636643 Tue Jul 14 15:13:47 -0700 2009 37 20 Tristate Region 0 4858646 I walked in this new place near tarry lodge, new BSF in Byram/Portchester. its menu is mexican based, the place itself is very cool, black, red, accents, wooden floors & tables,crystal, tequilla bars, segregated mini dining rooms etc- i think some people from Tao are involved- anyone eaten there yet, this stretch of real estate is blooming Tue Jul 14 15:13:47 -0700 2009 11476 intrepid 1 4858688 Hmmm...interesting. where exactly is it? Where That Little Italian used to be? Is it open? Tue Jul 14 15:24:58 -0700 2009 4858646 24576 MRS 2 4859377 yes, and yes Tue Jul 14 19:21:24 -0700 2009 4858688 11476 intrepid 2 4859389 apps 9-15, tacos 13-14, quesdaillas 9-12, entree chicken 16-18, fish 24-25, carne 18-29 Tue Jul 14 19:25:29 -0700 2009 4858688 11476 intrepid 3 4862100 A taco $13-14 are you getting kobe and lobster on them? Sounds expensive?? Wed Jul 15 15:53:58 -0700 2009 4859389 44123 nbermas 4 4862274 ill rsvp when we eat there, yes menu seems a little $$$, many things on planet earth are $$, but overpaying relatively small amounts on a meal im ok with with if the food and experience are gratifying, i am not one to criticize a place if all goes well and it cost more money than "i think " it should, these kind of "mistakes" many chowhounders cannot get over, ie paying $120 for a meal that they think should have cost $100, life is short, play hard !! enjoy Wed Jul 15 17:03:47 -0700 2009 4862100 11476 intrepid 5 4862284 Agree^^ Wed Jul 15 17:06:28 -0700 2009 4862274 151970 Jon1856 6 4862545 glad you agree jon1856, now we must take cover,perhaps the ch swat team will be after us lololool Wed Jul 15 18:53:15 -0700 2009 4862284 11476 intrepid 5 4863720 I agree with payinfg for excellent food but a taco just is the same to me as a street food item not an entree priced item. After all right around the corner you can probably find 20 different excellent authentic tacos for so much less. I haven't seen too many reviews on what is in these tacos and the quality so maybe if I see more reviews I would consider it. Thu Jul 16 07:50:03 -0700 2009 4862274 44123 nbermas 6 4863840 why don't we wait to pass judgement after we have actually eaten there, if a taco is the same as a taco anywhere, then you could say that about any food, hamburger, pizza, fish steak etc Thu Jul 16 08:21:00 -0700 2009 4863720 11476 intrepid 7 4863915 Agree intrepid. Reviews will not, IMVHO, allow someone else to pass judgement on food product.. There are somethings one just must see and taste for themselves. Thu Jul 16 08:39:23 -0700 2009 4863840 151970 Jon1856 7 4864165 I am not passing judgement at all but I want to hear more reviews and in this day and age with the economy this time i will say less is more. Thu Jul 16 09:43:02 -0700 2009 4863840 44123 nbermas 8 4864204 hi agree, we need to eat there and post reviews , dont agree less is more, having said that, i am for value- enjoy-thanks Thu Jul 16 09:50:48 -0700 2009 4864165 11476 intrepid 4 4887060 The price for tacos is for 3 tacos with sides. Not that expensive if they are good. I am going this weekend and will report back. Fri Jul 24 08:43:59 -0700 2009 4862100 268902 westchesterdiner 5 4888289 there you go, yet another example of why is intelligent to have first hand experience before passing judgement Fri Jul 24 15:14:05 -0700 2009 4887060 11476 intrepid 5 4891157 I went to Lolita last night. Here is my assessment. First, a disclaimer: I was born into the restaurant business. My family owned restaurants, and I spent 20 years as a hostess, waitress, bartender and restaurant manager. I have worked in every kind of place including casual dining, beach bar, fine dining NYC, prestigious wine bar, and neighborhood joint. I only say this because my background can sometimes skew my review of a place. Sometimes I overlook things that others would find infuriating. On the otherhand, I can sometimes be hypercritical when others might not even notice. OK, on to my experience at Lolita.... The dining room was smaller than I had imagined, and I am not sure that the decor is appealing. However, I give them a big A+ on the fact that the tables are well spaced and I in no way felt like I was eating on top of my neighbor. I aslo noticed that at every table it was 2 people at 