our party of two adults and two teenagers dined late on a Friday evening . The restaurant was fully booked. The staff were busy but attentive , thoughtful and entirely professional. We ordered several small plates to share tapas style. It was the way to go ; we each had a taste of several delicious creations. Highlights were the pork belly and crispy pigs ears; beef cheek perogies ; beef marrrow with several condiments to build your own crostini. The boys said the ice cream in the dessert was the best they had ever had. Ordering wine on the ipad is a smart touch. This was my first visit to Cleveland and the friendly people and Chef Symon's restaurants are a warm memory. Froggy J.
Review Source:The atmosphere is great, it gets a whole star on its own. And the complimentary macaroons got a star as well. The service was decent, the food was alright. I ordered the Walleye. Two slabs of Walleye with Bacon, potatoes, and clams in a shellfish broth. The Walleye was a little heavy and fishy for my taste, but that could just be the fish. The beef perogies were good, although the sourcream had a pretty strong horseradish flavor and I am not a fan of that at all, but to each their own. My group ordered three desserts, I ordered the Lemon Lavender. I have no idea what was going on on that plate. A huge combination of bland lavender and extreme tangy zest that I couldn't get to blend. The Bacon ice cream was fun and interesting, but the Bacon was very overwhelming. And my boyfriend ordered the chocolate mousse which was very good. I also sampled the porkchops and the salmon, both were alright but nothing extraordinary and not really worth the price. But it was an enjoyable experience none-the-less.
Review Source:This was our second trip to Lola in the last 4 months. Â We were in Cleveland in June overnight on our way to a friend's wedding. Â We had hoped to do a night out on the town at Lola with some friends, but when their kids got sick we opted to stay in for dinner. Â We went to Lola for dessert and IMMEDIATELY regretted that choice. Â I had the 6 AM Special, and my partner had the Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel dessert. Â Both were spectacular. Â We immediately made plans to come for my birthday dinner knowing we'd be in CLE in October.
Fast forward to October and the meal did not disappoint. Â
The beef cheek pirogies and heirloom tomato salad were delicious starters. Â The blue cheese in the heirloom salad had a whipped texture that was light and airy, but still melted in your mouth. Â
The hangar steak with pickle sauce and fries, and sea scallops with corn, leek, bacon, and a roasted tomato salad were both to die for. Â We both cleaned our plates (minus the huge container of fries) and I couldn't tell you the last time that happened in a restaurant. Â
For dessert, we split the chocolate chip. Â The crispy milk garnish is one of the most interesting parts of the dessert. Â Overall it was delicious, but I would recommend either of the previous desserts we had first. Â
I had the Lola Sidecar and Apple and Pear Sangria as cocktails. Â Each were delicious, and if you are a sidecar fan there's is not to be missed.
Some notes on service: Â We had an 8:45 reservation. Â We learned that they do not take reservations on the tables outside. Â We went over early as we were hungry and sat right down on a beautiful, fall night outside. Â No waiting! Â However, if you want to sit inside, reservations on weekends are a must. Â
Our dessert took longer than expected as the chef was fresh baking the cookies. Â She sent out samples of the house made pumpkin ice cream with our server while we waited, and it was DELICIOUS. Â
I did notice the noise level inside was high, but our servers were attentive and kept things moving right along without rushing us. Â
Absolutely fantastic experience and would gladly return!
Our first experience at Lola's! What an amazing evening. The barrel aged vesper (i.e. Bond drink) was so smooth and refined, Â the o.m.g. (think orange cosmo) was yummy, and the wine list was extensive.
Apps: We got 3 and in order of preference.. a ceviche crudo that was out of this world, pork belly and pig ear with watermelon (who knew pig ear was so crispy and delicious?), and the beef cheek perogies. Other reviewers seemed to love the beef cheek but compared to the other 2 apps we ordered it was just ok.
Entrees: The pork chop was melt in your mouth delicious and the polenta underneath was the same. The hanger steak was perfectly cooked (got medium as recommended, normally I get my steak med-rare) and the pickled topping was the perfect compliment. The Lola fries with rosemary were also delicious. So good even without ketchup! The sturgeon was also good, perfectly cooked, but the meat dishes were amazing.
