. . . "0"^^ . "2010-06-14T00:00:00"^^ . "0"^^ . "5"^^ . "Loving all things Food Network, I was pretty excited about going to Michael Symon's most popular restaurant. I think even DH was excited over this one!! You know that one hit movie that comes out, the one that everyone loves and talks about it to no end until you finally go see it and somewhere in the back of your mind you keep waiting for it to blow you away, only it doesn't? Thankfully, that's *not* what happened at Lola. :) It did, in fact, live up to the hype, I'm so happy to say!! We were seated promptly at the time of our reservation. The first table we were seated at was extremely close to the group of 4 next to it, so we asked for a more private table, which was gladly given. Our waiter was very down to earth and had worked with Michael Symon for a long time. In fact he referred to him as Mike several times and said that before Food Network he was simply Mike. I loved the vibe of the place - sleek and sophisticated without trying too hard. The noise level was good, and the open kitchen was perfect for the setting - although we weren't close enough to actually see a lot of what was happening. We decided to split an appetizer - and we opted for the Berkshire bacon. The waiter was kind enough to split it so it came out on two dishes. It was heavenly and the salad that came on top of it was the perfect blend of crunch and citrus. I seriously wanted to lick the sauce from the plate. I love scallops and ordered those with a side of grilled aspargus. Without a doubt, the best scallops ever. The sear was perfect. The soy broth excellent, the salad atop the scallops the perfect contrast of crunch. The asparagus was grilled perfectly and DH kept saying just one more as he would steal it off of the plate. DH opted for the pork chop (which he loved and a few times I was afraid he was going to pick up the bone and start gnawing it) and a side of the Lola fries. Which I fell in love with. They were my dessert. I couldn't stop eating them. Although I was looking forward to the 6 am special, I seriously could not eat another bite. The only down side was our waiter. At first I thought he was simply one who doesn't hover or come on too strong, but when I went about 15 minutes with an empty drink glass I was slightly disappointed. Why was this meal amazing? The scallops (perfect), the feel - not pretentious in the least. It really gives you an idea of who Michael Symon is. I see now why Clevelanders are so proud of him, as they should be."^^ . "1"^^ .