Lolinda is one of San Francisco’s hottest new restaurants and it’s for good reason. Everything about the Argentinian steakhouse has been well planned out, from the restaurant’s urban design to their creative cocktail menu. Lolinda is part of a larger restaurant group that has brought San Francisco many food gems including Starbelly and Beretta. With sister restaurants like that, you can be most certain you are in good foodie hands. Typically Argentinian food is heavy in meats, but Chef Alejandro Morgan has designed the menu to offer both traditional meats in combination with a lighter California fare. That being said, most of the menu is, or can be, made gluten-free, and you’ll find no shortage of meat and veggie options…
When it came down to ordering, the waiter was nice enough to walk me through the menu making clear which items contained gluten, those that were subject to CC, and those that were gluten-free. The obvious things to avoid were the Empanadas, Croquetas and Hueso Asado that came with a crostini, since these were breaded or served with bread. The less obvious items that can be subject to CC were the Maduro (plantain) since they were cooked on shared pans with gluten. It’s a good rule of thumb to double check with your server about the gluten-free options since there is risk of cross contamination with all the dishes since this is a shared kitchen.
To begin our meal, we started with a few appetizers that were recommended by our server. We began with the Pulpo (octopus) that was definitely one of my favorite items of the night- a NOBREAD must order. The appetizers also included the Alcahofa (artichoke) and Coliflor (cauliflower) that were also wonderful. If you love cauliflower like I do, don’t miss this dish! Our entrees included Lubina (Branzino) and Entrana (skirt steak); both were perfectly cooked. If you eat meat, the steaks are not to be missed– this is a steakhouse after all! I chose to close off the meal on a sweet note with flourless chocolate cake. It was amazing and so nice to be eating a cake, but I would be careful if you are highly sensitive because this cake was made in an area with loads of flour and other gluten-containing ingredients.
You should head to dinner at Lolinda for girls’ night, date night, treat-yourself night, or any other occasion that you fancy. The vibe is great and the food is even better. Us NOBREADers don’t often have the chance to live large and eat cake, but sometimes, especialy at Lolinda, you do.