Lolinda (2518 Mission Street), the new Argentinian-inspired restaurant from local restaurateur Adriano Paganini (Beretta, Starbelly, Super Duper) that’s housed in the cavernous space formerly home to Medjool, is better than we expected. Not that we thought it would be bad, but steak and chimichurri sauce aren’t hard to do right, and we weren’t expecting much else. Alas, there is much else to be excited about, including this salad.
It’s billed as ensalada de lentejas, and it’s a room-temperature dish of well seasoned beluga lentils, burnt vegetables, red pepper, frisée, and almonds. The vegetables, primarily zucchini when we had it, add interesting notes, and it’s dressed with just enough tart acid to make the whole thing sing.
The meat boards, with things like blood sausage, New York steak, and pork chops still smoky from the asador, are delicious too, and excellently cooked. But it’s always the dish we’re least expecting to love, like this salad, that delight us most when they’re this delicious.
Earlier on Actually Pretty Awesome:
Seared Salmon and Mussel Mashed Potatoes at Bisou
The Meatloaf at Jamber
Carrots at Commonwealth
Turducken at Honor Bar
Beggar’s Chicken at Betelnut
Lobster Bread Pudding and Smoked Cod at Maverick
Sand Dabs at Bar Jules
Green Farro-Sausage Risotto at RN74
Vegan Charctuerie at Gather
Pickled Eggs at St. Vincent
Beef Tongue at Namu Gaji
Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken at Brasa
Green Garlic Bread at State Bird Provisions
A Dinner of Small Plates and the Duck Confit Salad at Frances
Duck Fat Chex Mix at Truck Stop Café
The Lamb Tongue Salad at Txoko
The Branzino and the Cucumber and Scallops at AQ
Dinner at Local Mission Eatery
Suckling Pig Sandwich at Sweet Woodruff
Crudités at Saison
The Roasted Broccoli Sandwich at Split Pea Seduction
George Mendes’s Partridge in a Pear Tree
The Buffalo Burger at Double Decker
A Preview of Dishes at Haven
Alicia’s Tamales Los Mayas
The Cocktails at Outerlands
The Meatball Gigante and the Honey Pie at Tony’s Pizza
Three New Gins from St. George Spirits
The Date Night at Sneaky’s BBQ
Crab and Dumplings at Pican
The Fried-Chicken Sliders at The Lookout
The Tripe and the Pickles at Bar Tartine
Fried Chicken and Cornmeal Doughnuts at Beast & the Hare
