Lolinda

Lolinda Restaurant Review:

Long, heavy wood communal tables, high ceilings and an almost forced Mission hipness define the ambience of this Argentinean-inspired steakhouse. Many dishes are meant for sharing in classic tapas style, and chimichurri is as common here (as it is in Argentina) as salt on a typical table. Skirt steaks, rib-eyes and other meaty treats shine, and crispy-smooth bone marrow crostini is especially popular. Small dishes, many of them meatless, are a mixed bag: we found the yuca-ricotta croquetas dull, while empanadas with various fillings charmed both the palate and eye. A puffy-crusted pastel de vegetales --- aka vegetable potpie --- is a colorful, multi-textured meal unto itself. For dessert, try the exotic calamansi sorbet or tres leches: sweet milk-bathed sponge cake topped with sassy coffee ice cream. An extensive wine list is augmented by apéritifs and signature cocktails such as the Bergen Street, comprising aquavit, gin, lime, vanilla, Galliano and absinthe. The neighborhood's gritty sidewalk culture might motivate some diners to opt for valet parking.