One of the benefits of living in New York is that at any given time, in any part of the city, there is probably a chef doing remarkable things with incredible ingredients. And sometimes, you don’t even have to go to the city for culinary creations from a master’s hand – sometimes, you just have to go to Great Neck.
In a small corner of the Long Island town, Chef Michael Ginor is preparing, plating and obsessing over meals at his restaurant, Lola, the winner of Zagat’s 2010 Award of Excellence. Ginor is the skilled master behind Lola’s ever-evolving menu, but he is so much more – he is also the founder and owner of Hudson Valley Foie Gras, a producer and purveyor or foie gras and other high-end duck products.
“Foie gras touches all of your senses,” said Ginor. “Taste, of course, but also touch, smell, feel, sound.”
This is apparent with Ginor’s Torchon of Hudson Valley Foie Gras. This unadulterated foie gras is left mostly untouched, allowing the liver’s natural richness to shine. In order to enhance the flavor, the Chef places grenadine pickled rhubarb topped with fig jam on one side and a sliver of duck prosciutto under a toasted crouton on the other. Getting all the ingredients on your fork allows you to understand how this dish does indeed awaken all senses.
At Lola, even a salad is treated with an artisanal touch. The late-season heirloom tomato salad is fresh and cool, with a fennel foam and crumpled feta atop toasted olive bread. The same special care is taken with the chef’s spinach and feta ravioli, served in a warm tomato vinaigrette and tapenade.
Try the elegant miso marinated black cod, served with forbidden black rice and a lemon grass emulsion. This dish is a fusion of Thai, Japanese and Korean flavors that Ginor calls one of his favorites. The cod is served almost raw and is delicately put together with the deep flavor of the black rice.
One would be remiss to eat at Lola without trying a duck dish. Ginor serves his duck breast in a raspberry red wine sauce with a black truffle potato mash and a foie gras emulsion. The duck confit is a leg of duck in a homemade marmalade served over duck prosciutto and micro greens.
Be sure to order from Lola’s popular side dish menu. The wild mushroom and creamy polenta is baked in a mini cast iron pot and possesses a scent reminiscent of buttered popcorn. The crispy Brussels sprout leaves are a clever twist on the common vegetable. They have to be tried to be believed – just like Lola itself.
“You want to approach food like art,” said Ginor. “All the senses must be stimulated. But of course flavor comes first. If it doesn’t taste good, it doesn’t matter how artistic it is.”
Lola
113A Middle Neck Road
Great Neck, NY 11021
Telephone: 516-466-5666
Email: info@restaurantlola.com
Hours: Lunch; Tuesday through Friday, 12 – 3 p.m.
Dinner; Tuesday & Wednesday 5:30 – 10 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday 5:30 – 11 p.m., bar open until 1 a.m.
Sunday 4 – 10 p.m.
Reservations: Recommended
Full Bar
All Major Credit Cards Accepted