Dessert: Highly recommend the 6am special! If you love french toast, maple syrup, and bacon, this is for you. We also got the peanut butter deconstructed candy bar which was yummy but I preferred the 6am!
After living many, many years in the LA and Orange County area...this place is a foodie bargain. Â $11 for 1/2 of one of the yummiest Vietnamese-inspired sandwiches ever and an inspired cauliflower soup that was to die for. Â And from such a well-respected chef! Come for lunch...you won't be disappointed.
Review Source:I was apprehensive about going as I've typically not had good experiences with celebrity chef restaurants but I must admit that Lola's was a pleasant exception. Â The menu is quite eclectic with very unique offerings. Â Staff was prompt, friendly, and efficient. Â Definitely worth another visit. Â Had no problem getting a reservation through OpenTable on a Wednesday evening.
Review Source:We went to Lola's for a celebration and everyone in the group is in agreement, Lola's was just OK.
I have heard mixed reviews about this restaurant from many people but of course I wanted to taste for myself!
Drinks were mediocre at best. The Ipad idea for a menu is wonderful for a younger clientele but this restaurant brings in a variety of ages, have a paper copy of some sort for the older guests. And unimpressed with their drink and wine selections.
Appetizers were tasty the pork belly and pig ear were delicious.
Pork Shank was an extremely large portion. It was tender and flavorful for the most part but what would set this dish into amazing would be a delicious sauce paired with it.
We may or may not be visiting Lola's in the future.
Genius flavor combinations! I had delicious scallops and every bite is like a surprise party in your mouth. I also had the peanut butter pretzel dessert, which was also amazing - the prices are totally worth the quality of your meal. The atmosphere is gorgeous, too; however, it's a bit difficult to hear/converse with whoever you're with because it's pretty loud.
Review Source:My review of Lola comes after my second time dining here. The first time was back in January of 2012 when we were in town for a show & it was one of my top 5 meals ever. The charcuterie was thoughtful, creative, & delicious & my pork chop was amazing, but the star of the show was my husband's ribeye. It was the most delicious steak any of our party of four had ever tasted. It was so good that it had to be shared (if it had been my order, I wouldn't have made a big deal about it because then I would've been able to eat more of it but my hubby is nicer than me). There was a lot of moaning & eye-rolling (the good kind) involved anytime someone (especially me) would take a bite. Everything about that meal was fantastic, but it all paled in comparison to that ribeye. Absolute perfection.
Fast forward to last week. My husband & I were catching a show in Cleveland again & couldn't wait to dine at Lola again after that epic experience. If I had known how disappointing it would be in comparison, I would have never gone again. They no longer offer the charcuterie & although the pork belly & pig ear appetizer & heirloom tomato salad were excellent, the entrees were disappointing. My salmon was overcooked & the version of the ribeye my hubby had this time was way too salty & nowhere near as monumental as the last time. The chocolate chip dessert was weird & didn't make sense. In fact, the 6am special was kind of forgettable last time too. Not impressed with the desserts at all.
So, all in all, I still give it 4 stars, but we definitely questioned whether the meal was worth the $200 we spent this time. The first time, it was a no-brainer.
Very good food, excellent service.
"Lola" is an over-hyped new American restaurant owned by celebrity chef Michael Symon. "Over-hyped" is an observation, not a criticism: the restaurant is excellent but if an anonymous owner were attached to it would not get nearly the laurels that it does. So, onto the particulars:
Food - 4/5. Hanger steak was outstanding. Bone marrow was very good. Pork belly was OK, pig ears excellent. Heirloom tomato salad very bland. Manchego chessecake fusion dessert was so-so.
Service - 5/5. Very knowledgable, prompt, got everything right. The waitress had a touch of pretention but not enough to lower the rating.
Ambiance - 3/5. Loud. Too loud. My wife needed to move from across the table to sit next to me for us to hear each other. We were seated in the quietest section of the place. Not good. The raucous atmosphere was too much for the self-proclaimed best restaurant in the region. You should be able to relax, savour and enjoy.