4 tops and 4 people at 6 tops. This is a much appreciated accommodation. They also offer several tables outside on a cute patio. I found our waitress to be friendly, effecient and accomodating. I asked in the beginning that we not be rushed. We wanted to enjoy our dinner out. I told her I understand that they may get busy, but to let us know if they DESPERATLEY needed the table at the end of our meal. She accomodated us, and we never felt rushed by her. I cannot say the same thing for the busboy - more on this later. When first seated, a small bowl of citus granita was offerd on dry ice. You can opt for a shot of tequila poured into the granita if you like. The dry ice offers an immediate WOW factor, but in my opinion, the granita served no purpose at this point in our meal and would have been much better appreciated had it been served in between courses as a palate cleanser. We ordered our drinks. I had a margarita and my husband ordered a glass of white wine. It did take quite a long time to get the drinks. My margarita was good but a little weak on the tequila. My husbands glass of wine, while delicious, was maybe the smallest pour I have ever seen. Now, I understand that a typical pour for an upscale restaurant these days is 5-6 ounces. I have no problem with this. His first glass was AT BEST 4 ounces - probably 31/2. It just looked sad swimming around in the bottom of the glass. He did follow up with a second glass which looked more like a 5 ounce pour, so we chalked up the first glass to a simple bartender mistake. Maybe he was pouring off the end of a bottle and didn't want to open another? Who knows? It didn't ruin our meal. Just be warned that if you are one of those diners who gets really upset with small pours of wine.....don't order wine here - you'll be upset. No sense ruining your mood for the rest of your meal. Next, we were brought a large bucket of fresh chips accompanied with 3 salsas: roasted tomoato, tomatillo, and a chipotle crema. All were very good. First to arrive was the lobster enchilda. It was delicious! The highlight of the entire meal! This is a must try. Just be warned that it is small. It is only one small enchilda, but we both felt that the amount of lobster inside and the deliciousness of it made up for its lack of stature. Next, carnitas tacos. They were served as shredded pork with a bit of crispy outside. I would have enjoyed much more "crispy." They were toped with salsa verde and picked onions. There were 3 tacos served with a side of radishes and lime. Were they good? Yes. Were they exceptional? No. There was something missing from them. I couldn't put my finger on what it was, but I think it could have used some salt. Now I don't cook with a lot of salt. When my family comes to visit, they always add salt to the food I have cooked. When I say something needs salt - It really needs salt - in my very honest opinion. Aside from the lack of "something", the main problem was that they were served on single tortillas. We all know that tacos should be served on 2 tortillas and even their menu states that this is how they come. We thought we would give it a go so as not to complain, but when I picked up the first one, it completely fell apart. We called the waitress over and asked if there should be double tortillas. Of course, there should have been. She brought us extra tortillas and we fixed them ourselves. Now, THIS I have a problem with. When the kitchen makes a mistake, albeit an honest beginner's mistake, the customer should not have to fix the problem at the table. The plate should have been removed, brought back into the kitchen, and replated correctly. The second tortilla made a huge difference, but neither my husband or myself were wowed by them. When the apps arrived, the busboy came over and removed our chips and salsa. I also don't have a problem with this. Maybe it's policy. I do think we should have been asked if we would like to keep them. We were not givin a choice, and when our entrees arrived, I had to ask for the return of the salsas. I wanted them for my carne asada. Entrees arrived.... I had the carne asada while my husband opted for the scallops. The scallops came beautifully presented. 