Last night, Mal and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner with our friends Rob and Colleen at Hola Flatbreads and Tapas in Marshfield.
When we first arrived at the restaurant, Mal and I thought: Oh, crap, this place is in a strip mall. Of course, not every restaurant located in a strip mall is terrible, but we were a little worried we picked a bad place for dinner.
Well, as soon as we walked in, our assumptions immediately changed. Hola was adorable and cozy””both inside and out””so we grabbed a table on the outdoor patio. (When the sun set, one of the servers started a fire in the outdoor fireplace. It was quite nice.)
The food at Hola was also really great. The four of us loved everything we tried, especially the curry fried green beans””we ate two orders.
Also delicious: Roasted dates and bacon with mango vinegar and radicchio.
Avocado with queso fresco cheese and mojo sauce.
Crab cakes with avocado and lemon aioli.
Chicken empanadas with corn and black beans.
Steamed clams with chorizo, garlic, white wine, and scallions.
The ladies:
The guys:
After our first round of food, we were still hungry, so we ordered a grilled flatbread with mushrooms, asparagus, Manchego, and truffle oil. Manchego + truffle oil = best thing ever. We devoured it in a matter of minutes, so we immediately ordered a second one. I’d go to Hola again just for their flatbreads. Holy amazing.
M & T:
Mal, Colleen, Rob, and me – thanks for a fun night, guys!
I loved Hola and definitely recommend it to the South Shore folks. Don’t judge a book by its cover!
Question of the Day
Which would you rather eat for dinner: flatbread or tapas?
50 Comments
Yum! Looks like so much fun! I bet you could find a recipe to recreate the flatbread at home, too!
All of those dishes look delicious!!! Looks like a great night out.
One of our favorite places! We were there Saturday night. Next time try the steak empanadas and the fig/gorganzola flatbread. Yum!
Wow! That place looks amazing! I admit I totally tend to judge strip mall restaurants at first glance but this is just proof that you can tell from one first impression! If I’m ever in Marshfield, I am going here!
That place looks REALLY good. I think I may love every picture you just posted.
I’ve been wanting to try a flat bread pizza on the grill. I bet that would be awesome.
That looks amazing!
I have found that some of the best most authentic restaurants are a little sketchy looking on the outside, just adds to the ambiance 🙂
What fun! I love tapas restaurants because you get to try so many different things. Glad you ended up enjoying this one.
What’s up with stank eye in the background of your last photo? Ha!
P.S. I hope you don’t know her or else I sound like a total rude face.
Haha! I don’t know! I noticed that too!
Wish I lived there so I can try it out! Go strip mallin’ more often. Many start ups can’t afford a free standing building and are going to strip malls to hope to establish a name for themselves until they can afford a better location.
wow all of those tapas look amazing! i’m obsessed with manchego cheese!
Ditto! It’s my favorite cheese!
Roasted dates with bacon? Yes please! Everything else looks awesome too.
I usually feel the same way about restaurants in strip malls too – but my favourite restaurant is located in one! And it’s actually the highest rated restaurant in our city.
Flatbread! Only because I never seem to end up feeling satisfied when I go for tapas! (And you end up drinking way too much!)
Looks delicious! I’ve found some of my favorite restuarants in strip malls. The NY Times agrees 🙂 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/11/dining/an-economists-theories-plot-a-course-for-good-food.html
I love tapas because I’m so indecisive!! Everything looks amazing!!
I’m always a little wary of restaurants in stip malls, too…. but I’m glad it turned out well for you guys! All that food looks amazing!!
Those tapas look so yummy! I prefer tapas.
OH my, that flatbread looks amazing. Wish I lived close enough to go there.
Having lived in Spain, I should say tapas, but I pick flatbread. I had a really good one last week at an out-to-dinner–whole grain flatbread, hummus, roasted veggies, arugula. Yum!
Yummy! I’d go for flat bread. I’m not a big tapas fan. Your friend’s shirt and necklace are too cute!
definitely a cute little spot!!! that empanada look awesome.
I’ve had flatbread before (ha – just typed flatbeard – that’s a Friday for ya!) but never tapas. Glad the place was a winner. The chicken empanadas looked amazing!
I would go to that place in an instant! Tapas and flatbreads are just my thing! Plus, it just reminds me of home. Give me a little bit of pan sobao, manchego cheese and a slab of salami and it feels like I’m a kid again… except I don’t eat pork products anymore. /sigh 🙂
lol tapas! I’m gluten intolerant! haha
I’m a meal kind of person. No finger foods for me! Its fun though when going out with a group! Everything you ordered looks amazing!!!
~Ang
you girls could pass for sisters!!!!!!
Ummm YUMMMMY! I love flatbreads! That sounds/looks amazing.
Looking at all of that delicious food is making me HUNGRY! I’ve never had Tapas, so I guess I would rather have that just so I could try ’em?
Mmm definitely flatbreads for me 🙂
Oh my everything looks delicious!!
I’ve never had tapas but there’s plenty of those restaurants here I’d like to try.
I’m sitting here drooling at my desk at 8am! This restaurant looks amazing! I absolutely love tapas. How was the roasted dates and bacon dish? I wouldn’t think to put those flavors together.
Soooo amazing! I wish we had ordered a second one!
those tapas look yum! small plates are the best because you get to eat 100000 things and feel like you got to sample the entire menu.
Agreed! 🙂
Everything looks so amazing! Tapas are the way to go–small samplings of lots of foods!
I love the variety of last night’s meal. Not to mention your dress. Where did you get this dress???!!!
Target! 🙂
Yay! I love Target. Thank you!
that food all looks amazing!! I love flatbreads.
You guys find the best places. I’m always drooling over all your eats!
Everything looks so good! While I’m definitely a fan of flatbreads, I think I’d have to choose tapas since you can get a taste of more things!
YUM! Looks like you guys had some great eats!
flatbread or tapas…making me choose between two or my favourites!
I’d probably pick tapas, just because I’m the sort of person who insists on trying a bite of everyone’s dinner – if you go for tapas that’s 100% acceptable. 🙂
So glad you liked Hola! (i forgot to mention it was in a strip mall….oops! haha) The curry fried green beans and flatbreads are my favorite!!!! 🙂
Roasted dates? Wow that sounds like it’d be great! Maybe even with oatmeal 🙂
Flatbread all the way! I’m not really a tapas person…probably because I don’t like sharing my food! ha
Why is truffle oil the most amazing thing in the world!
I have to say tapas because flatbreads normally have cheese on them, and I do not eat cheese.