Vintage, modern and delicious

The old town center located along Elk Grove Boulevard is rapidly developing into a destination. Lined with interesting restaurants and other shops, it features a mix of old favorites such as Bob’s Club and newer gems such as Lola’s Lounge.

Lola’s hardly seems like a newcomer, however, thanks to the more than 20 years of experience behind it. Owners Annette Serrano and Tito Class recently relocated from Seattle, where they ran a restaurant until 2013.

The 1885-era building alone is worth a visit, since it housed the Elk Grove Brewery for many years. The new owners have done a clever remodel that matches the menu’s old-meets-new theme and features bare brick and exposed rafters as well some bright red modern design touches.

Chef Charlie Harrison’s food brings together Latin American favorites with modern presentations. The menu is wide-ranging, embracing cuisines from Spanish-speaking countries. There are Spanish tapas, for example, including bacalao, a buttery mash of potatoes and salt cod served in a mortar with toast and Spanish olive oil. The waitress advised us that it had a strong fish flavor, but we found the bacalao to be fairly mild and perfectly smooth, with a delicious touch of fresh thyme.

Caribbean-style tostones arrived drizzled with chimichurri honey, an inspired touch of sweet and sour. While the texture is less crisp than expected, the fried plantains are nonetheless addictive finger food.

Argentinean-styled empanadas are exquisitely flaky and crisp, encasing juicy shredded beef and chopped hard-boiled egg. A garnish of cilantro puree adds the perfect balance of fresh herb.

A generous portion of cubed raw tuna is gorgeously presented with fried rice crackers dusted with chile and Szechuan pepper. Eaten with a smear of aioli and a sprinkle of “caviar” from finger limes, the tuna tasted ultra fresh. It’s a standout on the menu.

Lola’s Plato de Quesos is one of the most interesting cheese plates in the area. Arranged on a wooden tray with four compartments, it included Catalan mató, a fresh cheese similar to ricotta, served with honey and a crisp cracker. Blue cabrales and aged castellano sheep’s cheese garnished with spicy mustard, green olives and sweet apple complete the lineup.

Entrees include Catalan flatbread pizzas based on Spanish coca, a flaky yeast bread often topped with sugar and pine nuts. At Lola’s, it receives savory treatment with options such as “Tres Quesos.” The mix of Mexican cotija and Spanish manchego boost the mildness of mozzarella for one of the best cheese pizzas around. Fresh oregano tops it off.

Another night, we tried a calabaza pizza, with roasted squash, spinach and sage. The spinach was somewhat scant, but the sweetness of the squash balanced the salty cheese nicely.

While we hardly had room, we sampled ropa vieja, a Cuban dish of stewed shredded beef and tomatoes over rice with black beans. Delicious, but it was overshadowed by the more impressive appetizers.

A bocadillo sandwich, on the other hand, wowed us with juicy shredded pork, chipotle and freshly pickled vegetables. Huge sweet potato fries accompanied it.

There’s a thoughtful selection of affordable wines and local beers available, although we discovered later that they also serve unique cocktails. Somehow, that menu never reached us.

Desserts include an ultra-rich brownie served kid-style with ice cream or adult-style with chile. The horchata cheesecake was satiny but not dense. The topping of blueberries didn’t quite match, but added an acidic note.

The servers still need to attend to details like flatware and adequate ingredient descriptions, although they are friendly and prompt. The food at Lola’s, though, is already top-notch and rarely misses the mark.