Having A Nosh At Lolita

While I have eaten at all of the Michael Symon restaurants with the exception of Roast in Detroit, there has been one glaring omission from my reviews: Lolita Bistro. I have always been a big fan of the food at Lolita, but for some reason (and this might not necessarily be a bad thing) I just hadn't gotten around to reviewing the experience at Lolita until now. Lolita is like that friend that you haven't spoken to in six months and suddenly when the suggestion is made, everyone agrees that it is high time to catch up and see what is going on in each others' lives.

Being in Cleveland for an early afternoon movie, I found myself informally getting together with fellow food blogger and friend, Nancy, her husband Bob, and gastronome extraordinaire, Edsel. After finding streetside parking on West 10th in Tremont, I worked my way to the front door of Lolita, located at 900 Literary Road, Cleveland, OH 44113. They can also be reached at 216-771-5652. While valet parking was available, I have personally never used it and always managed to find a spot on the street with no more than a five minute walk.

Here was a photograph of the outside of Lolita:


Once inside, I was escorted to the table where Nancy and Bob had already been sat. I picked up a copy of their current menu and took two photos of the single page, top and bottom:



One thing I have consistently appreciated at all of the Michael Symon restaurants was the commitment to keeping the menu length sane. I'd rather have a small list of well-executed dishes from which to pick rather than a tome of mediocre-at-best entrées. Chef Symon seemed to understand this concept well and tonight's menu reflected that philosophy. When Edsel finally arrived, we decided to make up our meal tonight of shared items from the menu.

While we were deciding which appetizers and pizzas we wanted to share, our server dropped off some fresh French bread and dipping oil:


And the olive oil with some freshly cracked black pepper:


Being the bread lover that I am, I was happy to see Lolita serving absolutely fantastic French bread. It was crusty on the outside and still fresh and chewy on the inside. Paired up with the fruitiness of the olive oil and the spiciness from the pepper, it was an absolutely terrific way to begin the meal.

For our wave of appetizers, we started out the trio with one of my all-time favorites, the Crispy Chicken Livers served over a Creamy Polenta:


Had you told me as a child that one day I would crave chicken livers, I would've thought you completely nuts. The livers were battered and fried just until they were medium rare and while there was the tell-tale taste of liver, it was very controlled and not in the least bit objectionable. Paired with the earthiness of cooked mushrooms and the saltiness and smokiness from the bacon, these little nuggets of organ meat were heavenly. In true Michael Symon brilliance, pairing them with a soft polenta meant that you not only got a range of flavors with each bite, but also a range of textures.

Our second appetizer was the Chickpea Dip (also known as Hummos):


While the chickpea dip was soft and creamy, it didn't have a particularly strong flavor to it. The flatbread, however, more than made up for that fact after it had been sprinkled with cumin and coriander. Long after the chickpea dip was gone, the four of us ate the remaining flatbread plain, right off of the plate. This brought up an additional point: the ratio of flatbread to chickpea dip was WAY off. We probably could've used another cup of the dip to match the amount of bread that came out of the kitchen. That being said, the flatbread truly was delicious all on its own.

To round out of trio of appetizers, we finished up with the La Quercia "Acorn Edition II" Prosciutto board:


In addition to the prosciutto, the board came with a pear mustardo, toasted baguette slices, and some pickled fennel (which was on the opposite side of the board). The prosciutto itself was salty and fatty and a pure pleasure for this admitted carnivore to eat. While someone at the table claimed that they could taste the acorns, having never eaten an acorn myself, I'm not sure I had a reference point with which to compare. That being said, it was delicious; paired with the sweetness from the mustardo and the tartness from the fennel it made a wonderfully balanced bite of food.

Here was a shot of all three of our appetizers on my plate:


A little from columns A, B, and C ... Yum!

Appetizer plates now cleared, we prepared for the first of two pizzas. I have written before about Lolita when I ate at Bar Cento with my old friend Mike. While I certainly love the midwestern pizza sensibility that I grew up with here in northeast Ohio, I can't tell you how much I love a well-executed thin crust Neopolitan style pie. Between Bar Cento and Lolita, I simply cannot pick my favorite; it would be like picking your favorite child. People often think that toppings are the key to a good pizza. No, I say to you, gentle reader, it's the crust! Both Lolita and Bar Cento have managed to perfect a crust that is at the same time slightly charred, crispy on the exterior, and still chewy in the crumb. It is the perfect foil for whatever delicious toppings end up topping it.

