(SEA) Tom's new restaurant

[jbonne]

we went last night with another couple, one of whom has spent plenty of time as a reviewer and food editor.

my completely first take impressions, based on the one (not terribly impressive) visit:

Food: ** 1/2

Service: * 1/2

Decor: **

(see the menu here.)

the spreads that open the menu were a disappointment. the skordalia was limp; the carrot-nettle puree lacked zing. at $3 for a ramekin-sized portion (not a large ramekin, either), i expect a pretty stunning take on Greek appetizers. in my old Queens neighborhood, i could have gotten far better and far more for about the same price. not the auspicious start i'd hoped for.

after that, things improved. the kabobs were perfectly cooked and delectable, especially the lamb tongue in a peach glaze. the tagines too: beautifully cooked goat with dates, and a succulent seafood mix in saffron broth that were standout entrees and perfect to share.

i especially like that Tom Douglas and Eric Tanaka chose a menu style that's more Palace Kitchen than Dahlia. the spreads, meze and kabobs on the left half of the menu are all small enough to be shared around a table and ordered by the threes and fours. the prices are too high for the portions, but that's not unusual anymore, and not as bad as many small-plate experiences elsewhere. no one should be paying $3 for a small dish of sliced pita, either, given the stingy few pieces that were served with our spreads.

there were some notable omissions from the Greek pantheon of dishes. no sign of orzo on the menu, though the roasted potatoes were delicious. a take on moussaka would have been nice, too.

the wine list is petite, but generally well-chosen. as with the other Douglas restaurants, there's plenty to enjoy by the glass -- like a Mission Hill pinot blanc. glasses are poured straight from the bottle at the table, and tastes are offered, another sign they're concerned with process. they serve Mountain Dome brut both by glass and bottle, which i always take as an auspicious sign. (we finished our meal with a bottle, instead of dessert.) a few Greek items hold true to the theme, though there's little in the way of a roadmap to guide diners through the arcane Greek varietals. i was certainly stumped.

which brings us to the real problem: service. our server managed to fall short on just about everything -- and i'm not even counting him spilling some rosé wine on my wrist, and then not offering me a napkin to mop it up. we were unquestionably a picky foursome, asking lots of detailed questions about the wine list and menu; some were answered just fine, others appeared to be stumpers. when serving things like Greek wine, i'd like something more than "it's really tannic," when describing a red.

we were lingering with the "family-style" menu, as it was described with us, and were subjected to endless checkbacks in our first half-hour. the only thing worse than the servers vanishing is when they're always hovering, pushing us to decide. it's hard to get four normal people to decide on dinner's worth of small items to share, much less four foodies -- one of whom shared a lengthy discourse on the relative intelligence of squids and octopi. and of course, when we actually were ready to order items, the server was nowhere to be found.

didn't spend any time in the bar, so i can't speak to the bartenders' talents.

the decor, while lovely, is an acoustic nightmare. the booths' fabric is, indeed, the only soft surface in there, and it hardly absorbs a peep. the rest -- hard floors, hard ceilings, big windows, allowed a packed house to reverberate almost deafeningly. it was hard to hear my dining companions. note that Palace Kitchen is similarly configured, but somehow the pillars there and the layout (and the high sides for the booths) help dampen the ambient noise level and make it feel cozier. eating at Lola vaguely resembles dining at Grand Central Station.

my companions concurred on pretty much every point, though at least one was even more bothered by the service than i was.

i'm likely to return to make my way through the rest of the menu, since the food was promising and often mouth-watering, but i'm not terribly enthusiastic overall. here's hoping i encounter some better servers -- and maybe some artfully placed sound-absorbing pillows.

[kieran]

Okay, got around to trying Lola last night. All four of us were a bit disappointed. Summary: little was really wrong, but little was really right. It was... okay.

We started with the spread sampler where we found quality to be mixed. We generally liked the creamy feta, the tsatsiki, and the eggplant, and we found we roasted red pepper and especially the carrot to be lackluster. The griddled pita was great -- too bad there wasn't nearly enough of it to go with the (not particularly generous) portions of spreads. Just charge me more and throw in more pita, for goodness sake (instead of making me order more later).

