On Friday night we met friends at LoLo American Kitchen in Stillwater. I admit, the term "American Kitchen" has scares me off in the past. I assumed the menu will be uninspired, the cooking techniques lacking, and the spice level reduced to pleasing the Minnesota palate. But places like Tilia, Travail and many others have changed my mind, so when the opportunity for a rare visit with our Wisconsin friends at an American Kitchen presented itself, we happily went.
LoLo is a brand new build-out where once was only an alley. It's a beautiful space and one would never guess that not so long ago all that stood between the two existing buildings was a hot dog cart. The building, complete with an actual ceiling and everything, has an open kitchen, a long bar, and a few comfy booths. Being a brand new building, we were perplexed by the choice to not include some sort of a vestibule. The door opens directly from the street (up a couple of stairs) into the dining area, where several tables crowd the front. We sat at one such table, and every time the door opened, a cold gust of wind swept over us. It's Minnesota, add a heat-preserving vestibule!
On a Friday night, LoLo was packed. Our server was absolutely lovely, patiently waiting as we time and time again had gotten caught up in conversation and forgot to look at the menu. Speaking of the menu,it was a bit odd. A combination of elegant entrees like seared duck breast and maple glazed salmon are joined a bit awkwardly by a collection of tacos, hot dogs, and burgers. I assume the hot dogs are a nod to the aforementioned hot dog cart.
I went for the Korean BBQ tacos, the most exotic sounding item on the menu. My party also ordered the duck and pork belly tacos, the seared duck breast, and the roast chicken tacos, as well as the crostini trio and the roast chicken and ghost pepperjack quesadilla.
The verdict: All of the food was good. The Korean BBQ Tacos, while not terribly Korean (or BBQ for that matter) were delicious. The hanger steak in the tacos was butter soft, as opposed to the almost beef jerky texture I expected and had hoped for from Korean BBQ. It was surprising but nice. The lemongrass and napa cabbage was cool and spicy, a perfect addition. The flour tortillas were huge and fluffy, not what I expected and decidedly American. The bite and flavor of smaller corn tortillas would have been a nicer compliment to the melt-in-your mouth steak.
Appetizers were just ok. The crostini also had texture problems, with the bread being soft and soggy and the pork belly limp and overpowering. The quesadilla was also a bit of a one noter, spicy but overwhelmingly chickeny.
Although I did not partake, the cocktail program (insert my husband's eye roll) was deemed a huge success. A drink called Leave Britney Alone includes a splash of "disappointment."
The best part of the meal, as is the case for most meals, was the dessert. I skipped the cocktails in favor of a sweet bite at the end, and it was very much the right move. A cup of True Stone decaf and a heavenly butterscotch budino, topped with a layer of salty maple syrup, was a divine way to end the evening.
All in all, LoLo was a success. The LoLo web site includes a tab called Street Food but so far there are no items under the tab or any explanations as to how or when it will come to life. We are often in Stillwater and I would gladly go back to LoLo on a quieter night and try one of the burgers, perhaps and Surf 'N Turf, complete with lobster and candied bacon, and hope the budino is still on the menu.
Leave Britney Alone! With edible orchid. Would you have eaten it?
Seared duck breast. Perfectly cooked and joined by plump cherries and Yukon potatoes.
Too. Much. Tortilla.
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