Reaching the 10-year mark in any business is a huge achievement, especially considering that restaurants in Orange County often close down before they’ve had a chance to remove their tacky “Grand Opening” banners and half the eateries that do make it kinda suck. Lola Gaspar recently celebrated their decade-long march into our hearts with a menu that reads like a Greatest Hits compilation of all their favorite dishes. Since opening in the fall of ‘08 they’ve supplied Downtown Santa Ana with a seemingly endless supply of their fruit-forward sangria, daytime viewings of World Cup matches that we can only slightly remember, and a smorgasbord of food that transported us from our normal California cuisines to the heart of Barcelona’s gothic quarter.
While attending their recent birthday extravaganza and knowing that I would be imbibing college level amounts of alcohol, I had to line my stomach with a proper meal before things got out of hand. After a suggestion from the man himself, Chef/Owner Luis Perez, my order was in and the pre-roll I brought along was the perfect aperitif to kickstart my meal.
The dish is simple, a hearty amount of bright green brussels sprouts sous vide to perfection in the chefs own chipotle butter, then cooked until crispy and tossed in a tamarind soy vinaigrette. The veggies are then plated and topped with pickled red onions and coriander for good measure. It’s delicious and we dare you to try and split it with someone without having second thoughts about ordering another. Downtown Santa Ana is just minutes away from OC’s “green zone” so you’ll have plenty of options to pick up before heading into Lola’s dark dining room to see why we named this dish our first favorite for Munchie Mondaze.
Lola Gaspar
211 W 2nd st.
Santa Ana, Ca
92701
Jefferson Matthew VanBilliard is a leo that enjoys all things cannabis and is just trying his best. He let us know that although the desert will always be his home you can find him on Fourth St. in Santa Ana battle rapping teenagers or at the local high school where he coaches girls varsity volleyball without anyone’s permission.