Restaurant Recommendation: Lolita (Cleveland, Ohio)
I am by no means a restaurant connoisseur. I don’t regularly go out to really fancy or well reviewed establishments which is why I stopped short of calling this post a review. But let me tell you, Lolita’s in Tremont is an absolute delight in every way. Anyone in the greater Cleveland area who isn’t familiar with it (which, I confess, are few) should absolutely check it out.
As a disclaimer I will say this: I’ve only been to this restaurant a single time. I walked in with my girlfriend and walked out with my new fiancée, so any hysterical raving should be taken with a grain of salt, I suppose. But I would be remissed if I didn’t write a short something about it.
Lolita is one of the two eateries in Cleveland helmed by Iron Chef and recent Beard Award winner Michael Symon. The other is the swankier and much more expensive Symon flagship, Lola – hopefully I can get there sometime in the future, as well. This guy is pretty much world renown for his culinary skills, so right away we knew we were in for a treat.
I called for reservations the day of at about 3 PM and booked my table for the earliest available time which was 9 PM. It was later than I wanted, but at such short notice, I didn’t complain. Once we got there everything was great. The atmosphere was absolutely perfect – quiet, but not awkward. The lights are dimmed to create a nice relaxed atmosphere, and the service was superb without making you feel like the servers were always breathing down your neck. I ordered one drink (the Great Lakes Brewery thoroughbred Dortmunder Gold – $4) while my then girlfriend Katie, opted for water. We ordered as follows:
Me: Hanger Steak - chickpeas, skordalia and pickled chilis. Side: roasted potatoes ($18)
Katie: Pork Chop – squash puree, apples, watercress. Side: roasted potatoes ($17)
I will go into no further detail except to say we were both absolutely thrilled with the food. I ordered my steak medium rare, and was served perfectly as such. Being pretty picky, I even loved the chickpeas that it was served with. Katie also loved her pork chop, and with squash being one of her favorite foods, really enjoyed the puree. The roasted potatoes that we both chose as our sides were excellent as well. It cannot be overstated: the food was, in no uncertain terms, fantastic.
In all, we were more than satisfied – great food and a reasonable price ($43 pre-tip). Anyone in the area should absolutely go. Michael Symon is a local guy and believes in Cleveland enough to put two great restaurants in it. Support the city when you can.
As each post should have picture, I’ve posted a shot of me and my fiancée shortly afterwards in front of the entrance.
We were happy.
Website: http://lolabistro.com/