2.5 Stars for The Federal; Lolita: Frivolous, Fluffy & Fun

Victoria Pesce Elliott calls out The Federal Food, Drink and Provisions for its "wry sense of humor and loads of integrity." About the food, she writes that there are "some unusual combos that are, like new neighbors, worth getting to know." And while VPE seems to genuinely like those neighbors--an enormous list of superlatives in "What Worked," and only two dishes in the "What Didn't Work" column, it doesn't quite reflect when it comes time for her to dole out stars. Bottom line here? 2.5 stars. [Miami.com]

Over in Lee Klein's world, Lolita Cocina and Tequila Bar doesn't wow the reviewer, but he does admit that "the food is better than you might expect." Klein also says that "Lolita is really more of a bar-to-table than farm-to-table kind of place, meaning the quality of tequilas, margaritas, and such is likely given as much attention as the sourcing of pork." Although we don't have photos to prove it, it sounds like the New Times reviewer had a rockin' time at Lolita. He says so himself: "Lolita, after all, is like the cotton candy of Mexican restaurants: frivolous, fluffy, and fun." [MNT]