Kronick Wino

‘Her Name Was Lola’ - Cafe Lola - A Wino Restaurant Review

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 | Favorite Wine Destinations, Food Pairings, Restaurant Reviews

I can’t get the song out of my head, but more importantly, I can’t get the sensational experience out of it either. Last night placed me at a new spot in Fairfield, CT right in the exact spot where Pearl Of Budapest stood for YEARS.

Let me introduce to you - Cafe Lola - a small french bisto-style restaurant where the atmosphere is warm, the staff is super friendly and polite and the feel is comfy cozy. My first steps into this basement-style restaurant were drawn into a fabulous bench seat, piled with beautiful French country floral cushions. I kind of felt like I was having dinner in bed, and it was great! Of course the rest of the dining room donned the traditional tables, but were adorned with plush velvet seats scattered amongst the room, lots of white, with red luscious accent pieces, chandelier sconces, black metal against clean, white walls.  It was open, airy, bright with a lightness all about……

Ok, food! So you’ll find a pretty traditional menu of classic french cheeses and charcuterie, pate, and escargot.

The tables are basic white with a nice single spring flower placed in a vase - not stuffy, not boring, just playful and chic. In front of me was a nice little cup of seasoned cashews, pecans and pumpkin seeds. Plus, these great little puff pastries called ‘Gougeres‘ - made with Gruyere cheese and lightly topped with Parmesan.

I’d like to point out the Frisee aux Lardons…… frisee salad with a warm decadent poached egg placed on top, crispy fresh bacon and crunchy house-made baguette croutons. Served with a very light shallot-bacon vinaigrette. They dressed my salad perfectly, so don’t bother asking for it on the side.

This was deliciously paired with French Chardonnay  - Bourgogne Macon Village Michel Picard. Light and fruity, but smooth enough to pair with the smoky bacon and richness of the buttery croutons.  The egg melting all over the salad was just heavenly.

Don’t miss out on their Charcuterie either! A great dish to share with a friend - indicative of any traditional French ’snack’. I feasted on freshly prepared Chicken liver pate, pork pate, cornichon, some dry sausage, crispy baguette toast and spicy Dijon mustard. This was paired with a glass of Bordeaux - a 2005 Chateau de Bonsquet-Cote de Bourgogne.

Finally, dessert only needed one thing - Chocolate. I had the Pot De Creme Au Chocolat paired with, none other than, an espresso. In front of me was a little glass tea cup filled to the brim with dark chocolate. It tasted like the richest chocolate mousse mixed with a bread pudding and fresh whipped cream on top. *sigh* What a perfect little finale……

Some things on the menu for me to try next time are the Salade Nicoise, French Onion Soup (with melty Gruyere on top that I kept smelling around the room…… yum!), steamed mussels and Steak Frites. I was able to get my hand on a few of the house-fries, and WOW! Perfectly crispy, soft in the middle with balanced seasoning. You don’t need to doctor those amazing potatoes with anything! Also, the Macaroni Au Gratin. I’m not going to spoil this one; just go check it out for yourself!

Additional highlights

• Open for Sunday Brunch 11:30am to 4:00pm
• Appetizers $8-$14; Dinner $20-$30
• Chef Henri was a delightful Belgian man who came out to great me and say hello. Just down to earth staff and owners. You feel like family or a long-lost friend here.
• They also stream Pandora radio full of Madeleine Peyroux, Louis Armstrong and Norah Jones. What’s tannat love about that??

Upcoming Wine Event:

Bordeaux on a Budget at Café Lola

Tuesday, April 21st

Reception at 6:30
Assorted Hors d’Oeuvres

Dinner

$65 per guest
(Tax and gratuity not included)

For Reservations, please call 203.292.8014

www.cafelolarestaurant.com

Cafe Lola

57 UNQUOWA RD.

FAIRFIELD, CT 06824

(FAIRFIELD CENTER, NEAR COMMUNITY THEATRE)

RESERVATIONS
203.292.8014

Tags: bistro cafe fairfield, bordeaux wine tasting, cafe lola, cafe lola fairfield, cafe lola menu, fairfield cafe lola, fairfield county french restaurant, fairfield restaurant review, lola bistro, lola wine dinners, wine dinners ct

3 Comments to ‘Her Name Was Lola’ - Cafe Lola - A Wino Restaurant Review

Leave a comment