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Loving Life at Lola's

Lola's is located at 3312 Esplanade Avenue, New Orleans, 488-6946

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It is a rare, yet completely under-appreciated, feeling that can sneak up on you and make your week and maybe even your month. It's a mixture of fulfillment and sublime pleasure that resonates through your heart (along with your stomach.) Of course the feeling I'm talking about is when you leave a great restaurant, especially one priced right, and it almost seems like you got away with something bad, because it felt so good. Now while this week's restaurant is not a newcomer on the city's culinary scene, I felt as if I had uncovered a buried treasure that I didn't want to share with anyone. But like all great explorers, I felt it was my duty let y'all in on this one (and if you've already been, make some time for a repeat visit.) The restaurant I'm talking about is Lola's on Esplanade.

Atmosphere:
Lola's is a quirky one-room place right in the heart of Faubourg St. John. The place is brimming with activity and the vibrant colors from its many New Orleans-themed artworks. Now before I spend the next two pages or so going off on the marvelous-ness that is Lola's, I have to warn you about the one drawback, the wait. Now my podna and I got lucky, because we only had to wait around ten minutes or so (the advantage of having only two in your party). However, I noticed a party of six that was there before we arrived and had to wait at least until halfway through our meal to get seated. So beware if you go with a posse, because Lola's minute dining room is not prepared to handle too many large groups, rather it is best suited for four-tops at best. Anyway back to the atmosphere. The din of conversation at Lola's gives the place its life, but believe it or not, all of the loud talk is not too overwhelming. My podna noticed that because it was so boisterous, you could easily hold a quiet conversation without fear of being overheard. Oh yeah, by the way, Lola's is a B.Y.O.B. joint, so make sure you come prepared. I've heard it can make the wait a little easier.

Service:
The service at Lola's echoed the feel of the restaurant, high energy, fun and very cool. Our waitress filled us in on all of the menu's idiosyncrasies and answered all of our questions on their elaborate fare. Finally, the best part about Lola's service had to be the pacing on our dishes. Faithful readers know how much of a sticking point this is and never have I had it better than here. Every time I finished a dish and began to think about the next, it seemed to magically appear at my elbow, piping hot, and good to go. It really was that good.

Appetizers:
For starters at Lola's my running partner and I decided to try something a little different and go with an appetizer, a soup, and a salad. First up were the steamed mussels. Now Lola's version was a little different than the ordinary mussels you run across: they were served on the half shell and cooled in what tasted like garlic vinaigrette. I gotta say I really enjoyed them on the half shell because honestly, I sometimes have trouble with those little buggers when I have to dig them out of the shell. Anyway, the tangy vinaigrette tartly accentuated the rich flavor of the plump mussels and it gave 'em a nice little zip.

Next up was the calamari salad, which had to be the surprise dish of the night. This thing was amazing. First of all, it was a whole heck of a lot bigger than I expected, taking up a small platter rather than a dinner salad plate. And the taste? Ahhh, this thing was filled with more flavor than Baskin Robbins. The fresh greens were covered in a wonderful mix of onions, tomatoes, cilantro, Calamata olives and grilled calamari. Everything just tasted so fresh and eye opening. But wait, there's more. I'm gonna say this right now with no doubt in my stomach whatsoever, the salad dressing that comes with this is the best ever made. Creamy, spicy, not too thick and not too runny, it is the perfectly designed food because it entices every type of taste bud you have. And believe me, as much as I'm gushing about this, I'm not doing it any justice. Make sure you try it when you go.

The final appetizer we tackled was the Fabada. This spicy white bean and sausage soup was filled with a rich, almost gumbo-like heat that gave it a great consistency and flavor. And now that the weather is finally cooling down (for the whole two weeks we call winter), the soup is a perfect remedy for those bones chilled by the 50-degree temps.

Entrees:
We could have easily left after such an amazing, and filling first round, but my podna and I are true gustatory soldiers and needless to say, we ordered on. If you've heard anything about Lola's, it's probably been about the paella. Their version of the traditional Spanish dish, which consists of rice, various types of seafood or land meats (Man that sounds weird, but it's the best way I could think to group together chicken, beef, and pork. I'll gladly take any other suggestions) tomatoes, bell peppers and onions, is quite delicious. My running partner went with the seafood paella. His massive serving for one (I can't imagine how big the serving for two was) was loaded with copious amounts of fish, shrimp, mussels, and calamari, all prepared perfectly and blended well with the juicy, ripe tomatoes and sticky saffron rice.

For my main course I went with the Ruby Red Rainbow Trout. Now being homegrown in the Crescent City, when I saw "Idaho" trout on the menu, I must admit I bristled a bit. But once I sunk into that flaky, yet firm, first bite, I began to see what Yankee fishin' was good for. This giant trout was so good it tasted like salmon, and to top it all off, it came with a side of that divine dressing. And when you added just a pinch, it unlocked flavors that I almost wasn't prepared for. Seriously, the best way for me to let y'all know how good this was is this: it took me almost 20 minutes just to finish it. Now I know that may not seem like a long time to the ordinary diner, but I usually eat things like they're going out of style, so to take my time is the ultimate compliment.

Desserts:
With such high standards for the first two rounds, I didn't expect the desserts to live up to the entrees and appetizers, but they did. The almond nougat ice cream that I had was thick and creamy, served with a dollop of whipped cream on the top that sealed the deal. The ice cream came in a old-style sundae glass filled to the rim with this frozen delicacy. Granted, just a little touch, but it's one of the cool extras that sets Lola's apart.

My running partner went with one of his favorites, the flan. The thick, sweet caramel, whiskey sauce that covered this warm treat was the perfect foil to the cold creamy ice cream. If y'all are up to it, order 'em both for a knockout finish.

Price:
After that star-studded lineup of dishes, my running partner and I were expecting a hefty bill. Not that we minded forking out the dough for food this good, but we still expected some sticker shock. Boy, were we wrong. The entrees run from $8-$18, but the portion sizes easily outmatched what they charged, especially for the bountiful paella. Let me just put it like this, for all of that food we ran through, the bill came out at just over $50. Now if you can find a deal like that with knockout food, like this, please, I'm beggin' you, let me know.

Overall:
If you can't tell already, I loved this place. From the décor to the delivery, from the calamari salad to the creamy flan, everything in Lola's has a unique style and zest that brings something special to the table. This place is the epitome of a New Orleans neighborhood restaurant that reflects the many different styles of its locale, yet brings in some new ones to spice things up. If I could get in, I would go once a day, every day, and twice on Sunday. Take a friend, take a date, or if you've got the time, take your family, everyone will find something to love at a place that's brimming with cool.

Lola's gets a 4 out of 4 on the belt scale (and if I had more to give, I would.)

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