Lolita
Erin and I made a specific stop in Tremont outside of Cleveland this weekend to eat at Lolita. I called and made us 5:30 reservations, it was the only time that was available and seemed to fit into our schedule. We arrived in Tremont with barely enough time to park and walk to the restaurant.
The meal was fantastic. We started with a ginger cocktail and a beets & ricotta appetizer that blew us away. Beets and orange zest and cheese. fantastic. The cocktail was gingery and not too sweet. I wanted two more, but I had to drive.
Erin got a mushroom pizza with arugula, rosemary and robiola cheese. The robiola has a funky smell but the pizza was deelicious. My entre was the pork chop with creamy polenta, bacon, and some wilted greens that I forget. This was the best pork chop of my life. It was huge and perfectly cooked. I also received a side of brussel sprouts that were also fantastic. One thing I noticed was that all of our food had a char on it. The sprouts, pizza, and pork chop all had that bitter burnt char to them. Having said that, though, the flavors were awesomely balanced with other elements.
The price kinda blew me away. Even with all that perfectly prepared food, our meal was under $50. This explains why the place was packed at 5:30.
Now, a few weeks ago for Detroit Restaurant Week, Erin and I ate at Roast. Perhaps it was because of a poor menu choice, but I wasn’t very happy with my meal at Roast. I ordered the ‘beast of the day’, and ended up with just a plate full of pork. Now, I like meat as much as the next guy, but I can’t really get excited about a pile of pork, no matter how perfectly cooked it is. I feel like my waitress should have given me a heads up.
I was definitely happier with my experience at Lolita. I look forward to trying it again, or maybe even securing a reservation at Lola. From our experience in Tremont, I’m excited to check out more of Cleveland.