Lola Bistro & Wine Bar
Cleveland, OH 44115
Phone: (216) 621-5652
03/27/2007 Posted by skacleve
I enjoyed this restaurant very much. It isn't perfect, however. It was too dark in the space to see much. With less than perfect eyesight, the ultra-low lighting made it especially difficult to enjoy the surroundings, let alone see the menu easily. The music playing was enjoyable, but it was a bit too loud, causing people to speak louder and louder to hear each other over it. Service was very good, and not overbearing. The servings are unusually small, especially compared to the typical American chain restaurant. But we felt they were just right to give us enough of a taste without making us feel bloated and sick. Although it did make the bill seem even higher. All the dishes we ordered were very intense in flavor. The complementary bread and gnocchi appetizer were very good, as were the venison and squab entrees. The venison was perfect, and it was not gamey. The bright red interior of the squab surprised me, but I trusted that the chef felt it was cooked perfectly. It was very tasty. Although very flavorful with a nice grill mark pattern, I didn’t enjoy the gelatinous fat-like texture of my first taste of foie gras. The flavors were so intense that I think something a bit neutral on both plates, like a starch side to complement and balance the meat, would have been nice to give our palates a rest between bites of meat. I’m definitely not a no-carb fan. The desserts we ordered, bread pudding and peanut butter banana chiffon, were delicious as well as sculptural. The servings are tiny, so don’t worry about it being too much. Again, intense flavors and a variety of textures all around. Although I think we prefer the ambiance and food at Baricelli Inn a bit more, Lola is to be admired and respected for creative use of ingredients, some quite unusual and found rarely anywhere else here. If you are adventurous (or not) and have enough in your wallet, try it at least once. Maybe you’ll add it to your list of favorite experiences.
Pros: Adventurous food, delicious desserts, great area, very good service
Cons: Expensive, small portions, dark, a bit noisy
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