At Lola’s Hi/Lo Lounge, the sound system constantly plays carefully selected pieces of vinyl to take your mind elsewhere, but that’s only part of the experience.
Madison executive chef and Lola’s co-owner Evan Dannells shapes the global menu. Dannells, also the chef/owner of Cadre on the nearby West Side, says he has spent about half of his time at Lola’s since it opened last November. It makes all the noodles and makes the work that Cadre’s kitchen does easier – the more complicated components are made there rather than in Lola’s smaller, more service-focused kitchen. Dannells says he’s “having fun” unleashing the “more fun side” of his creativity.
At Cadre and during his previous stay at Lucille in the city center, Dannells showed an interest in international comfort food. But at Lola’s, comfort begins at home. The menu begins with a quartet of “appetizers,” all American. Lola’s fried cheese curds are gooey and fresh. Back in February, they were generously proportioned, perhaps to a fault. They have since been contained. The batter on beer-battered fries is restrained; they’re as close to matchsticks as battered fries can get.
I can’t say enough about the deviled eggs, some of the best I’ve ever had. The addition of bacon bits and home-made potato chips added just the right amount of texture to the pizza. I had to share because I was having dinner with my wife, but I didn’t want to. Love is sacrifice.
The dumpling section of the menu is where it’s at. With the introduction of the spring menu, the elementary and charming lamb and potato pelmeni were replaced with a beef version. Chinese pork and chives dumplings are tasty, both in terms of texture and spiciness, and seem to be positioned as a signature variety. The vegan mushroom wontons provided a dainty flavor on their own, but were enhanced by the accompanying black garlic broth. All dumplings come in convenient, shareable portions, so it’s the perfect part of the menu for cozy, raucous parties filling Lola’s cozy crescents.
The pizzas are taverna style, with a crispy crust with a few wavy bubbles on the edge. I couldn’t resist the seasonal nature of the béchamel-based cake with chicken and bacon, but the ranch béchamel version dominated. There are five house varieties and a pizza of the week. I would love to try the red sauce recipe.
Three pasta dishes are slightly less popular. I liked the first version of the “Midnight Pasta”, heavily seasoned with lemon, capers and SarVecchio cheese (the menu change now has it in “version 2.0” with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, red pepper flakes, parmesan and ricotta). Spicy dandan noodles are still on the menu with minor changes, but I found that the current noodle selection – very lean ramen-style noodles – had become soggy and clumpy due to excess chili oil. The low lighting levels in most Lola’s spaces make such an oil-laden dish a high risk of dripping, especially if you’re eating at the bar.
Finally, sandwich-focused “tavern baskets” are a way to make sure there’s something for everyone, as well as for solo eaters, but these sometimes fall brief. If you call a burger “Royale with Cheese”, I expect it to resemble a quarter pounder (e.g. Pulp Fiction a reference to the name), but it was more like a gourmet Big Mac, minimally seasoned and wildly overwhelmed by the optional bacon. The retiring chicken katsu sandwich was a good enough chicken sandwich; replaced with a “Bama with Alabama white sauce” chicken sandwich; there’s also a shrimp po’boy.
Dishes are marked as vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. Vegans will have the hardest time as many vegetarian dishes contain cheese. There are several salads. Gluten-free pizza crust is available for an additional $3. There is also a children’s menu including a burger, buttered pasta and pizza.
Music, crowd energy, fun drinks and an eclectic menu – Lola’s is a social experience, and the best parts of the menu are the ones that allow for shared experiences. What if you were to end the evening with a delicious (and massive enough for two or three) strawberry miso ice cream and blondie? Now you’re really getting somewhere.
Lola’s Hi/Lo Lounge
617 N. Sherman Ave.
608-888-2023; lolasmadison.com
16:00-midnight Sunday-Tuesday. and Wednesday-Thursday, 4:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. Friday-Saturday.
$5-20