Don't think we'd go again. Really expensive for the region, and value for money just isn't there. If we got a gift certificate would go there and expect to enjoy it.
If your idea of a good dinning experience is cramped seating, servers too busy to bother and a place so noisy that you can't hear others then you have come to the right place.
We started off our evening with a kale salad and the corn bisque soup. Both were pretty good but not that interesting. For our entries the rib eye was cooked perfectly but the greens on top of the steak were too salty and added nothing to the dish. The lamb heart entree was very good. The side dish of corn and chanterelles was odd. The corn was sweet but the mushrooms were very salty and dehydrated. The blend of the two were underwhelming. We passed on desert.
The meager wine list should be noted. Don't look for there to be many interesting wine selections by the glass. The red wine was served in the same glass as the white. I thought We were going to a fine dinning experience. We visited Lola's several years ago and loved the food and the service - the celebrity chef must be too busy to care about the food or service.
My son attends Case Western. We have dined at Lola. It is dining, not  "eating".  This place makes new flavors. I don't know how else to describe it.  If you ever see pumpkin pie & foie gras appetizer, jump on it.
The bar made the best martini I've ever had and I drink them everywhere I go. Â I can't afford to eat at a place like this too often. So, when I do, I'm a little fussy. Â Its worth the cost. Â BTW, try the pinot "Lulu" (or maybe "Lula"), very nice.
I didn't have super high expectations, really enjoyed the beef cheek periogie and the loaf of bread was lovely, asked waiter for salt and he gave me table salt without asking if maybe i wanted something nicer to finish my very thick pork chop that for me personally needed a slight kick ,foh manager swung by and fixed it and for that i was very grateful ,service overall was fine  but it was very dark, I couldn't get over how uncomfortable it made me feel, I could barely read the menu, I saw other tables had a spotlight in theirs but mine did not, also they sat someone almost on top of our table like very close , his chair was touching our table...... Besides that I got what I expected to get a decent meal in Cleveland , it didn't shine as bright(but maybe it's because I couldn't see it at all) but it wasn't a total letdown
Review Source:We were in Cleveland this last weekend for a friend's wedding, and stopped in after a friend from LA recommended we do so. Very happy we did. We sat toward the back of the main dining room near the open air kitchen.
Apps: kale salad and albacore crudo. The kale salad was just okay; we didn't really enjoy the, on the heavy side, ranch-like dressing. The crudo was amazing. We could have ate a few more orders of that and called it a wrap. But thankfully, we ordered some other great dishes.
Entrees: pork chop - very generous portion, and very tasty. Served with a creamy corn polenta and a cranberry sauce.
Salmon - it was amazing. Cooked perfectly, and the flavor was phenomenal. A slightly crispy outside, and a medium rare inside. Â
Drinks: enjoyed a great martini. The Zinfandel from San Luis Obispo was very good. Typical spice/pepper you expect from a zin, but more fruit forward than I'm used to experiencing from this varietal, and that made for a nice combination.
The restaurant has a great layout/decor, and you can't help but be drawn to the beautiful bar.
Only drawback and probable reason for why I wanted to give four stars instead of 5 is that the waitress seemed unhappy to be serving us. Maybe due to us coming in for a 10:00pm reservation, she seemed rather short with us and uninterested in making us have a great experience. But alas, we still had a wonderful dinner and would highly recommend this restaurant.
solid solid place. came here a while ago with my lady and definitely enjoyed our time. service was top notch, decor was cool, open style kitchen. was a little dark, but okay, was at least able to see what we were eating.
for appetizer, we went with the foie mousse and bone marrow. probably shouldnt have done that because those two things are pretty darn heavy. but what the heck, why not? im sad to say i was a bit disappointed with the bone marrow, im a big marrow fan but they breaded it and deep fried it. why michael symon!? the rest of the accompaniments were very good tho. the foie mousse was solid, the blueberries were a nice touch.
for entrees, we went with the halibut and pork chop. the halibut was cooked very well, it was clean and fresh tasting, lacked a little bit of salt, but overall, a good dish. now, the smoke pork chop. good night that was good. everything about it just works and if youre ever there. make sure to order this. just trust me. you will not be disappointed.
as far as dessert goes, we decided to split the 6am special. if youre not a fan of bacon in your desserts then you might want to steer away from this, but if you are, this is great. everything youd want in a dessert of this type, we enjoyed it very much.
overall, if youre ever in the cleveland area, you should definitely give it a shot. i think you'll enjoy your visit there.
