Sooner or later I knew I would make it to Lola and I did just that the next night after Hodge's. I made a reservation for one and the best time was 8pm. Lola is located on E. 4th Street in Downtown Cleveland, which is known for its restaurants and entertainment. Lola is owned by popular Iron Chef Michael Symon and the reason for my dedication in wanting to check it out. And I was not disappointed.
I started with the beef cheek pierog, which was served with a sauce drizzle made with wild mushrooms, horseradish and creme fraiche. I’ve never had pierogi before and I will most definitely have it again. The richness from the beef cheeks was nicely balanced with the earthiness of the mushroom sauce.
My entree was the scallops with sweet potato, bacon and a little bit of mustard. The scallops were tender and perfectly cooked. It was also a good portion size…so much so that I had dessert.
As soon as I saw strawberry rhubarb on the menu I knew I had to have it. To be honest I’ve never had strawberry rhubarb, but see it all the time either in movies or as a yogurt flavor so I knew this would be a good place to have it. When I tried the individual pieces of the dish, I wasn’t impressed. However, once I made that perfect bite, it was heavenly. It was made with ricotta, clementines, rhubarb, consommé and a pink peppercorn meringue. Absolutely delicious.
If you ever find yourself in Cleveland, make reservations and plan on going to Lola. It’s an experience that’s worth the trip.