3 large scallops with a tripcal fruit salsa and plantain chips. However, we both felt it was unoriginal and uninspired. We would not order this again. My carne asada on the otherhand was very good. I asked for medium - it came medium. That in itself is a rarity these days. It was nicely marinated and sliced, served on a delicious tomato sauce,and it was served with a side of guac, grilled onions and grilled fresh jalapeno slices. It also came with a side of tortillas. My only complaint with this dish was the guac. Once again, I felt that it was in desperate need of some salt. The texture was perfect, and when placed with the steak, onions and peppers in a tortilla it was very good. When sampled alone, it lacked any sort of flavor. Immediately after placing our forks on our plates, the manager came over and wisked our plates away. Again, I have no problem with this. They needed the table. What I do have a problem with is the fact that the busboy came over and took everything including our water glasses. I failed to mention that our water glasses were also removed once before in the meal and we had to ask for them to be replaced. In my 20 years working in restaurants and more than 30 years eating in reataurants, I have never seen a place that removes your water glasses before you leave the table. This is a serious misjudgement by someone be it the busboy or management. Leave me my water! Maybe it is a ploy to get you to order coffee or an after diner drink. Maybe it's their way of saying "get the hell out of here, we need this table." Whatever the reason, not a good move. We were presented with coffee and dessert menus. At this time they bring over a trio of coffee fixings should you choose to order one. If I remember correctly there was Mexican cinnamon with chocolate inside, raw sugar cubes, and Mexican chocolate shaving. We were full and opted for no dessert or coffee. (I would have loved another gulp of water though.) Our neighbors did order dessert, and they were presented beautifully. I cannot speak to the deliciousness of them or lack thereof. At the end of your meal, when the check is presented, they bring a huge cone of cotton candy to the table. Whimsical? Yes. Appreciated? Yes. Eaten? No. OK, on the huge debate that is going to be whether this place is worth it or not... Margarita - $13 Wine - $13/glass. Worth it? This is hard. Do I like spending that much for a drink especially when the pour of the first glass of wine was so small? Absolutely not, but I like to have a drink with my dinner so what am I going to do? I order a drink and don't complain about it. Tacos - 3 for $13. Worth it? I don't think so. Maybe when combined with the rest of the meal, but am I going to go to the bar on a weekday night and just order tacos? No. You are better served to go to one of the taquerias around the corner. There are however 3 other selections of taco filling which may prove to be well worth the price. Lobster enchilda - $15. Worth it? Absoluetly! It is a very small portion for $15, but the abundance of lobster, the incredible sauce on top, and the overall deliciousness of this perfect app make it well worth it in my opinion. I will order this everytime I go here. I WOULD go to the bar to order this. Scallops - $24. Worth it? No. It's not that it was bad. It was OK, but like I said earlier, it was nothing I haven't had before for 2/3 of the price. I would never order this again. Carne Asada - $21. Worth it? Yes. It was delicious. If only they added a touch of salt to the guac it would have been perfect. I would definitaly order this again. So, all in all, 1 margarita, 2 glasses of wine, 1 app, 3 tacos, 2 entrees = $122. I think all things considered it is a fair price for Westchester. Do they have some kinks to work out? Absolutely. Hopefully, they can work them out. I feel this place has potential, and upscale Mexican is an untapped well in the area. Take this review with a grain of salt (and give it to the tacos and guac). Go and experience for yourself and let me know what you think. Sun Jul 26 06:31:43 -0700 2009 4887060 268902 westchesterdiner 6 4891166 Thanks for the detailed review. At $122 for the meal you described, however, I won't be experiencing it for myself! Sun Jul 26 06:38:39 -0700 2009 4891157 14216 Marge 6 4891182 i was there last night as well, a disclaimer is "friends" of mine I just found out are investors in lolita...1- drinks