exclusively for hotel guests until a change of use was approved.
Two weeks ago, however, the planning inspector informed Lipton that the restaurant could now open to the public. The delay was due to a river overbuilding that was intended to protect a nonexistent river that was incorrectly shown on the city’s maps.
“They realized they can now prove that the stream never existed,” Lipton said.
Lipton had been using guest day passes to give people access to Lulu’s while he waited for approval to open the restaurant to the public. Since Lulu’s was open only to guests, he allowed people to request the passes so they could have full access to the hotel’s amenities, including the restaurant.
Now Lulu’s is preparing a celebration on September 8th with a live steel drum reggae band from 3 to 6 p.m. to commemorate the first Summer Open at Nevada.
“We want people to know we are open, especially for locals in September,” Lipton said.
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What’s on the menu at Lulu’s at York Beach?
Lulu’s, named after Lipton and Michelle Friar’s daughter Lydia and her childhood nickname, offers a mix of Mexican and Polynesian cuisine. Tiki-style restaurants and decor, popular in the 1950s, complement the Pacific Rim theme that matches the Nevada’s naval motif. The hotel itself is designed to resemble a battleship flybridge, similar to the one on which founder Henry de la Pena served during World War II.
Lulu’s focuses less on imagery like native tiki masks and more on the connection between food and nature. The menu includes a raw bar with ceviche, rice and noodle bowls, and al pastor – vertically cooked pork that rotates beneath a pineapple with juices running down.
Lulu’s is one of three restaurants Lipton and Friar operate in their three hotels. The other two are A Little Auk in the ViewPoint Hotel and Stones Throw, which has both a restaurant and hotel rooms.
Lipton said he plans to offer a shuttle service between Long Sands Beach, where Nevada and Stones Throw are located, and the ViewPoint on Nubble Road, which overlooks the Nubble Lighthouse.
After completing all three companies in the past few years, he now wants to take a break from major projects for a while.
“One of our biggest goals was to share Nevada and Lulu’s with the people and the city,” Lipton said. “I’m definitely excited.”
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