What kind of restaurant or town for that matter, closes on July 4th? Â We came into Cleveland, dying to try some Top Chef restaurants, and found all of them closed on 4th Street, the "go to" place in Cleveland. Â Michael Symon, Cleveland, something is wrong when on a holiday, tourists and others find your restaurants closed!
Coming from NYC, where restaurants, etc. are open 24/7, it is unfathomable for restaurants to be closed on a major holiday. Â Cleveland, if you want to be a contender, you need to rethink your city and what it has to offer. Â Disappointed in Cleveland.
Lola is one of my go-to spots whenever I'm in Cleveland (yep, most of the time) Â and decide to walk the 500 yards from my condo to E4th. Â I especially love lunch at Lola and if you haven't had the lobster bisque on a chilly day, you need to soon.
However, I was pleasantly dismayed to see Lola closed on July 4th. Â What? Â The Iron Chef America empire isn't forcing his crew to work on what's probably a slow day? Â What about the hungry cookout refugees? Â Oh yeah, they're well fed. Â Well, what about the random NYC tourist? Â Yeah, must be unfathomable.
Bravo to Michael Symon for allowing his staff to attempt to live normal lives while still offering some of the best food this "perennial contender" has to offer.
This review would have been a 3.3 rating...so being as it must be rounded to whole number, this becomes a 3. Lola is a cool after work place for the hip and well-to-do in a nice area of downtown Cleveland tucked away on what looks like a pedestrian-only street. The food and the atmosphere is on the fancier side, not that you can go in jeans...my friend's and I went there after being in a car for five hours.
The food is first class Michael Symon, fancy down-home-cooking. For appys, we had the bone marrow, yuzu tune poke and glazed pork belly. Surprise surprise, the pork belly was the overwhelming hit! I mean who doesn't love layers upon layers of delectable fatty pork? The poke was great too, but the yuzu overwhelmed the clean tuna flavour. And is there such a thing as too fatty? Well, that would be fried bone marrow. Greasy bread crumbs surrounding already melting juicy meaty goodness might just be too much of a good thing. There were five pieces and each one of us could only finish one, two were left to leftover heaven. :(
As for the main, I can only comment on my own which was lamb hearts over fava bean puree. The heart was cooked perfectly medium rare, allowing it to be lean, juicy and meaty all at the same time. There was a good amount of char on the heart meat giving the meat greater depth of flavour. The fava bean puree? Most delicious thing ever! Looks like baby food, but if that was what baby food tasted like...then send me over a jar!
The only that brought this rating down was the service. We were a group of six and asked for separate bills. From that moment on, the attitude of our waitress changed. She took at least 20 min to get us our bills, of which she separated incorrectly. She passed by our table at least five times before we got her attention and by that point we decided not to correct the changes and just pay. She then had a sour face the whole time we were using the credit card machine. There was automatic gratuity for tables of six and over, you'd think she'd be happy to have a larger table. I just feel her attitude could have been better. You never let the customer know that you are upset.
Went here because my wife and I are huge Micheal Symon fans, I would describe Lola as High-End Comfort food. I think the decor is very trendy but I'm not sure because it was quite dark in there. The Service was outstanding.
