Lolita’s Wine Market
4 out of 5 stars
16 18th St. S., St. Petersburg. Small plates, salads and panini: $5-$11; create-your-own charcuterie: market price; desserts: $5-$6; wines by the glass: $8-$15. 727-505-0503; facebook.com/lolitaswinemarket.
Those who love sipping wine with DIY charcuterie away from the hustle and bustle of Beach Drive can thank a sassy golden retriever/Louisiana Catahoula mix named Lola.
As the great song from Damn Yankees goes, “Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets.” Much like the character from that Golden Age musical, this golden rescue is in league with the devil. So much so that Lola’s human parents — chef Alex Rodriguez and his wine-loving wife, Kelly — are driven to drink.
When the alcohol-fueled frustration boils over, their screams morph into “bad dog, Lolita!” And, as many canine lovers know, there’s only one dog whisperer — and he’s not in St. Petersburg. So with intrepid entrepreneurial logic… (follow me closely now):
If we are going to drink frequently, we need to drink better wine.
If we need to drink better wine, we need a bigger budget.
If we need a bigger budget, let’s open a wine market.
Simple. Except things rapidly get complicated. What starts as 35 wines with nibbles and a few comfy chairs quickly grows as customers demand a wider array of food options. In less than two weeks, Lolita’s Wine Market becomes a showcase for Alex’s skills in the kitchen, with friend and business partner CF Hawkins pressed into dessert service to create a series of sweet, layered jar offerings. Well, all my pack of tasters and I can say is, “Bow, WOW.”
Lolita’s is a gem. Kelly has grown their selection to shelves of 70 wines priced from $20 to $40, each available by the glass. There is no list, just carefully curated vino with an enthusiastic and charming guide to expand your horizons. Wino Wednesdays are particularly special, because they feature five fine wines at $5 a pop.
The food is terrific, too, which comes as no surprise when you find out Alex’s street cred. His résumé includes stints at both Castile and Annata, as well as in the kitchen of superstar chef José Andrés’s avant-garde Miami restaurant, The Bazaar. Even though The Bazaar is a modernist cuisine mecca, Rodriguez’s food is more reminiscent of Andrés’s D.C. flagship, Jaleo, a pioneer in bringing the tapas small-plate craze to the U.S.
The menu for the table is a checklist that allows you to place your order by ticking boxes. What’s the charcuterie platter of your dreams? You’ve got a choice of nine meats and 12 cheeses ($3 to market price), plus 23 accoutrements ($2 each) and tiny spreadable jars ($6 to $8) to build your DIY creation. Oh, what fun!
Platters include local, carefully sourced ciabatta and light, crisp rice crackers. We choose Wood River Creamery Black Truffle Cheddar, presented as a row of bite-size bricks; the other end of the platter is a generous serving of the impossibly luscious Délice de Bourgogne Triple Cream. At the center is a small jar of whipped foie gras, with a touch of peanut butter topped with sweet jelly that's a welcome accent to the rich mousse. We add a tranche of silky truffle mousse pâté, and, after much discussion and wringing of hands, narrow the necessary accoutrements to a scrumptious bourbon-bacon tomato jam and a chunk of ever-reliable sweet honeycomb. The creamy smoked salmon jar has accents of orange zest, tarragon, roe and a giant caper berry. It’s all sublime.
There’s also a series of interesting panini, salads and small plates. Gambas al vino is flat-out scrumptious. Plump, juicy shrimp shimmer in a complex wine sauce brimming with blistered cherry tomatoes, chimichurri, shishito peppers and an accent of spicy chorizo butter. It comes topped with two beautiful slices of an airy, open-crumb country loaf toasted and brushed with a slick of fragrant olive oil for dipping in the sauce — you don’t want to miss a drop.
Burrata salad features a ball of that most-seductive soft cheese on a bed of peppery arugula and crisp colorful radicchio in a pomegranate vinaigrette. It’s finished with a luscious honey-roasted peach half, fragrant with cardamom and supporting a twist of salty prosciutto reaching for the sky. Cutting through the layers to get a taste of every element is magical. My table is all smiles.
The avocado toast is almost too pretty to eat, but we manage to overcome our reluctance. Its juxtaposition of flavors and textures is delightful. Crisp bread contrasts with creamy avocado mash laced with roasted strawberries and balsamic caviar, which is garnished with pretty slices of variegated pink-and-cream-colored watermelon radish chips that stand on end in the soft topping.
While the desserts are good, they’re less transporting. In the jar with triple chocolate decadence, the dulce de leche gets lost in the mousse-like middle, rendering each spoonful one-dimensional. Now, when that’s chocolate, it’s not so bad, but if you tease me with the promise of the gooey, heavenly caramel that is dulce de leche, I want it to announce itself. Another small jar of coconut tres leche fairs better. It’s sweet and moist, and the coconut accent provides a contrasting texture and flavor component.
On the last Sunday of each month, Alex gets to strut his stuff with a special wine dinner with Kelly providing the perfect pairings. I must say, I can’t wait. If past is prologue, then these affairs promise to be special, indeed.
CL Food Critic Jon Palmer Claridge dines anonymously when reviewing. Check out the explanation of his rating system, or email him at food@creativeloafing.com.