We moved on Jackie's Greek salad, dolmades, pork kebobs with harissa and honey, and mushroom kebobs. I liked the meze more than I liked the kebobs. I thought the dolmades were particularly good -- the hint of coriander worked well. The much vaunted Greek salad was good, the feta topping it was creamy and delicious, and it looked beautiful. For $9 I would have liked a little more of it. The pork kebobs were okay, but the mushroom kebobs were very disappointing. The mushrooms were very dry and not very flavorful.

For our main meal we shared the mixed seafood tagine and the roast rabbit, complemented by the horta (escarole and chard) and the fried garlic potatoes. Everyone agreed that the potatoes were superb and the mixed seafood tagine was also very good -- excellent seafood simply prepared. The horta was okay but not very interesting. Our group was split on the rabbit, with one person really liking it and the rest of us disappointed. I thought the rabbit itself was very dry, but the broth it was in was light and flavorful.

At the behest of one of our party we tried some of their house wine that is apparently made especially for them. Both white and red were drinkable but unremarkable, so I don't have much more to say about the wine. The wine list looked reasonably interesting.

For dessert we shared the doughnuts and the goat's milk pie. Doughnuts were okay and goat's milk pie was wonderful (but again, at $7 a pop it would have been nice to have a little bit more).

We didn't have the service problems that everyone else is talking about, although we did have a very long gap between our meze/kebob course and our main course. The place was way too noisy, as everyone has said.

All in all I thought it was okay, but for the same money we could have had a truly fabulous meal at several other places around town. I'd go along on group expeditions in the future, but otherwise I don't plan on returning any time soon. There are too many better places to eat.

[mamster]

Iris and I had breakfast at Lola a couple of days ago. I had the donuts, which were incredible. I've never had the Dahlia donuts, and I think these are the same, served with vanilla mascarpone and fresh preserves. I got cinnamon sugar on Iris's head. I wouldn't share any donuts with her, but today I fed her a large amount of Dahlia Bakery croissant. We also picked up some of that cornbread.

The Lola staff treated us like royalty. If you go, bring a baby.

[Coop]

Had a terrible breakfast there on Labour Day Saturday. Took 35 minutes to cook our food. We were the only people in the place. The service was brutal and all of our food was overcooked and cold. As soon as our order went into the kitchen I noticed one of the four staff preparing my wife's omlet then a short thirty minutes later it arrived. Nice.

[reesek]

we had very late dinner (11:30) there last week. it was packed - we waited at the bar for a few minutes before heading into the dining room. the bartender was nice, but not wildly knowledgable about wine.

it was late, and we weren't starving so we thought we'd stick to mezze - what we ordered was far too much food - some good, some kind of "eh." our waitress was fine...but didn't initially inspire confidence. she couldn't really tell us about portion sizes and when we asked for everything to be brought at once (not wanting to fill up on any one thing) she seemed a little flummoxed - though it worked out relatively well.

we ordered the eggplant spread - it was good, and i liked the pita, but wished it had been smokier. it was also very cold - like they'd moved to a new batch from the walk-in - i wished it had been at room temp.

next were the fried chick-peas with rosemary and sea-salt. addictive, delicious, and i bet damn easy to recreate at home.

we're flirting with meat so we ordered the lamb skewers and the braised octopus with pork belly. the lamb was ok...i agree with the comments about the overly sweet tomato and ...i don't know - maybe it's that i haven't had lamb in ages (it used to be a favorite) but i just wasn't very impressed. very gamey and not juicy at all. the bed of onions it came on was great though. it's a lot of food...3 big skewers - i wish i'd known that.

the hit of the meal was the octopus - absolutely delicious - but what the heck was that pork belly doing in there? it didn't add anything flavor-wise...i could have understood a smoky sausage - but the belly was fresh. the crisp bits were nice, but i just felt they clashed with the octopus. it can stand on it's own just fine...

also a huge portion.

way too full for dessert. we had 2 glasses of something red - it was not memorable, but not bad.

i do love small plate dining, but it's a challenge to get each restaurant's portion sizes down...a little reminiscent of clothes-shopping (where depending on the brand/store you could be one of 3 sizes).

lola didn't really do it for me. i have to confess though, that while i love palace kitchen, i'm not a major TD fan...i never think the food is as interesting as it could be - so take my words with a slab of pork belly.