Had the beef cheek pierogie which was respectable, looking at other tables next time will try the bone marrow.The pork shank and the sturgeon were both outstanding entrees. The Lola fries were very good (and very thin). The 6am Special was a great dessert, but then again how can you go wrong if there is maple-bacon ice cream? The peanut butter and pretzel was not as successful. While not cheap, not a bad value for what you receive as an overall experience (Especially compared to Chicago or New York)
Will return
First trip to Cleveland and my friend says we MUST eat at Lola. Oh, it WAS good. I had the bone marrow appetizer, which I'm glad I've had now and probably won't eat again. It was really rich and fatty, and with all of the accouterments, you can dress it up any way you want. (My favorite was the sea salt and red onion).
My friend's oysters mignonette were some of the best - even topping those of the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station, NYC. Small, but very briny and fresh. I hate to think of the carbon footprint it took to fly those in from wherever.
The kitchen did sear my steak exactly medium rare, and I'm loving the lemon vinaigrette which dripped down from the salad onto the steak. I will definitely try to replicate that at home.
The 6 a.m. special dessert is one of a kind. You MUST try it even if you're not into apples or french toast. Just because it's THAT good.
Went on a wednesday, March 6 and sat in the window zone with party of four and the experience was divine. The waitress was wonderful and she had perfect timing.
The bone marrow was indescribable, american ham selection was devoured, the beef cheek pierogi was okay. The entrees were perfection. Â Dessert for all was enjoyed.
About the Bone Marrow: I don't know how or what the process was but it was crispy on the outside and creamy inside. Â I was very wary of ordering what amounts to fat but I was so surprised. Â You must try this even if you do not like fat.
Went back on Friday, March 8 with party of 2 and got seated on the back wall next to the large corner booth/table. Â This was not a desired seat, one stared at the wall, one stared out at the room while both were faced staring (closely) at the backs of the waiters attending to the large corner table. Â The Michael Symon Look-a-like waiter kind of meandered around acting important but didn't add any knowledge to our ordering process or service. Â Seems silly, but I didn't know Poke was not my cup of tea, my husband forgot to order those delicious fries, and our meal needed an extra bump which was that order of fries. For that much money, I should have already been attended to make sure everything was fine. I couldn't wait to get the check. No one likes being ignored. I guess I should have tipped the waiter before the dinner service began.
Would have gotten five stars but second time the service was disappointing.
We spent over $650 on what was 6 adult dinners on two separate nights. Â I have no idea how much the Lolita cost because the other couple picked up that tab but I'm assuming is was at least $100 each. That means that the four of us spent over $1000 dining and I should be giving a 5 star review to both Lola and Lolita. Oh well.
So in Cleveland and still drooling over my last Iron Chef Dinner at Morimoto's and saw that Iron Chef Michael Symon had a restaurant running. As soon as I knew that another Iron Chef's restaurant was near me, I knew I had to try it out. I jump on open table and was surprised that all reservation times were open??? Â But brushing off the concern aside, we head on over to the area. The restaurant itself is in a bustling alleyway where there are a few restaurants lined up. We step into Lola and it was dimly lit which makes it a nice spot for a romantic dinner date or a very intimate group dinner.
We sit down in a nice spot of the restaurant providing a solid view of the overall activities within the restaurant. The waitress was very friendly and very attentive to our table and she offered a few suggestions on items that we should order which was helpful. We were able to peruse the vino list on an IPAD and select a solid Malbec. We ordered the beef pierogies, the pork shank, the hangar steak, and of course the French toast dessert. The pierogies were really solid as each plate comes with one and it is great. Definitely could eat a ton of these. The pork shank and the hangar steak were very solid overall. The meat was flavorful and cooked well but the pork shank had a huge portion to it. I know an odd concern. And the hangar steak while good did not blow me away unfortunately. Â Definitely full after this but we had to order the dessert. Man this dessert was so bomb. French toast with maple bacon ice cream?? Heaven. Seriously on a plate.
Overall it was a solid experience. Obviously the bar is set high as this is an Iron Chef establishment, so my critique will be a bit stronger as I did feel the entrees did leaving me wanting more and that there was nothing really special done with them. The appetizer and dessert were fantastic though and this coupled with the great service and the décor of the restaurant makes it a solid 4 star review for me. Will want to check out a few more of Symon's other restaurants too!
