Café Lola Opens
in Fairfield
December 11, 2008
Nestled in Fairfield a few steps from the Community
Theatre and the Metro-North station, Cafe Lola occupies
the onetime home of Hungarian restaurant Pearl of
Budapest. After Pearl of Budapest closed in 2006,
Latin fusion restaurant Islas lasted less than two
years.
With Cafe Lola's eclectic menu and cheerful "shabby
chic" decor, owners Ivanina and Henri Donneaux
are striving to ensure the restaurant lasts. A native
of Liege, Belgium, Henri studied at the Culinary Institute
in Namur, Belgium and has worked with master chef
Guy Savoy at his flagship restaurant in Paris. Prior
to opening Cafe Lola, Donneaux served as executive
chef at the Field Club of Greenwich. "Working
at the Field allowed me to really develop my style,"
Donneaux says. "They essentially gave me carte
blanche." Donneaux's wife, Ivanina, a Bulgarian
native who moved to the states a decade ago, has long
worked in the wine industry.
The Fairfield couple's dream of opening a French bistro
shaped into reality this year after they learned the
space on Unquowa Road was available. A primary focus
was making Cafe Lola as welcoming as possible. "There
seems to be a perception of French restaurants as
always very formal," Ivanina says. "Our
statement is, 'Come as you are.' You can come in jeans
if you want. We want everyone to be comfortable."
The casual but sophisticated decor is reminiscent
of Paris cafes and provincial bistros. Clusters of
white tea-light candles and plush red velvet chairs
create coziness amidst opulent gilded mirrors, bronze
Fleurs de Lys and ruby-and-crystal chandeliers.
For dinner, patrons can choose from a range of "petite"
or "grand" plates (appetizers or entrees),
including chicken pate, brie, salads, soups and stews.
"If you want something lighter you can simply
choose one or two petite plates or one petite plate
and an [entree]," Ivanina says.
Donneaux's signature dishes include the poulet roti
(chicken roasted with seasonal vegetables and thyme
and served with a potato puree; $24) and moules marinieres
(mussels steamed in white wine and served with french
fries; $24) and macaroni au gratin (described as "grown-up
mac n' cheese" with bacon and gruyere; $16).
A nod to the traditional American palate, "An
American in Paris," served for lunch or brunch,
is a Black Angus burger topped with caramelized onion,
bacon and gruyere served in a brioche ($14). Brunchers
can also choose between French toast with mixed merries
($9) or "Henri's Mom's French Toast," topped
with egg and bacon ($12). Another choice is Eloise
at the Plaza (pancakes with a strawberry-cream cheese
sauce; $9).
Creativity is clearly an intrinsic part of Cafe Lola's
spirit. Cocktails (all $12) include "The Starving
Artist" (absinthe with Absolut Kurant and creme
de menthe) and "Hemingway in Paris" (Pyrat
Xo rum blended with Cointreau and orange juice).
Desserts range from crepes served in an orange zest
sauce to tarte au pommes Provencale (thin apple tart
served with vanilla ice cream and a honey-lavender
sauce), as well as chocolate and bread puddings (all
$8). Visitors can also finish a meal with a coffee
($3), tea ($3), espresso ($3.75), cappuccino ($4.50)
or Belgian hot chocolate ($4).
Donneaux says he is committed to supporting local
businesses. Cafe Lola acquires virtually all its bread
from Billy's Bakery, on Black Rock Turnpike, and much
of its produce from area farmer's markets.
Donneaux says he hired his waitstaff carefully. "I
believe character is just as important as technique,
if not more so." Ben Page, a Fairfield U undergrad,
says, "Henri and Ivanina have been very inclusive.
Two weeks before we opened, we all got a chance to
try the food and really have the opportunity to get
the feel of the restaurant." Page used to work
at Cafe Du Soleil on the Upper West Side, a popular
French bistro that he says reminds him of Cafe Lola.
"My mother is a caterer," he adds. "I've
grown up around food and I can really appreciate it.
Cafe Lola definitely represents the idea of loving
food, loving life."
Café Lola Opens in Fairfield