[vengroff]

Had lunch there recently. Everything was fine, and the lamb in particular was tender and perfectly medium rare. Between Tom's name and the fact that there isn't a whole lot like it out here, I'm sure they will do quite well. But it made me yearn for the Turkish cafes along Upper St. in London where very much the same food is served for half the price.

[jbonne]

myself, i really dug the pork belly with the octopus, but the rest of it sounds about on par.

interestingly, i asked an acquaintance at another TD restaurant what the heck was up with the service at Lola. the acquaintance just shot a knowing look. sounds like there's some staffing woes afoot. based on a recent lunch at Tulio, i'd say Tom isn't the only one facing that problem.

[Mr. Lucky]

I have been to Lola's 3 times already and have a date to go there again at the end of the month to celebrate my spouse's birthday. Everyone I have taken there loves the food as much as I do. Each dish is unique to Seattle (and just about any other city in the US) and lives up to the Tom Douglas standard. The main dishes are amazing, the desserts are exceptional, and the cocktails are delish. Don't hesitate to pay a visit. I might add that I'm a 20+ year vegetarian and I found plenty to eat and am about ready to give up the mantle to try what looks to be some of the best, most savory meat dishes around. -Mr. Lucky

[Coop]

Mr. Lucky. You may not want to come off so positive about a place for your first post. Give up 20 years of vegetarianism to try the meat dishes? Some may ask the question "Do you work in the front of the house or in the kitchen?"

[ScorchedPalate]

Some may ask the question "Do you work in the front of the house or in the kitchen?"

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Indeed, that was my reaction -- especially given how this post contrasts so strongly with (many) other opinions from people who we all know.

~A

[Mr. Lucky]

I have been to Lola's 3 times already and have a date to go there again at the end of the month to celebrate my spouse's birthday. Everyone I have taken there loves the food as much as I do. Each dish is unique to Seattle (and just about any other city in the US) and lives up to the Tom Douglas standard. The main dishes are amazing, the desserts are exceptional, and the cocktails are delish. Don't hesitate to pay a visit. I might add that I'm a 20+ year vegetarian and I found plenty to eat and am about ready to give up the mantle to try what looks to be some of the best, most savory meat dishes around. -Mr. Lucky

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I do not work at any restaurant in town nor have I been invovled in the food industry as anythig but an "eater" since 1985 in which I worked at an espresso shop long before the word barista even exited. (We were called coffee jerks). I made the post as I felt it was relevant. The reason it differs so much from others' posts is it's a reflection of my opinion and not theirs. I didn't feel the need to temper my enthusiasm as I have loved everything I've tried there. Maybe I've just been lucky! (Thus, the name).

[Coop]

Great reply Mr Lucky. I hope you post many a time in the future. My possee (2 couples of over fed Vancouverites) spent the labour day weekend in the Andra. We found ourselves in Lola daily. I enjoyed drinking and eating at the bar, however the experience we had in Lola's for breakfast was unbelievably bad. It probably seemd worse due to our 7 bottles of wine (over the course of the day) hangover.

BTW the rooms in the Andra are very cozy.

Edited September 15, 2004 by Coop (log)

[LaurieA-B]

Could we start over with "Welcome, Mr. Lucky. Thanks for sharing your experience"?

Nancy Leson gave a rave review in the Times; I was a little surprised, since opinions here were so mixed. So Mr. Lucky's not the only one who loves Lola.

Matthew's been raving about those doughnuts, so I want to get there for breakfast some time. The dessert menu offers doughnuts with honey syrup, which I can't imagine is as good as with fruit and mascarpone.