Oh, Lola. Outside of the incredibly pretentious crowd, this place was a fantastic visit during our weekend in Cleveland!
I had the lamb heart and oh-dear-God was it finger-licking delicious. Such a divine treat. I would order it again in a second. It's hard to describe the taste of it so I just recommend ordering it if you're ever in this restaurant.
We sat at the bar (well, duh) and chatted with the super awesome bartender. The place was packed and we didn't feel like waiting over an hour for a table. The interior is of modern decor with low lighting. The bar had lighting accents around it that gave it a very date vibe feel. If you're looking to impress yo' lady, I suggest you bring her here.
I know we ordered a bottle of wine that we didn't finish (I was too into my lamb heart. And my boyfriend's hanger steak). That's right, he ordered hanger steak. I hate to break it to the excellent chefs at Lola's, but Meat & Potatoes in Pittsburgh still has the best hanger steak I have ever had. Not to say the one at Lola's wasn't good. It was excellent, but only one place I've ever been to seems to actually get "rare" right when its asked for ...
Somehow I neglected to review one of my most favorite Cleveland dining experiences..so here it goes. I have been here on a couple occasions, for special occasions. I still remember things that I ate and I think that says a lot...especially if it's been a few months or more.
Michael Symon definitely does not disappoint. From impeccable service to the impeccable food, it's worth every penny and more. This food would have a major upcharge in major cities like NYC and Chicago!
I remember having the beef cheek pierogi..and wanting seconds. Moist, flavorful, saucy, and a million times better than my regular Mrs. T's! I guess it's not fair to compare the two, but I speak the truth.
I also remember having a raspberry pistachio macaron. Wow.
And the maple bacon...something. Wow again.
Also a unique thing about the service is that the menu is on an ipad- everything from apps to drinks is on there. For the type of restaurant this is, Michael could charge a heck of a lot more. Only in the humble city of Cleveland can you get food like that at such fair prices. Love love love!
Lola had a great atmosphere (dark and romantic), and fabulous service. Everyone was really nice and very accommodating. They had 5 star service for sure.
This might sound a little crazy: but get the lamb's heart. I was feeling particularly adventurous while I was there, but after giving it a try, it's not such an adventurous dish that anyone should be shy. It is prepared beautifully, and served sliced and mixed with veggies. It tastes and feels almost exactly like lamb kebab. It's delicious! We also had the beef-cheek pierogi, which were pretty good, and the pork chop was great.
My wife and I went to Cleveland for our 5th anniversary (would've never guessed I'd be spending my 5th anniversary in Cleveland, but whatever!) and made reservations at Lola. Our reservations were at 9:30, so we had time to bar hop around the area, which was easy because all of the bars we went to were right around Lola.
We both loved everything about this place. My favorite was the beef cheek pierogi appetizer. I had salmon, which was awesome. It's pricey, but that was expected going in. They also gave us complimentary cupcakes because it was our anniversary. We plan to go back the next time we're in Cleveland.
I figured by the time I got here, Michael Symon had stretched his empire a bit too far. Â I must say, though, I was impressed with the food.
I began things with the seared pork belly. Seriously, what meal doesn't go well when it starts with pig fat? Â A very creative preperation with crispy pigs ears included.
For my main course, I went with the hanger steak. Â It was a great preparation and served with Lola fries. Â Way too many fries (read: enough for the table) but they were crispy and paired with fresh rosemary for a superb flavoring.
The service was a bit odd. Â They have a "swarm method" where multiple people are covering. Â I was asked multiple times about my drink order which was a bit annoying.
Had dinner there yesterday. We were seated promptly, and the staff was very good.
The beef cheek pierogi were well prepared but a JUST a tad salty. The hangar steak was tender, flavorful and perfectly prepared. Â
Now to the halibut - sub par. It was not the freshest, not perfectly white, and was thin. Â I've had halibut in Alaska which was perfectly fresh and very white. The halibut at Lola could not compare. Even with the accompanying broth, it seemed dry.
Desserts were very good - especially the maple bacon ice cream served as part of the "6 am".
