Bar Lola (located at 100 Congress St. - Munjoy Hill) jumped to one of my favorite restaurants based on my Maine Restaurant Week visit.   My first, and only, experience with Bar Lola  several months ago left me largely disappointed.  I am happy to say that the previous time had to have been a fluke, because Bar Lola performed exquisitely last night.

For starters, I have to say Bar Lola's staff impressed me.   When a waiter said "Welcome back" I was stunned.  When the hostess said "Nice to see you again", I was flabbergasted.  I ate a single meal many months ago;  I am not sure how they remembered. It certainly made me feel welcome and set the mood for the remainder of the meal.

We chose not to order from the Maine Restaurant Week menu because we wanted the five course experience.  I was more interested in small plates to start the evening.  Additionally, instead of Chef's Choice price-fix menu,  we chose our own plates for the five-course dinner.

For my dishes I picked the cheese plate, beet salad, gnocchi, steak, and dessert.  The progression of flavors was impeccably satisfying.  There was no amuse-bouche this time, and certainly no need. The cheese plate opened up the meal.   The beet salad was one step above anywhere else;  the nuts were perfectly toasted and the beets sweet and fresh.   The gnocchi were airy and light. The meat was the most enjoyable steak I have eaten in a long time. Perfectly cooked and seasoned.    I left Bar Lola smiling because not only did I have a phenomenal dinner,  but the entire experience left me content.

The atmosphere at Bar Lola was a bit awkward. I often complain about loud restaurants, Bar Lola was quite the opposite. It was uncomfortably quiet with couples whispering to each other. Strangely, I could hear most of the conversations.   We certainly did not help the atmosphere as we fell into it and did the same.

As far as Maine Restaurant Week,  personally I wish they had done more. The menu was just a reduced version of Bar Lola's standard offer.  It did not initially draw me in - I came here because some of my readers suggested I had to. I suppose that it did play a role at getting me through the door.  It felt safer and more accommodating.  I figured that if I chose the Maine Restaurant Week menu I would play it safe and get a review out of the process.  I am glad I opted out for the entire experience.

Once again, kudos to the staff.  I am not only going to come back more frequently but I am looking forward to bringing friends as well.  I will not say I was wrong on my last review - the last experience was poor - but I am so glad I went back and got to experience Bar Lola.   Bar Lola is now my prime target for a progressive multi-course menu made from fresh local ingredients.   The food is excellent and the staff impressive.  Bar Lola is now one of my favorite choice for a simple dinner or a multi-course meal.