a bar were weak, female bartender a bit surly, 2- dj music was horrible 3-we sat at table and after the frozen ices, waited 45 mins for apps to arrive 3- despite an over abundance of wait staff, service and qulaity of service was horrble 4- main course came after we went to the kitchen to ask status- mains were mediocre- even the tequilla shots we ordered druing the course of the night, we asked that they be very very chilled- came warm, and had to be sent back at least three times- now having said that, I think my orginal post underestimated the place, they dont have wrinkles to iron out, they have major surgery to perform, i feel this place has very little potential, but will give them another shot in the fall Sun Jul 26 06:51:58 -0700 2009 4891157 11476 intrepid 7 4891195 WOW! Sorry you had such a horrible experience. Maybe an hour makes all the difference. We went early - around 6:30ish. While our experience wasn't the tragedy that yours was, I also see they have kinks to work on. I will also give them another shot. Any food specifics you care to share? Sun Jul 26 06:58:22 -0700 2009 4891182 268902 westchesterdiner 8 4891206 we sat down at 945 ish- we were 8, all kinds of foods all of us were underwhelmed, fish tacos, quesidallas, ahi, chicken, corn, beans, all were mediocre Sun Jul 26 07:04:18 -0700 2009 4891195 11476 intrepid 1 4858775 This rang a bell in the back of my head. Is this the same place as in this prior thread??: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/612692 Tue Jul 14 15:54:11 -0700 2009 4858646 151970 Jon1856 1 4859018 I am little annoyed...I called to make a res for Saturday night for 5 people. They only take reservations for parties of 6 or more. C'mon! You're a new restaurant! It wasn't like I was asking for a res for 2 people...So, I told them I didnt feel like chancing 5 people standing around for god knows how long, but maybe we'd try it some other time. The woman on the phone was like, ok, good idea. come early if you come b/c we get really busy around 8:30. Um, thanks. Tue Jul 14 17:19:06 -0700 2009 4858646 24576 MRS 2 4859374 question, why didnt you make the rservation for six people? Tue Jul 14 19:21:08 -0700 2009 4859018 11476 intrepid 3 4861618 I feel a little stupid now, I guess. But I first asked to make a res, and then she said "certainly, for how many people?" And I said " 5" and that's when she told me the policy. I was sort of stuck at that point. And, I didnt feel like calling back, making a res for 6 and then showing up w/ 5 and having them give me, the husband, SIL, BIL and SIL's cousin a hard time about getting a table. It isnt worth the aggravation. Wed Jul 15 13:22:32 -0700 2009 4859374 24576 MRS 4 4862570 Let's forget the petty calamities here. After a 140 to 160 series of posts on the Sunset Grill, a dead Mexican restaurant that had trouble delivering and one that was supposed to reopen, I think there are a number of Chowhounders that are desperate for a decent Mexican restaurant in Westchester. Is there hope here? By the way, I have seen no recent posts of the Sunset Grill. Did it die again after its move to the Golf Club? Wed Jul 15 19:03:00 -0700 2009 4861618 164699 Sonnyno 5 4888412 Both the Little Mexican Restaurant and La Herradura in New Rochelle are excellent. And that's just for starters. One thing S. Westchester is not short of is very good Mexican restaurants -- they are usually not the big, fancy places, but the smaller ones. Fri Jul 24 16:09:16 -0700 2009 4862570 70668 PlasticMoonRain 1 4891057 this place has a long way to go, food is fair, service horrible, music/dj horrible ill give them another shot, in a few months to see if the iron out the wrinkles Sun Jul 26 03:43:14 -0700 2009 4858646 11476 intrepid 1 4892581 Went to dinner there tonight. When we walked in thought the place was cool and we were going to enjoy it. The food is not good - dare i say bad. The water was luke warm. Chicken asado was so spicy - uneatable.. Wont be going back Sun Jul 26 18:46:28 -0700 2009 4858646 1089045 scarsdale1234 1 4927496 It has been open a couple of Months now (?) and I thought i would try it. I like to wait till new open kinks are out. I really was not expecting authentic Mexican, but the place reminded me of an upscale place in Matamoros, Mexico which I doubt is still there after 