For our first pizza (which the restaurant helpfully cut into four slices), we chose the homemade pork sausage with peppers:


A mixture of crumbled sausage, three colors of peppers, red sauce and cheese, this pizza seemed to cover all of the bases: sweet, tart, salty, and spicy. The sausage had just the right amount of chili kick to make my taste buds stand up and take notice. At the same time, the spice didn't overwhelm the other flavors on the pizza. This pizza would definitely appeal to those less adventurous eaters out there.

In contrast, the Duck Prosciutto Pizza definitely appealed to the adventurous foodie inside me:


Essentially a "white" pizza with thinly sliced duck prosciutto, Parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper, fresh rosemary and two freshly cracked and sunny side-up eggs, this pizza was all about the unctuousness of the fat from the duck and the egg yolks. That being said, the other flavors sang through beautifully and the prosciutto itself had a lovely clove spice to it that complimented the other flavors on the pizza. While having oozing egg yolks on a slice of pizza might seem strange to the uninitiated, I can assure you that it added a wonderful flavor and texture to an already outstanding pie.

To accompany our pizzas, we also decided to add two of Lolita's signature side dishes. First up was a dish I had yet to try, but about which had heard an awful lot of good press, the Fried Brussels Sprouts:


The Brussels sprouts had first been deep fried to give them their caramelized, crunchy exterior before being combined with capers, walnuts, and anchovies. Wait, wait, gentle reader! Before freaking out about the anchovies, know that no where in any of the multitudes of bites I took of this side dish did I detect a single fishy odor. The anchovy was used simply as a flavor enhancer, as a way to add depth to the finished dish. Even with the very strong salty and sour flavor from the dressing, the flavor of the Brussels sprouts never got lost. While I wouldn't say I was in love with this dish, I would definitely have this again given the chance.

My real infatuation would be with the Soft Creamy Polenta:


Made from ground local Ohio corn, this was a full serving of the flavor I had briefly flirted with in the crispy chicken livers earlier in our meal. With an intense combination of corn flavor and the creaminess that came from the loads of Mascarpone cheese used, this was unlike most polentas I've ever had in my life. While perhaps not-so-traditional in an Italian household, Lolita's version sent my eyes rolling back into my head and sent my mind reeling over how delicious it tasted.

We briefly flirted with the dessert menu, but in the end all of us decided that between our appetizers, pizzas, and sides, we were definitely fully sated. While my companions decided to try out a few of the specialty bottled beers that Lolita offered, I simply opted to go with water and as such, when we split the food portion of our check four ways, tonight's meal had only come to an incredibly reasonable $15 (minus tip and tax). Had we managed to each squeeze an entrée in as well tonight, that would've only been an addition $15 - $19. For the level of food we enjoyed tonight, I would definitely go out on a limb and say that Lolita offers excellent value for the dollar.

I began dining at Lolita roughly four years ago and I have always had excellent service; tonight was no exception. The food at its worst was good and at its best was outstanding. If you haven't been to this Tremont gem, I can't recommend them enough. If you haven't been back for a while like myself and my visit tonight, put a visit to this restaurant onto your list of things to do for the spring season; you won't be sorry you did.

Preview Of Palate Restaurant And Lounge

I generally make it my practice not to review newly opened or recently opened restaurants. Even with a seasoned chef, line cooks, and wait staff, every restaurant needs about a month or so to fine tune the experience so that it is more or less consistent for every guest. Unfortunately, by sticking to this rule, it doesn't give me the freedom to talk about new and promising restaurants that I think my readers might want to hear about and try for themselves.

Since rules are meant to be broken occasionally, today I decided to make an exception and attend a meal on the opening night of Palate Restaurant and Lounge. Headed by Chef Jeff Jarrett, formerly of North End Restaurant in Hudson, Ohio, I have been suitably impressed with his cuisine at other venues (such as Taste of Hudson 2010 and the first Dinner In The Dark) and I was eager to see what he and his team would put together with their very own place. Originally slated to open towards the beginning of December 2010, various permit delays pushed the actual opening date to the end of December instead.

