EAT Everyday: Another Tasty Lunch at Gjelina

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Another Tasty Lunch at Gjelina

We took my mom out for lunch at Gjelina on Abbott Kinney on her actual birthday on Tuesday. Lunch is my favorite meal at Gjelina during the summertime; it's so pleasant to sit outside on the patio, and we had the most comfortable table in the place with cushioned chairs and benches and a good height table, with plenty of room and umbrellas overhead for shade. The vibe also seems so much more relaxed at lunchtime and the menu is pretty much the same as dinner. I made a point to order things we hadn't tried before (with the exception of the always amazing lamb burger) and I am happy to report that everything was delicious; fresh, well balanced and very flavorful. We meant to have a light lunch since we've been overindulging the past few days, but we ended up being too stuffed as usual.

Grilled escarole, anchovy caper dressing, red peppers, breadcrumbs and parmesan. I love grilled lettuces and unctuous anchovies. It was a tad salty in bites, but quite delicious

Grilled squid with cucumbers, cantaloupe and arugula with salsa verde. We all loved this dish; it was super light and nimble with bursts of flavor

Chorizo pizza with tomato, fennel, cream, and chili. Meaty and rich; very tasty

Shaved asparagus pizza with sottecenere, egg, garlic, shallot and parmesan. This was the favorite pizza; so spring-ish and lovely. Just wish the truffle flavors from the sottecenere, one of my favorite cheeses, was more pronounced

Charred okra with olives, pinenuts and tomatoes

Mussels with chorizo, confit tomato and white wine. Sauce was rich and creamy, also quite good.

One of my favorite menu items: niman ranch lamb burger with harissa aioli. The lamb is just so juicy and flavorful.

We also had several glasses of their "Visionary" cocktail: champagne with sherry and bitters. It was really delicious; the bitterness and depth of flavor added by the sherry made it a very delightful and refreshing afternoon cocktail.