Going back for the double up review. Â I have only been to this place twice but it deserves a review each time. Â If you go here you need to shred your Weight Watcher point tracking systems. Â This man loves bacon, he loves fat and he loves butter so buckle on down and man up.
Appetizers:
Beef Cheek Pierogi - awesome. Â I have ate them both times and loved em. Â Think Gyoza meets pot roast.
Main Lobster - the creme fraiche alone sells this place but it is a lighter dish that reminds me a bit of a ceviche
Bone Marrow - alright so this one threw me for a loop a bit. Â The bone marrow comes deep friend. Â Yep, you heard me right... the Bone Marrow is deep friend. Â You can spread it on some toast and make it taste pretty good but it is an intense little bite.
Pork Belly - another awesome dish. Â I would highly recommend this one.
Entrees:
Wild Sturgeon - again you cannot go wrong with any of his fish dishes. Â I try to avoid red meat in general but I had a bite of the pork shop, pork shank and beef hanger steak to try them. Â The man doesn't make a bad dish.
Booze:
Martini and then you throw some sriracha in it... yep. Â Had three, went to a Cavs game, saw them loose and didn't care.
You guys.
I live in Cleveland, now.
I don't know why I'm using Yelp like it's my personal blog, but I felt the need to update this news SOMEWHERE, you know?
Anyway, it is fitting that I discuss my move from LA to SF to Cleveland in my review for Lola, because 1) Lolita is one of my favorite books! and 2) I was wined and dined here twice in one day before I moved to Cleveland (the first being lunch with the office I interviewed with and the second being dinner with my boyfriend's mom ahh I'm so old now).
To be honest, this was a few months ago, so I kind of forgot what I had for lunch, but it was good, probably. The duck somethingsomething I had for dinner, however, was fantastic. The waiter did such a good job selling us on said fantasticism that we all ordered the duck, so I have nothing else to say on that.
But really, why would I need to? Michael Symon seems to be hailed as one of Cleveland's food messiahs, this restaurant was featured on No Reservations, the prices are mostly reasonable and why would you not go?
First visit to this place, had the Oysters, bone marrow (best I've ever had) and Hangar Steak (very well prepared) and one of their barrel aged cocktails (wonderful). Â
Have been to another of his restaurants in Detroit, the decor in this spot is much, much better, as is the food. Â Looks a bit stuffy from the street as most of what you see at the bar are dudes in jackets and ties, but inside there's a much better, and more relaxed, collection of patrons, pricey, but worth checking out.
A night in Cleveland, the only place you should hit is Lola. After our coats were taken, we grabbed a few drinks at the bar. It was very romantic inside, a great place for a date and we were so excited to sit down and try the eats. Waiting for a table, Mr. Symon himself walked over to a group and shared some laughs. I think I am more chef struck than I am star struck, LOL!
At our table, we had a great view of the open kitchen to watch the madness. Bread and butter was offered, with fresh, whipped butter. Being in Cleveland, we had to try the beef cheek pierogi's. Two, dense pastry pillow filled with salty shredded beef and topped with mushrooms and creme fraiche. I didn't want this appetizer to end, it was that good! The soup du jour was a heirloom bean with fennel, pureed to perfection. We asked to share, so they brought us the soup in our own bowls! How nice that they paid attention to detail. The empty bowl was placed in front of us, with a garnish in the middle and then came the hot soup, poured fresh!
I wanted to try a local fish, since I'm from the West Coast, so I went with the Walleye. As a fresh water fish, I was impressed and it reminded me of Chilean Sea Bass. Also on the plate was a smoked potato puree, turnip and a few other garnishes. My date had the Smoked Hampshire Pork Chop. My GOD, this was a leaning TOWER of meat! There were like 3-4 chops stacked on top of each other, with a cheesy polenta underneath. The pork was very tender and had great flavor.
The only con were the Lola fries. I wasn't impressed with them this time around, because I had them at B Spot and they weren't as salty as these ones were!
We were more than satisfied with our meal and our server, we will most definitely come back when we are in town!
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