Palate Restaurant and Lounge was located at 12214 Pearl Road, Strongsville, OH 44136 and can be reached at 440-238-8500. The restaurant was located in a small strip mall just off of Pearl Road and the easiest way to find them when driving down Pearl Road was to look for the cross street, Fall Water Road. Turn into the plaza at that intersection and follow the drive towards the back of the building. Parking was somewhat limited along the side of building, but there was a large lot behind the entire building which should supply ample parking.

Here was a shot of the front of the restaurant:


Tonight I decided to share my meal with three other friends, fellow food blogger Nancy, her husband Bob, and Flickr devotee Edsel. I want to reiterate that today's visit and subsequent write-up is a preview and not a typical review. While I went to the restaurant with the intent of paying for my food tonight (more on that at the end of the review), it would be unfair to any newly opened restaurant as well as to the reader to become too critical of the food and experience as it will ultimately get better and more consistent given a few more weeks. I plan on returning in several months for a more critical sampling of their menu.

[Ed. Note: The following pictures will look a little dark because the location of our table was in a VERY dark spot in the restaurant and I didn't use the flash on my camera (on purpose). I've actually lightened them slightly just to make them pop a little. I didn't want to over-lighten them because I wanted to give you a sense of what to expect when you go for a visit yourself.]

After being seated, we were handed Palate's brand new menu:


What I really liked about this menu (besides the fact that I could fit the entire thing into one photograph) was its elegant simplicity. I've seen so many restaurants who want to offer everything under the sun to their diners and the result is a menu that has no focus and no sense of identity. The other thing that surprised me was the sense of value the menu provided. All appetizers were between $5 and $8, salads between $4 and $7, and entrees between $13 and $20.

While we were honing in on our dining strategy tonight, fresh bread arrived at our table:


The bread was made in-house by the Sous Chef/Pastry Chef Lauren Stephenson. In addition to the fresh bread, softened butter was presented in two small ramekins:


The bread was warmed slightly, enough to allow the butter to gently melt right into the crumb. The bread also came in handy for getting that last bit of sauce or dressing off of the empty plates of food we would consume in the courses to come.

Since there were four of us dining tonight, we decided to split three of the appetizers. First off, we started with two of the Corn Flake Encrusted Crab Cakes:


These were priced per cake and we each ended up with half of a cake. The crab cakes came on a pool of apple butter and nestled on top of the cakes were small strands of candied hot pepper rings. I didn't manage to get any of the candied hot peppers until my very last bite, but when I did, wow was that ever good! One would think that hot peppers would overpower the delicate crab, but given Chef Jarrett's treatment, it remained as an accent flavor.

Our second appetizer was the Citrus-Cured Hamachi, Beets, Horseradish Cream, Pickled Red Onion dressed in a Lemon Basil Vinaigrette:


As with the crab cakes, the hamachi was ordered on a per piece basis and we decided to stick with two pieces here as well. The incredibly delicate flavor of hamachi (aka yellowtail) often has a slightly lemony and buttery flavor and even with all of the other ingredients on the plate, I never lost the taste of the hamachi. One of the hallmarks of Jeff's food is a profound sense of balance and this dish exemplified that fact.

Our final appetizer of the evening was the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Livers over Cheesy Polenta, Spiced Honey and Grilled Scallion Salad:


Ever since I discovered the fried chicken livers at Lolita many moons ago, I have been a complete sucker for a properly fried chicken liver. Tonight's version was crispy on the outside, creamy and tender on the inside and the cheesy polenta added a second layer of softness to each forkful I put into my mouth. While the plate pictured in the photograph above represented a single order, I could've greedily snarfed down the entire lot and not felt guilty at all.

Our appetizers out of the way, we next moved to the salad/soup course. I decided to order the Fried Goat Cheese Salad:


Two rounds of fresh chevre had been coated in bread crumbs and deep fried to a golden brown. I first came upon this sublime flavor at Moe's Restaurant in Cuyahoga Falls many, many years ago and there is just something about the crispy exterior combined with the soft, warm interior that makes this a perennial hit. Paired with the goat cheese rounds were roasted beets, apple, greens and a cranberry honey gastrique. Combining said ingredients on my fork and taking a subsequent bite resulted in a very happy foodie. This was one of the dishes that I used the aforementioned bread to make sure I sopped up every last bit of vinaigrette from the bottom of the dish.

