Not-So-Typical Fare

Lola’s on Harrison serves up staples with a twist

By Mark Goldberg

Wagner’s Coca-Cola BBQ Beef Ribs: Lola’s favorite

We don’t very often dine outside of Miami-Dade County, so when we do venture north, we hope to discover something unique. We found it at four-month-old Lola’s on Harrison (that’s Hollywood’s Harrison Street, which is blooming with restaurants), where chef and owner Michael Wagner puts his own twist on American cuisine in an intimate 80-seat eatery named after his grandmother.

How much of a twist? Wagner has elevated a typical bar food item, potato skins, by replacing Idaho skins with colorful Peruvian Purple Potato Skins ($9). There’s no heavy cheese, either. These skins are filled with a light sun-dried tomato crème fraische, roasted garlic and crispy smoked bacon bits, then topped with American caviar. Light, flavorful and creative. Then there’s the Almond Crusted Baked Brie ($10), a perfect starter with a glass of white wine. The soft, warm cheese is served with a mango/apricot drizzle, sliced apples, a cluster of grapes and some crackers.

Scallops Rockefeller ($10), an obvious twist on the similarly named oyster dish, features roasted bay scallops atop creamed spinach with a little pancetta. Sadly, though, the sweet and well-prepared scallops are smothered with a heavy ancho chili-tomato hollandaise.

You won’t find too many places serving New Zealand Lamb Chops ($13) as an appetizer. These coriander-crusted treats are like grilled lamb lollipops, glazed with a red pepper marmalade, instead of the typical mint jelly, and served with a cool dill yogurt sauce. A deliciously tender Beef Short Rib ($10) is braised for four hours, so it falls off the bone when it arrives at table. The orange/horseradish gremolata adds a citric zest and the ricotta salata offers up a spongy, salty take on a familiar cheese.

The Warm Spinach Salad ($9) has its own twist. It’s loaded with baby spinach leaves, Granny Smith apples, toasted hazelnuts and grilled red onions, but the crispy poached egg really intrigued us. Crunchy on the outside and soft within, when opened the yolk should run over the greens, warming them and offering another texture. Unfortunately, ours arrived hard-boiled.

On the other hand, the Pan Seared Key West Yellowtail Snapper ($29) is an outstanding choice. The meaty fillet’s natural flavor is enhanced by a roasted red pepper and Cascabel chili sauce. The snapper is placed over a bed of smashed purple potatoes and served with a sweet and sour pineapple/tomatillo relish. Although that recipe changes each week, go for it anyway. Another excellent dish you won’t find anywhere else is the Pan Roasted Turkey Tenderloin ($19). It’s actually a sliced turkey breast, all white meat, moist and tender and served with a sun-dried cherry/pomegranate gravy in place of the typical cranberry sauce. Instead of stuffing, there is a delicious creamy polenta, paired with caramelized Brussels sprouts. The Skillet Seared Herb Salmon ($21) is a summer-to-fall dish, with its cucumber/mango relish and herb salad bidding farewell to summer and the fried parsnips and almond brown rice ushering in autumn. But the simple salmon fillet itself is so small that its platter partners overshadow it. Lola’s most popular entrée is Wagner’s Coca-Cola BBQ Beef Ribs ($22), for several reasons. First, the ribs are beef instead of pork, which separates this dish from what other Harrison Street restaurants serve. Then the tender ribs are slow-cooked for hours and basted with Coke, which turns into a sweet and sticky glaze. Huge over-the-top onion rings give the dish some crunch, and the accompanying creamed corn is the best we’ve ever tasted.

How do you put a twist on a dessert that everybody makes? Imagine the Molten Lava Cake ($6). You know, the undercooked chocolate cake with the runny center? Well, Wagner bakes his all the way through and places a Belgian dark chocolate truffle in the center. Heat it and the truffle melts. Mmmm. Then he tops it with Amarena cherries, those small, tart Italian imports preserved in a rich, sugary syrup. Did I already say mmmm?

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