Date Night Dinner at Lola’s

I’m back home and settled in Tampa.  Boo!  This weekend flew by.  And seriously, how is it mid-January already?

In an effort to relive part of my weekend, I’m going to do a little restaurant review.  On Friday night, Vishnu and I dressed up and headed to Lola’s on Harrison in Hollywood, FL.  A few people had told him that Lola’s was a fantastic restaurant with delicious, seasonal food.

We each started off with a drink – Riesling for me and a ginger and cardamom cocktail for Vishnu.  Vishnu’s drink was amazing – sweet (because of the sugarcane rum) with a hint of spicy.

Bread was also served.

So here’s the thing with the bread.  A man came by and gave both of us a piece of bread.  And then he walked away and never came back.  I wasn’t really looking to eat multiple pieces, but I found it odd that he didn’t leave the basket with us. 

Anyways, the bread was good but nothing extraordinary – light, slightly chewy and warm.

Next came our entrees.

I ordered the Ricotta Gnocchi, made with ricotta cheese, wild mushroom cream sauce, shaved ricotta salata, and white truffle oil.  I was really impressed with the gnocchi as it was incredibly soft and pillowy.  Melt in your mouth delicious!  The sauce was also really tasty and different.  I was afraid it would be too rich, but it really worked well with the rest of the dish.

Vishnu (surprisingly) went with a vegetarian dish for his entrée.  I think it was so he could share a little with me!  Regardless, he really liked his Coca Cola BBQ Portabella Mushroom served with buttermilk onion rings and herb cream corn.  The BBQ sauce was tangy with a bit of Coke sweetness and the onion rings were lightly battered and not too oily.  The only issue I had with this dish was the portion size.  Even though it looks like a lot of food, it honestly wasn’t.  That’s why I shared quite a bit of my gnocchi with Vishnu.

And no meal out is complete without dessert, right?!

That, my friends, would be heaven in a bowl.  We actually weren’t planning on getting dessert, but when our waiter told us about this chocolate truffle cake with java chip ice cream, we were sold.  The truffle filling stole the show.  It was rich, slightly bitter, and delicious with the ice cream.  I’m seriously drooling right now just thinking about it!

Overall, we were both happy with our dining experience at Lola’s.  Our waiter was very knowledgeable, patient, and helpful.  The ambiance was cozy.  And I loved the fact that there was a separate vegetarian and gluten free menu.  I love it when restaurants cater to non-meat eaters!

What’s your favorite kind of dessert?  I love anything with chocolate in it (duh)!