Bob ended up ordering the Soup of the Moment:


I've included a shot of it here because Bob generously asked our server for four soup spoons so that we each could have a taste. Tonight's soup was Potato, Bacon, and Cheddar Cheese and besides being delicious, it was hearty and perfect for a cold winter's day like today.

Our second course now complete, it wasn't long before our entrees made their way to the table:


Tonight I decided to go with the Seared Scallops over Celery Root Puree, Apple Slaw, Gremolata, and Salsa Verde. The puree was super smooth and from the mouth feel, I deduced that it had been finished with either butter and/or cream. The scallops were seared to a golden brown crust on the outside and yet were still tender and translucent on the inside. The apple slaw added a nice textural contrast to the soft scallops and the gremolata and salsa verde brought a bright herbaceous sensibility to the dish. Before I knew it, I was staring down at a completely empty plate and found myself using more of the bread to sop up every last bit.

After clearing our table of finished plates and silverware, our server dropped off the dessert menu. The front of the menu had the desserts:


And the reverse had after dinner drinks:


Eager to try some of Lauren's $5 sweet treats, when I saw the Dark Chocolate Mousse, I knew I couldn't resist it's siren song:


A layer of Devil's Food cake was topped with two spheres of the velvety smooth dark chocolate mousse. Dried cherries were sprinkled on top and in a move that gave the dessert a somewhat "rabbit ears" quality to it, two Parmesan tuilles were inserted into the top. I tried each of the components of the dessert separately and then got down to the business of combining various flavors. Joining the umami and salty qualities of the Parmesan cheese with the sweetness and slight bitterness from the dark chocolate was an interesting idea. While pairing chocolate with cheese is a home run for some people, for me it didn't do much to elevate the dish. Of course, given that I nearly licked the bowl clean after reaching the bottom, clearly I had no complaints about the flavors.

At various points in our meal, Jeff, Lauren, and General Manager Chrisopher Von Alt stopped over to see how our meal was. In what came as a complete shock to all of us, when at last our table was completely cleared of plates and dishes, our server approached us to tell us that the meal had been comp'd by Chef Jarrett. We earnestly put up a protest, but she stood firm in her resolve. We at least insisted that we would need to know the check total so that we could tip her properly. Alcohol excluded, tonight's check for the four of us, with tax, came to $37.50 per person.

I was at first concerned that having the meal comp'd would compromise my ability to write about tonight's experience, but I quickly realized that a) this was a preview of the menu and b) my opinions had already been formed before finding out about Chef Jarrett's more-than-generous gift to us. Once the restaurant has had time to settle into itself, I will return for what hopefully amounts to a more anonymous critical analysis of the food (as much as is possible since much of the staff now knows what I look like).

In the meantime, I highly encourage you to check out this new addition to the Strongsville culinary scene. The food was innovative without being too "out there," the prices were completely in-line with the level of cuisine and the staff seemed knowledgeable and eager to make sure our dining experience was top notch. As the restaurant is brand new, I would recommend that you call for reservations just to make sure they have a table waiting for you when you go. With plans in early 2011 to add lunch service and a Sunday brunch, I look forward to many more good meals at Palate. Considering that they are only a thirty (30) minute drive from the Montrose area via the Turkpike, I definitely think it's a worthwhile trip. If you decide to try them out for yourself, shoot me an email or leave a comment and tell me about your experience.

Finally, I would encourage you to check out Nancy's blog post about her experience at Palate. In addition to joining Edsel and I for dinner tonight, she and Bob also attended a "Family and Friends" dinner the night before and has some added perspective that is definitely valuable.

Another Visit To L'Albatros

I was recently invited to join a group of other diners at the latest Cleveland Eats group of Meetup.com. The group schedules periodic dinner dates at some of Cleveland and Akron's newest and hottest restaurants. Tonight's dining destination? L'Albatros in University Circle. Having eaten there several times in the past, I was excited to return again to experience some of Zack Bruell's amazing country French fare.

