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| - After years of being a Food Network nerd, I definitely wanted to make sure to get to one of Michael Symon's restaurants while we were in Cleveland. You never quite know what to expect, but in my opinion Lolita lived up to the hype.
The space itself isn't as big as I expected, but I really liked the decor, and the open kitchen layout is great. It was a bit loud, but not to the point you couldn't carry on a conversation. There didn't seem to be much of a dress code-- the servers are fairly casual, and we saw other diners there in everything from shorts to suits on a Wednesday evening. Our server was great-- he had helpful recommendations about both food and drinks, as well as excellent timing; we never felt ignored or rushed.
The menu is "meat-centric," to say the least, so vegetarians and vegans beware. Several of the appetizers were out of my comfort zone; maybe I'm a wuss, but I couldn't bring myself to order crispy pig ears or bone marrow. That said, I think most omnivores could find things to be pleased with. We ordered:
--ceviche appetizer: not a large portion, but delicious. The citrus and shoyu combined very well and it had just the right amount of jalapeƱos.
--hanger steak: my husband had this and I got to try a bite-- it was excellent, and we both loved the blue cheese sauce. He said his side of potatoes was delicious as well.
--carrot agnolotti: this was a great pasta dish! the carrots had just the right amount of sweetness. I'd never had rabbit before but actually really enjoyed the flavor. My only complaint would be that I found several small bones in the rabbit; having never had rabbit, this may be totally normal, so I'm not knocking them for it.
--drinks: I had a cocktail that I don't see on their online menu, but really enjoyed, and my husband had the "apiary" and liked. They also had a good selection of wines by the glass.
--dessert: we shared a dark chocolate panna cotta and really enjoyed.
I'm impressed, Cleveland.
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