Monday, January 08, 2007

Restaurant Review: Lola's

Lola's Steak Bistro, 2070 Yonge Street (just south of Eglinton)


The signage out front says “Hot steaks and sexy wines,” and this place looked so cute that we just had to try it. Be glad we did, because now you won’t have to.
Inside the small bistro-inspired space, which is indeed cute and cozy, we were greeted by less-than-enthusiastic staff. The waiter was downright surly. The wine list was interesting but very small, considering they advertise wine as a prominent feature. Also, there were no glasses to be bought for under eleven dollars – simply too high for such selections as there were.
Service was very slow, inspiring other tables to abandon their main courses in favour of a movie showtime.
For starters, the daily tomato soup was quite nice, but the tomato-avocado-roquefort salad was strange and heavy, eaten out of hunger and not enjoyment. Steaks arrived improperly cooked, and the four-dollar-supplemental peppercorn sauce was cold. The daily special –a beef bourguignon made with fillet– was flavourful, but the meat was tough. Making fillet tough is an accomplished feat. The seasonal vegetables offered with every steak were neither seasonal nor vegetables: a whole, limp stem of bok choi and a grilled tomato. I thought I was out for dinner, not brunch. Mashed potatoes as a side were uninspired.
The desserts, set out on a table near the entrance, looked so unappetizing that we skipped them entirely.
This was one of those dining experiences that leaves you angry, imagining what you would have rather spent the money on.

Rating: * (Should have stayed home and cooked for myself.)

1 comment:

Cicero In Pants said...

Now this is some fun blogging. I shall not go here! (I hope you email your review to them. ;-) )