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Lola 41
Global Bistro Offers International Delights

All summer we’ve been wanting to sample the cuisine of Lo La 41’s new chef Robert “Boz” Boslow, and all summer we found the people milling around the entrance every evening both encouraging and daunting.

Now that September is here and the crowds have thinned, we finally had the opportunity to experience for ourselves what we’ve been hearing about all season.

Lo La 41 is better than ever!

Not much larger than it appears from the sidewalk, Lo La 41 has expanded by adding a comfy patio lounge and appealing outdoor seating with heaters to fend off the autumn chill.  Inside there’s a cocktail bar with seating, a sushi bar that can accommodate a dozen or so, and a cozy dining room.  The “Red Room,” a table that seats six to eight fitted into a private alcove between the bar and the patio is always in high demand.

Fare at Lo La 41 has always been a departure from most island restaurants.  Following the theme of the restaurant (places of note along the 41st parallel), the menu offers sophisticated “global fare” that includes ingredients and preparations from Japan, China, Korea, Italy, Greece, Spain, and, of course, Nantucket.  Well-traveled himself, Boslow enjoys the challenge of such an ambitious menu.  “It’s fun,” he said.  “The 41st parallel goes through a lot of great food areas with a lot of great flavors.” 

	Lo La 41 is a favorite among sushi lovers, who can choose from more than a dozen sparklingly fresh sashimi selections and seventeen different expertly prepared rolls.  Designer rolls include two of our favorites:  their beautifully done version of a Rainbow Roll, this elegant multi-hued, inside-out maki showcasing top-shelf tuna, salmon, and whitefish with bright accents of avocado
	And their unique Tuna Panko Roll, its cool, pristine tuna encased in a deliciously crunchy crust and served with an irresistible soy wasabi butter. Tempura, miso soup, wakame, and edamame add to the Asian selections. Among the many distinctive features of Lo La 41 is their impressive sake selection.  With well over a dozen bottles of six different types from a range of breweries, the clear and concise descriptions in their sake menu help the novice navigate through the choices.  Though nowhere near as extensive as owners David and Geoffrey Silva’s other island restaurant, The Galley, the wine list at Lo La 41 reflects the same levels of taste and quality.  It’s an impressive list for a bistro, with good variety.
	Lo La 41 is known for it’s chic and lively bar scene (and for its tasty specialty cocktails with housemade sour mix, refreshing White Sangria, and superb Spanish Coffee), but earlier in the evening, it attracts a wide range of guests hungry for innovative, contemporary fare. The menu here certainly transcends the ordinary, even their salads will awaken your senses.
	Simple and very, very good is the Local Red Butter Lettuce Salad, prepared the evening we tried it with local bibb lettuce.  This is probably the simplest dish on the menu, but its balance of flavors and textures is stunningly good.  The fresh bibb lettuce has a gentle understated crunch and is tossed with distinctive shallot vinaigrette.  Pungent Spanish cabrales cheese adds a complexity of flavor and roasted golden beets give it sweet notes.
	Earthier but still refreshing is the Poached Lobster and Avocado Salad. Constructed from arugula anointed with a tangy citrus vinaigrette, plump chunks of chilled lobster meat, creamy avocado, sections of juicy, tart-sweet grapefruit, and toasted almonds, this is a delightful summery mix.
	We also like the festive colors and bright flavors of the Chilled Mediterranean Mussel Salad, which brings together red, yellow, and orange peppers, cucumber, red onion, celery, fennel, cilantro, red cabbage, frisee, and plump bright orange mussels in a kaleidoscope of tastes.
This eatery has been open long enough to have earned some very loyal patrons.  We know islanders who make Lo La 41 a regular after-work stop for the tender rings of their Sesame Crusted Calamari served with a spicy Korean style dipping sauce; the Potato Gnocchi rolled fresh daily by the chef, who calls it his “Zen time,” with its traditional rich and meaty Bolognese sauce; and their Indulgent Macaroni & Cheese, a grown-up version of a childhood classic.
	The dish that will draw us back to this bistro is Chef Boslow’s Lacquered Pork Belly with Hong Kong Style Noodles, which also happens to be one of his favorites.  The delectable aroma of this dish turned heads as it was brought to table.   The pork is served sizzling hot and glistening with a sweet soy glaze.  Edges are deliciously crisp, yet the meat and the melt-in-your-mouth fatty layers that make pork belly so good are not overcooked.  A marinade with star anise, ginger, garlic, and hoisin imparts these roasted morsels with rich flavor.  The pork is served on a tangle of soft noodles, crisp slices of fried garlic, and sliced green onion and is topped with red chili threads.
	Another Asian style entree that we enjoyed is the Grilled Day Boat Scallops on Chap Chae.  The heat of the Korean chap chae of glass noodles, carrot, bell pepper, garlic, mushrooms, and baby bok choy is cumulative, but doesn’t overwhelm.  It makes for a jazzy backdrop for  the delicate and perfectly caramelized scallops.
	The King Crab and Sweet Pea Risotto is contemporary comfort food.    Gentle in comparison to the bold dishes on the menu, it is, nonetheless, flavorful and delicious.  The peas pop with sweetness, and plenty of crab and golden chanterelle mushrooms are stirred into the rice.  The surprise on the dish is a tasty topping of fresh herb salad (oregano, chive, fennel leaves, basil) lightly dressed with lemon and olive oil.
	The Halibut is gorgeous.  Clearly the chef has a talent with fish.  The halibut is perfectly cooked:  its golden top seasoned just right, it’s interior moist and flaky.  It’s served on a bed of lobster mashed potatoes and is topped with crisp-tender asparagus and salad anointed with truffle oil.
	With all the amazing international menu choices, it might seem odd that the signature dish at Lo La 41 is a burger.  The Lo La Burger.  This burger, prepared with properly seasoned, never frozen, very high quality beef is topped with cabot cheddar cheese and red onion compote and served with a foie gras dipping sauce that is also very good with the truffle fries served alongside.  You’ve never had a burger like this one!  It has such a following that it inspired a restaurant spin-off.  Lo La Burger opened this season along the Broad Street Strip, offering a variety of burgers including its namesake as well as a very good Lobster Roll, the Lo La Tuna Burger with soy glaze and wasabi mayonnaise, and a deliciously toasty vegetarian Healthy Stack prepared with quinoa and wheat berries and topped with a cold Greek tzadziki sauce.
	Desserts at Lo La 41 change so frequently that they have no printed dessert menu.  We were very impressed by the trio we sampled:  a Tres Leche Cake with caramel sauce and strawberries ...
	a fudgy Dark Chocolate Marscarpone Cheesecake ...
	and a Deconstructed Banana Cream Pie with blueberries.
	If you can’t find the room for dessert, there’s always Lo La’s famous Spanish Coffee, an upscale version of an espresso martini, or their Sunset Martini.