The antipasti caused the most sticker shock for folks, especially the Bonita Applebaum, a wispy layer of tuna carpaccio for $16. The tapas-portion bowls of pasta are $16 to $17. The 10-inch pizzas, enough to slightly overfeed one person, range from $15 to $19 dollars. Potato croquettes and broccolini are two of the antipasti offerings at Lola. (That Lola is a descendent of Pelaccio’s late, lamented Fatty Crab and Somer’s Freeman is clear.) Make no mistake: This is thoughtful, complex food executed at a high level. This isn’t Louie’s Pizza down the block where you pick up a couple slices while running errands. It’s not necessarily expensive either, measured on the current spectrum of Hudson Valley restaurant menu pricing, but you’re paying for premium pizza, pasta, and antipasti in a swank and swinging joint conceptualized by (now self-exiled) New York City tastemakers Zak Pelaccio and Taavo Somer.

So, let’s talk pricing first: Lola is not cheap. What was it like? How was the food? How was the pizza?!? The results of my intelligence gathering were fairly consistent-smartly designed spot, tasty wood-fired pizza, well-trained wait staff, but…the prices were a little, um, high for the amount of food you were served.

Prior to eating at Lola in Kingston earlier this week, I kept pestering people around town, asking if they had eaten at the new pizza place that opened on New Year’s Day.

The Margherita pizza expresses chef Zach Wade's commitment to simplicity and quality ingredients.

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