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From the well-respected owners of The Federal, a new-American restaurant in Agawam, and Posto, a traditional Italian restaurant just down the road in Longmeadow, the new Mexican restaurant Lola’s is a step outside the expected both for the owners and the diners.
“Lola’s is a coastal Mexican restaurant featuring a modern interpretation of authentic Mexican cuisine,” explained Co-owner Ralph Santaniello, “With fresh ingredients using classic and innovative techniques. It’s Mexican but different.”
The restaurant officially opened on March 19 and Santaniello said that it has been going very well. The restaurant sits in a 3,700-square-foot space in the Longmeadow Shops. Renovated from the ground up, the restaurant’s style is inspired by a coastal Boho vibe that Santaniello says creates a light, airy and comfortable space. Everything comes together to create the perfect experience for the diner.
“It’s a vibrant atmosphere with a unique food and beverage menu using modern techniques with only the best ingredients,” said Santaniello.
The opening of a Mexican restaurant is a shift for Santaniello and Co-owner Michael Presnal, who serves as executive chef at Lola’s. A graduate of New England Culinary Institute, Presnal has always been a fan of the authentic Mexican food he tasted on trips to Mexico and southern California. These experiences inspired the opening of Lola’s and the design of the menu.
“The menu has a great selection of raw oysters and fresh seafood, along with very approachable simple, modern Mexican food with the best ingredients,” said Santaniello.
Lola’s menu features traditional Mexican recipes with coastal influences, particularly specializing in tacos, tequila and oysters. It has everything from snacks, starters and a raw bar to entrees, tacos and salad bowls. Diners can start their meal with classics like chips and salsa and Mexican street corn, then move on to carne asada poutine or spicy chicken tortilla soup. The raw bar boasts Mexican baby shrimp cocktail, spicy tuna tostada and seafood poke nachos.
Entrees feature a wide range of ingredients to fit a wide range of tastes. The loaded chicken tinga bowl includes torn chipotle chicken, black beans, Lola’s rice, avocado, aji verde, crema, pickled red onions, sweet roasted corn and cilantro. The short ribs mole rojo is sweet potato puree, plancha roasted knob onions, cress salad and mole red wine sauce.
Diners can also choose from almost a dozen different tacos. The Baja fish taco has tempura battered codfish, tomatillo salsa verde, cabbage slaw and seaweed aioli. Garlicky spinach, goat cheese, caramelized onions and pine nut salsa make up the forest mushroom taco. Other tacos include the ground beef “gringo” taco, fried oyster taco and spicy shrimp taco.
Presnal heads up an impressive team of chefs. Eric Waldman serves as chef du cuisine, with Jacob Munro as executive sous chef and Eli Burgos as sous chef. The team has worked diligently to create a menu that offers the best of Mexican fare. Among Santaniello’s favorites are the Baja tacos and quesabirria.
Lola’s also maintains a stocked bar with many options, including Lola’s originals like the drinks Paleta Colada with Malibu coconut rum, Don Q, coconut cream, pineapple juice and a coconut popsicle and a Cantaritos Cup with tequileno reposado, orange juice, jarritos soda and a tajin rim. It also has a selection of red, white and sparkling wines by the glass and bottle and nearly a dozen different beers.
“Our selection of over 80 tequilas, as well as our selection of margaritas, will rotate seasonally and can be customized in countless ways,” said Santaniello.
LOLA’S IS LOCATED AT 732 BLISS RD. IN LONGMEADOW.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT LOLASLONGMEADOW.COM OR CALL 413-754-9200.