The BauerHour, with your host San Francisco Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer, decides to file on Lalola, the six-month-old traditional tapas joint on the corner of Mason and Pacific.
Both the food (unmemorable but "satisfying") and wine ("drinkable" but "boring") are simply passable, adding up to a pair of stars, but the real prize is the charming ambiance: "[Owner Kevin Davis] and the staff have created such a convivial attitude that it has the vibe of a neighborhood bar. It's a restaurant fueled by passion and it feels like Spain and San Francisco all rolled into one."
Bauer explores the authenticity of the restaurant even further. He wonders if a string of tourists, who walked into the restaurant while he was eating, would be equally satisfied with the food if they found Lalola on the streets of Cordoba.
"Authenticity is a controversial subject, but good food and hospitality aren't," he writes. "To me, Lalola feels like something that could be in Spain, yet also is at home in San Francisco."
The restaurant seats about 35 people and has a limited menu, according to Bauer, but for now he gives it a passing grade.
