On Saturday night, we went to Lolita with a group of our friends. The restaurant was packed. It was nice to see such a big crowd from the time we got there until we left.
We sat in the main dining room, which I haven’t sat in for quite some time. We usually sit at the bar or by the window. I forgot how much I like the dining room – it really is a beautiful space. Trendy and chic, but in a warm and inviting kind of way. While the boys talked sports, the girls caught up, shared a lot of laughs and took over the menu by ordering a bunch of appetizers, including: Berkshire prosciutto, heirloom tomatoes with olives and fresh mozzarella, almond and garlic dip with rosemary and sea salt flatbread, roasted dates with almonds and pancetta and roasted chicken wings with cilantro and lime (this I didn’t try). The appetizers were fantastic. The dates, though small, were packed with flavor. Sweet, but not overbearing. Very satisfying. The prosciutto, perhaps my favorite, was simply delicious and not too salty. And the tomatoes were among the best I’ve had in a long time. I was really impressed with all our choices.
For dinner, I had the bucatini with pancetta, chiles and tomatoes. My husband had the pizza with duck egg and prosciutto; we swapped halfway through. I have heard a lot of great things about the Neapolitan pizza, the special new oven and all the training involved so I was eager to try it for myself. I wasn’t disappointed. It’s simple, but in a good way. Which I think is what they are going for. The crust was very thin and crispy – even a bit chewy. Ever since I had the one pizza with egg at Otto in NYC, I’ve been waiting to have a similar pizza here. I love the yolk blended with all the other flavors. It was a good dish and I look forward to trying the other options. As for my pasta, I’m sorry to admit I wasn’t impressed. The bucatini itself and the tomatoes were good, and if that was all I was expecting it would be a satisfying meal. But I was hoping for a cross between the bucatini at Baricelli and the former Battuto – or at least to taste the pancetta. If there was pancetta in this dish, I couldn’t tell. I also didn’t taste any of the heat from the chili. But, the majority of the meal was flavor-filled and simply delicious and the company was perfect, so it was a great evening. Next time I go though, I have to start writing down the wine. I have a terrible memory when it comes to this and can never remember what I order. I had three glasses of red; one from the bar when we got there and the next two were the server’s choice. I really enjoy full-bodied red wines that are a bit on the dry side. The server, who was great all night by the way, made a perfect selection. I just wish I knew what it was so I could look for it at the store, and order it next time I’m in.
I do plan on getting to Wonder Bar - it's been on my list for awhile. I enjoy Michael's blog and his contributions to this blog very much. The menu sounds delicious and it is in a great area. We're getting into the busy season for restaurants before the big post-holiday slowdown first quarter. So hopefully this will draw a lot of people into discover the beauty of small plates.
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