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| - First time at Lola, first time in Cleveland, actually. Although the place has been extensively reviewed, I thought I would add a couple of items. Had an 8:30 reservation so the place was hoppin', but not uncomfortably so. Was seated pretty quickly - the bar surface was gorgeous - looked like a backlit quartz. Nicely visible wine selection behind the bar in a glass enclosure. Saw a couple of selections of Opus and I think a First Growth or so.
Lucked out with a banquette, which made us feel a bit like Judge Judy as it was elevated above the main dining floor. Oh, an observation about the wine service. Looks like they encouraged decanting, which is definitely sexy, but the selections on the tables I saw didn't merit decanting. Didn't see a single bottle that would be throwing sediment, so I guess that's just a showmanship thing.
We had a bunch of appetizers as I get a good feel for the shop with a number of plates. The pork chop was simply epic. Probably the best I have ever had. Moist and just lightly smoked. Wonderful. The perogies were as advertised in other reviews. Yummy - my companion thought they should have been a bit more al dente. Also had the crispy pigs ears; having lived in Asia, they were not "gross" to me but I can see they can be a bit off-putting for the meat and potato crowd. Fries were nothing to write home about. The duck fat fries at Hot Doug's in Chicago are much better.
Now for the one part that made us go "hmmmm". The marrow plate. Marrow was extracted from the bone and prolly crisped up in the salamander, or maybe fried. BUT, the server did not explain the wide variety of accompaniments and how to construct a bite. That was disappointing. For all the fanfare, I think it would be a challenge to a novice who had never tried the stuff before. I love marrow, but I was baffled with the lack of explanation. Coulda used more toast and perhaps a variety of bread as well.
Had the sesame ganache thingie for dessert. Yawn. All in all, though, a great dining experience and a delight to see in Cleveland.
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