Maryellen Fillo 2016-07-15 12:33:01
LOLA’ IN PLAINVILLE FOCUSES ON QUALITY, AFFORDABILITY
If you’ve heard it once, you have heard it a thousand times: Do not judge a book (or a restaurant) by its cover!
Despite its location in a tired former ball bearing factory in the blue-collar town of Plainville, Lola’s Bistro & Grill has proven it’s what’s inside that counts.
Warm and welcoming are the words that jump to mind when you enter this lunch and dinner eatery. Tucked into what has become a commercial mixed-use complex on Woodford Avenue, Lola’s owners Eric and Ally Molloy are front and center, welcoming guests and setting the tone for a New American dining experience with European influences.
But first the backstory. The two, who share an Aug. 1 birthdate, met when they were both working at another Plainville restaurant. There was love, marriage and three kids — including middle child Lola, for whom the restaurant is named — and then changes at the job they weren’t quite comfortable with, Eric explains.
“I had already been hired somewhere else when we heard about this space being available,” he says. “Ally and I talked; we wanted to have our own place, but we aren’t big risk takers and we had three kids. But all we know is the restaurant business, and we said, ‘Let’s do it!’”
They have transformed the former pizza place into a charming little bistro. A combination of booths and tables is unassuming yet a bit elegant in the soothing-colored dining room thanks to tables cleverly topped with linen and brown paper. Th e bar area is limited to a few stools and a couple of bistro tables, but this hints at why the restaurant is so affordable.
“Yes, we know restaurants make their money on the bar,” says Eric Molloy. “Dinner for two easily runs $80 to $100. So dinner out becomes a special occasion, something you do for a birthday or anniversary or special date.”
Th e Molloys’ strategy?
“Bring your own wine, beer, liquor, whatever, and then dinner or lunch becomes affordable and you’ll come here once or twice a month instead of just a few times a year,” he says. “We think the BYOB makes us a little different around here, helps us stand out. We upsell our food instead of liquor because we know what we serve is good. And we want people to want to come back and not worry about breaking the budget to do so.”
Molloy is a self-taught chef who talks fondly of other chefs who mentored him along the way. “And my grandma, she was a great cook and taught me, too,” he adds, smiling.
Grandma and the others would be proud. Th e menu, served both at lunch and dinner, is eclectic, creative and reflects the Molloys’ interest in all food genres.
Starters, which range from $5 to $10, include tempura-fried veggies, sausage-stuffed mushrooms and Prince Edward Island mussels with chorizo. Fresh roasted beets, arugula and white truffle oil are featured in the liuzzi burrata, and for purists Molloy offers a made-from-scratch, sweet French onion soup.
Lola’s has beefed up the sandwich board with choices like an oven wrap with grilled vegetables and fontina cheese, a classic meatball sub with house-made marinara, and a fried fish sandwich with house-made tartar sauce.
Small plates include Crab Cake Lily (named aft er Ally’s mom), buffalo chicken tenders and linguini alla vongole featuring fresh baby clams and red marinara.
The salads are an homage to the Molloys’ three children. Evangeline’s Salad, named after their other daughter, is a Caprese-style creation with artichoke hearts added to make it extra special. Jake’s Salad, named after their son, features mesclun greens, Granny Smith apples, toasted walnuts and a raspberry vinaigrette. And yes, Lola makes the salad menu. Hers features arugula, fire-roasted pears and roasted red onion.
Entrées reflect the best of what’s going on in the kitchen. An apple-and sausage-stuffed chicken is one of diners’ favorites. Inspired by one of the chefs who helped him along the way, Molloy tops the creation with a roasted vegetable gravy. Other specialties include sea scallops and butternut squash risotto, and Chicken Lola, a combination of chicken cutlets topped with ricotta cheese, breaded eggplant, prosciutto and bocconcini (“little bites” of mozzarella). Pork shank osso bucco, lamb chops, pan-roasted Atlantic salmon, pan-seared ahi tuna and daily specials like beef tips marsala round out entrée choices, which range from $17 to $20.
“I think people are surprised when they come here for the first time,” says Ally Molloy. “It has turned into one of those surprising little spots that people aren’t sure of when they pull into the parking lot but come back to again aft er eating here once.”
Lola’s also has a spacious banquet room for up to 80 people, as well as a small patio for al fresco dining.
“It’s funny because the things we were so unsure of when we opened, like it being BYOB and being in an industrial building, are the things now that have worked in our favor,” adds Eric Molloy. “We just want to serve good food that is affordable in a nice place. We just want to be fair to customers and hope they like what we are doing and our menu.”
Lola’s Bistro & Grill
161 Woodford Ave., Plainville 860-351-5459
Hours: Lunch Tue.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner Tue.-Sat., 5-9 p.m. Dinner Sun. 4-8 p.m. Closed Mon. Wheelchair accessible
Published by New Haven Register formerly 21st Century Media Newspapers . View All Articles.
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