THE PLACE: We were thrilled to get a reservation at Lola’s, one of the somewhat under-the-radar restaurants that made its way onto NY Times’ Top 100 Restaurant list of last year. It’s not as buzzy as others, but for those in the know, it’s pretty popular. We sat at the chef’s counter and it reminded us of going out to really good, low key, unpretentious neighborhood restaurants a decade or so ago before the NY dining scene got overwhelming to deal with (for many reasons). This is an elevated restaurant without being stuffy or too fancy. The food from Chef Suzanne Cupps is a playful meshing of Southern and Asian cooking, which reflects the chef’s heritage and upbringing.
THE DISH: Vegetables are the star of many of the dishes, including the playful Union Square Bento box with three seasonal vegetables dressed up in surprising ways. The gluten free fried chicken served with homemade pickles and fermented hot honey has a Filipino-flair and is a great thing to share. What really blew me away though was the other main vegetarian dish, the Carolina Gold Rice Grit Cakes. This was an atypical order for us, but in retrospect, I couldn’t imagine missing it. Two crunchy, creamy rice grit cakes ate like hash browns alongside a menagerie of other vegetables (candied carrots, charred cauliflower steaks, tangy radish). It was all held up by a complex Japanese curry that was easily wiped clean off the plate. We left on a high thanks to both the clean, innovative cooking and the comfortable, welcoming atmosphere. We can’t wait to go back. Price: $34
| LOLA’S |
| 2 West 28th Street (between Fifth Avenue and Broadway), Flatiron District (646) 941-4787 |
| lolasnyc.com |