[MsRamsey]

I've twice had an excellent breakfast at Lola, and very friendly service.

[malarkey]

Matthew's been raving about those doughnuts, so I want to get there for breakfast some time. The dessert menu offers doughnuts with honey syrup, which I can't imagine is as good as with fruit and mascarpone.

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ohhhhh but they are... they are.... Well, in reality, its probably a toss-up. But I adored the honey-syrup doughnuts. Edited September 15, 2004 by malarkey (log)

[LaurieA-B]

ohhhhh but they are... they are.... Well, in reality, its probably a toss-up. But I adored the honey-syrup doughnuts.

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Okay, I'll try them both ways.

[Coop]

If I came across as in-hospitable I apologise, just thought it was a little too glowing. I would have thought that way even if I loved the place.

[jbonne]

Nancy Leson gave a rave review in the Times; I was a little surprised, since opinions here were so mixed. So Mr. Lucky's not the only one who loves Lola.

true, though i thought Nancy Leson must've been huffing glue when she wrote that. seemed an unwarrantedly upbeat review, given she detected at least some of the problems i noticed. weird.

now i wonder whether breakfast is Lola's forte, or whether the casual expectations for a breakfast meal -- and the abundance of baked goods -- helps them clear the bar a bit better than they might for other meals.

sorta like how Coastal Kitchen (and its brethren) usually dials in a decent brunch, yet it's been years since i enjoyed one of their dinner menus. even their chef salad sorta fell off the hobby horse a couple years ago.

everyone has different expectations about where they eat and what they expect. (that's the only reason New York's Nobu can still bank on its name. eight letter word starting with T and ending with "ists.") if the world shared my pickiness about dining establishments, 90 percent of the restaurants out there would be out of business.

[Coop]

I think the responsibility of a hotel restaurant can be daunting. you need to be all things at all times. Perhaps when we experienced such bad service, they were in the middle of a room service rush. I am sure the hotel was full, for the price ($189.00 for a suite) it's the best place in town. My geuss is that some of the staff at breakfast on a Saturday may not be your first team. Kind of like the practice squad.

[Mr. Lucky]

BTW the rooms in the Andra are very cozy.

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[little ms foodie]

BTW the rooms in the Andra are very cozy.

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Our celebration includes a stay at the Andra so I'm pleased to hear that it's cozy. It sounds like skipping breakfast wouldn't be a bad idea thogh.

Thank you all for the kind welcome. I'm sure I'll continue to post as I've never been accused of lacking an opinion! I love food and, despite my original rave, quick to point out anything less than stellar. I'm more offended by mediocre food than by outright bad food.

-ML

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[jbonne]

diverging slightly from the food/service issues, wondering if anyone knows what's up with this:

Three months ago, Miss Leach, a spring graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., landed a job in the kitchen at Lola's, a new Greek restaurant in downtown Seattle. "She was so excited to get started in her field," her father said. 

About two weeks ago she fell ill with what seemed to be typical flulike symptoms, and she was hospitalized when her condition quickly worsened. She died at University of Washington Medical Center last Wednesday (Sept. 8) of heart failure, believed to have been caused by an undetermined virus. 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/obit...achobit15m.html

[jbonne]

Perhaps when we experienced such bad service, they were in the middle of a room service rush.

do they handle room service for the Andra? that'd be one big step above what i've come to accept for room service.

[Coop]

The story of the student passing from the virus is every parents greatest fear. As the father of two teen boys, I have great sympathy for her family.

[malarkey]

diverging slightly from the food/service issues, wondering if anyone knows what's up with this:

Three months ago, Miss Leach, a spring graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., landed a job in the kitchen at Lola's, a new Greek restaurant in downtown Seattle. "She was so excited to get started in her field," her father said. 

About two weeks ago she fell ill with what seemed to be typical flulike symptoms, and she was hospitalized when her condition quickly worsened. She died at University of Washington Medical Center last Wednesday (Sept. 8) of heart failure, believed to have been caused by an undetermined virus. 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/obit...achobit15m.html

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oh my god that's terribly sad.