40 years, in its decor and presentation. My friend and I got there around 6:30 Pm and the place was already very full, but the noise level was not bad and there was some decent background music playing (not strictly Mexican) that added nicely to the general ambiance. I am not a big fan of heavily hot spices, but we wanted to start with the guacamole picante and a drink. Chips came out first with 3 dips - a mild green salsa, a mild red salsa and a chipotle sour cream. All were excellent, my favorite started with the green till I started mixing and then I could not get enough. Some kind of fruit/ice mixture started (with a shot) and then the drinks. They were excellent and they do have any kind of tequila you might want. For me, the guacamole was a bit spicy, not bad, very fresh, but my friend enjoyed it more. I ordered the iced gizpacho and the blackened grouper tacos. I have not had good fresh grouper in a long while and this was excellent. My friend ordered something I would have called a quesadilla with steak which was extremely good and it surprised me. We took some of the food home because it was a lot, but had to go for a desert and we had what was a chocolate bread pudding with ice cream and coffee. Absolutely wonderful. The coffee was luke warm and they brewed a fresh pot that was hot. There are many more things I would try and will be back. You have to remember when eating here this is not your truck taco stand and you will know that what you get is very reasonable. Service still needs some improvement, not because we did not get things in a timely manner, but because it seemed that people were falling over each other a bit. I would call it a good night spot and a great place to sample something slightly different than your traditional "Mexican" food. Fri Aug 07 18:28:32 -0700 2009 4858646 168212 PaulaT 1 4933111 Got to dine at Lolita's this past Saturday and I must say I was very impressed with the food. I honestly wasn't expecting the food to be good as it was, was more looking forward to good drinks and a great time. Unfortunately, the drinks weren't as spectacular as I'd hoped - sangria slightly watery, and decent (but no comparison to the much-missed Sunset Grille's) margaritas. But the food was the biggest surprise of the night. At a table with 8 people so we got to sample a large portion of the menu and everybody was impressed with how delicious and fresh the food was. Not to mention the portions (mainly the entrees, appetizers were average)! I ordered the Pollo Asado and I swear it was a whole chicken! I am somebody that really likes to eat and rarely has a hard time finishing his food, but I had to bring half of it home with me. The tacos were especially tasty, with such interesting fillings as slow-cooked brisket, carnitas, and adobo bbq'd chicken. And I can't forget to mention the cornbread! This is an absolute guilty pleasure as it tastes as though it was marinated in butter, but it truly is one of the best cornbreads I have ever eaten. Be warned though, if you are not somebody who enjoys a loud restaurant, do not go here! There is a DJ playing music all night long and it's pretty loud. I personally love that vibe, so all in all was a great night for me. Mon Aug 10 09:40:09 -0700 2009 4858646 235582 wpfoodie 1 4977044 went this weekend with my mom. Despite my mom's age, she LOVES lively, even noisy fun restaurants. Lolita fit the bill. We had a great time with our server, who recommended pretty much our whole order (except I ordered the brisket tacos on our own). We had spicy guacamole, lobster enchilada, a grilled steak quesadilla, the tacos (complete with gravy :) and the grilled chicken breast. Food had a nice spice to it, not too much for my mom, but enough for my tastes. We had a tres leches for dessert. I had a beer and my mom had a margarita (which she loved). The prices were higher than a taqueria, but the place is a real restaurant, lots of bells and whistles with the experience. As a greenwich restaurant, the prices were extremely reasonable. Tue Aug 25 14:07:52 -0700 2009 4858646 1104438 budwiser 2 4993568 Brisket tacos and tacos with gravy? Can you explain what tacos with gravy are? I'm getting very suspect on this place... Mon Aug 31 13:23:50 -0700 2009 4977044 11120 adamclyde 3 4999614 Went last night. Ok so