The salmon and zucchini noodles with basil pesto.
Spicy chorizo soup
Following a dream to open a restaurant can sometimes be the stuff of nightmares, writes Ingrid Shevlin.
LOLA’S BISTRO
Quarters Hotel, 101 Florida road, Durban
Call: 031 828 7011
I can usually predict the chances of success of a new restaurant on my first visit.
It’s pretty much guaranteed if the restaurateur has a proven track record. At the other end of the scale are the enthusiastic cooks who have no nil experience in the industry, but have invested their savings in a new restaurant because their friends love their cooking. And it’s their dream. And they know it’s going to be fun and easy. It won’t. I usually give them six months.
Somewhere in between is a venue like Lola’s Bistro, which can go either way.
Lola is a new restaurant run by a charming young woman called Lisa, whose nickname is Lola. Lisa isn’t quite sure how she ended up being called Lola, but she liked it enough to use it for her restaurant.
Lisa/Lola dreamed of opening her own restaurant from the age of eight. On the way to achieving this she first opened a coffee shop in Umhlanga and then Lola’s Bistro about a month ago. So, although she has some experience, and her food holds promise, she will have to work hard to make Lola’s work in an over-traded market. And she could. She’s determined enough.