Parking has always been a bit tight at L'Albatros. In the past there was a self-service machine at the front of the lot where you inserted cash or a credit card, paid for the number of hours you needed, and proceeded to walk into the restaurant. I don't know if that system has been replaced, but tonight there was a gentleman at the front entrance to the parking lot taking cash and doling out parking passes. Fortunately I managed to snap one of the few remaining spots available.

Here was a shot of the entrance to the restaurant:


Once inside, I was seated at the exact same table I've been at time and time again. Apparently there are only a few spots to put large parties. And as last time, the lighting inside the restaurant was extremely dim. In my last post, I had to pretty much discard all of my photos as they came out way too dark. This time, I had the advantage of having a flash camera. Fortunately, I sat at the end of the table where both food photographers were sitting, so we could minimize the exposure to others at the table.

As our entire party finally settled in for a much anticipated meal, one of the servers began doling out slices of French bread:


On its own, this was excellent bread, a sourdough version. Of course, I remarked about how good the bread tasted during my last visit, too. While there was softened butter for those who wished to partake, one additional condiment was present on the table that I hadn't seen before, a whole-grain, country-style Dijon mustard:


I thought that this was an even better condiment than the butter would have been. It was sweet, tart, spicy and salty all at the same time. And since the mustard seeds were only partially ground, they gave the spread a lovely texture that contrasted nicely with the bread.

Even though I had a flash camera tonight, menu shots are more or less pointless because of the physical size of the menu. Don't misunderstand, the menu was only a front and back side of a single piece of heavyweight paper. However, the physical dimensions on that piece of paper would've made photographs either incredibly hard to read or oddly disjointed. A better use of your time would be to check out the menu already posted on their website.

In the end, I decided to go with three tastes tonight. First, a salad from the daily specials. Second, a dish from one of their standard menu appetizers. Finally, an entree from one of their standard menu dishes.

Having given in to my relatively recent love affair with fresh roasted beets, once I heard that the daily salad special contained them, I was sold:


Consisting of a mixture of golden yellow and red beets, goat cheese, and arugula, this was simply dressed in a very light and slightly sweet champagne vinaigrette. Between the sweetness of the beets, the tanginess from the goat cheese, and the pepperiness from the arugula, this was quite the taste sensation. The leaves were perfectly dressed and by the time I reached the bottom of the plate, not an extra drop of dressing could be found.

For my appetizer course, the chicken liver and foie gras mousseline was simply calling my name:


Served with pickled red onion, cornichon and toasted bread slices, this was a sinful and unctuous way to celebrate liver. The mousseline was incredibly smooth, spreading easily on the toasted bread and delivering a mild liver flavor that literally melted in your mouth. Paired with the acidic onions and cornichon, this dish hit all the right spots on my tongue. I didn't ask my server, but I'm certain based on how light the mousseline tasted, it must have contained either whipped heavy cream or butter. Either way, it was decadent and delicious.

Finally, the main course. Having recently seen an episode of Bobby Flay's Throwdown series on moules frites (aka mussels and fries), I knew that once I saw it on the menu at L'Alabtros, I had to order it. Here was a shot of my entree tonight:


The mussels were sitting in a white wine and butter sauce with lots of fresh garlic. The frites were topped with a chili-spiced aioli that gave a mild, but successful "zing!" to each bite of the frites. The mussels themselves were perfectly cooked and very tender. The broth, while delicious, really needed something other than frites in order to soak up the amazing juice ... perhaps some nice crusty French bread. Sadly, by that point, the "bread guy" had stopped making his rounds at our table. The frites were decent enough, clearly they were homemade, but they just don't have that nice crispness to them that I really desire in a fried potato. That being said, they were consistent with other versions of frites that I've had in Cleveland.

While some of our group still had room for dessert, I needed to pay my check and leave a little earlier since it was a work night and I still had to drive back to Akron. Overall, I really enjoyed my return trip back to L'Albatros and I'm happy that Chef Bruell's vision of a French brasserie is enjoying continued success. I know I am looking forward to returning soon for another excellent meal. The casual, yet intimate feel of the dining room should appeal to diners who are looking for a romantic evening out or who might just be looking to be transported to a small countryside restaurant in the southern part of France.