here it is: Large group. tried and shared a ton of drinks and apps mainly. the vibe is laid back, loud & fun. this is not a place for the "blue hair" crowd. The service has some issues to iron out but overall are friendly and very eager to please so no knock there. The entrance is confusing if you enter using the bar door. If you want to eat in the restaurant and get greeted by the hostess then use the "alley-way" entrance to the left of the building near the very charming outdoor seating area. The vibe outside is very mellow and quiet so if your hard of hearing and want a quiet night out sit here. Food: the trio of salsas & the sweet & spicy salsa that came in the magic potion bottle were all very nice and tasty especially the potion bottle. Not crazy hot but heat was present. I like medium heat and this was good. the brisket tacos "with gravy" were ok but as was mentioned above you really do need to use a fork and knife since it's only a single tortilla that falls apart immediatley. the gravy as far as i could tell is simply the pan gravy from the cooking liquids with a bit of flour maybe. nothing special and alll in all ver mediocre even with the magic potion salsa smothering it. The dishes we loved were the cornbread & the desserts. the 4 milks cake was really special. The sangrias & margaritas were so-so to poor. they read well off the menu but are just strong and not very flavorful. We would for sure return to try more. the granita with the dry ice looked cool but was more like a shot of cold tequila soup. nice try but flopped. Wed Sep 02 12:20:47 -0700 2009 4993568 23270 cubanat 1 4992853 im not a fan of the commercial press, thanks Mon Aug 31 10:18:23 -0700 2009 4992431 11476 intrepid 2 5001906 That makes sense, intrepid... they possess (what is it???) oh yeah... credentials... Thu Sep 03 08:31:17 -0700 2009 4992853 1103631 jimmyLH 3 5001975 Actually what they possess is an opinion. If you follow some of the "very high end" reviewers in this neck of the woods you will find that many CH'ers disgaree with them on certain conclusions. For example, the NYT reviewers sent back several dishes she received at a local restaurant yet gave the restaurant an "excellent" rating. BTW - the restaurant closed 4 months later because everyone else sent back or did not like the food either and that was before the economic downturn. Jfood thinks certain CHers have a better feel than many "credentialed" reviewers and vice versa. When we just follow the press, we become food lemmings. Thu Sep 03 08:48:45 -0700 2009 5001906 11290 jfood 4 5002125 Yes indeed, a qualified opinion based on experience without agenda or bias. Smart people know how to filter a review and use the information wisely to gain enough understanding to know if a place would tickle their fancy. To many CH'ers place too much of a personal subjective opinion when it would be most helpful if they report on how well a restaurant measures up to its projected persona.... Again just an opinion. Thu Sep 03 09:30:25 -0700 2009 5001975 1105895 machadofabiana 5 5052765 The "restaurant reviewer" for the Westmore News is the wife of the editor or the owner or something. Now, it may be that she possesses actual food credentials, experiences and knowledge, but so far, I've seen her recommend some seriously mediocre places. I strongly suspect that her "credential" is having figured out how to make taking the family out to dinner at least partially deductible. I figure with any reviewer, you have to try what they recommend and see how your taste matches up with theirs. (For all I know, there are people in town who consider her a completely reliable guide to what tastes good.) I used to love Eric Asimov's reviews in the NYT. I don't think you can make blanket statements about whether people who do reviews for newspapers are good or bad. In any case, her review quoted the owner on the topic of it being an adult place, not in the sense of being x-rated, but in the sense that I didn't think they'd be happy to my husband and I walking in with our 7 year old at 6 PM on a Saturday night. Any sense of how family friendly they really are (assuming a well behaved child who knows how to act, even if there are no crayons and no children's menu) at an appropriate hour? Wed Sep 23 12:16:39 -0700 2009 5002125 12151 marcia2