Lolo, Vancouver

he trend toward comfort and rusticity has become rampant in the restaurant world, especially on the east coast. I’m not sure if this shift in design and food is the result of a recession-based fear that homelessness is imminent or, if its just because east coasters like to pretend, however transitorily, that they have a small bit of a propensity for warmth. But in the West Coast warmth and rusticity is not a contrivance, it’s built into the topography and, as a result, this agrarian, lay of the land attitude is bred into its inhabitants. So, in other words, rustic restaurants are not a trend in the Vancouver restaurant industry, but a natural component of it. It seems to me, then, that Lolo, a new low-key spot that prides itself on proffering up simple and unpretentious small plates and charcuterie is not going to blow away Van-city (nor does it intend to); rather, it will naturally fit in, just fine.

Unlike the mountains, Lolo did not just miraculously pop-up. The Vancouver restaurant, set in a location that has been quite unlucky, took over the space of a bar operation that had food as mainly an afterthought. Although, the current owner, Michael Moller, is a veteran sommelier, having been a prize winner in the industry for over 30 years, Lolo is bipartisan in its commingling of food and wine.

Currently, the charcuterie is predominantly sourced from local favorite JN&Z Deli, who use no additives and cold smoke everything in a closet-sized smoker. The expected roster of strange cured meats includes: head cheese, Polish sausage, mild salumi, ham, pepper loaf, pancetta salami and mild cacciatore. The Vancouver restaurant has a wide variety of farmhouse, natural cheeses including: bufala, Comox brie, and Amsterdammer, Agassiz bleu Benedictin from Quebec, as well as a lengthy international list sourced by the aptly named Cheeseman in North Vancouver. In the future, head chef, Oscar Aguilar plans to cure his own meats but for now he focuses on a circulating menu which ccasionally features pork rillettes, silky chicken liver terrine with port gelée, and flatbreads, as well as a variety of dipping sauces and spreads including: tamarind chutney, peach chutney, mustard puree, dukkah, gewurztraminer gelée, fig and black olive tapenade, and many more.

Lolo is also starting to do their own pickling, for now featuring pickled cabbage, grapes and rhubarb. Speaking of pickling, the wine list, designed by Moller himself, currently has 60 wines on the card and 12 available by the glass. In the future, however, Moller plans to build his list to feature 200 wines.

All in all, the rustic, small-scale restaurant that is Lolo offers no fancy plating or culinary contrivances, it is what it is: a North Van eatery with large-scale staying power.

Address: 100 East 2nd Street, Vancouver, BC
Contact: 778-340-6655
Cuisine: Charcuterie
Area: North Vancouver
Venue: Restaurant
Hours: Tues,
Thu.& Sun. 4:30pm. – 10:00 pm
Fri., Sat. 4:30pm – 10:30pm
Price Range: $$$ (Within Reach)
Payment: Cash, Master Card, Visa

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