CITYSCENE
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Et Al
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Ceri Smith opened Biondivino in 2006, a wine shop specializing in artisanal producers from
across Italy. When she decided to open a "wine salon" around the corner, she included some
of her other interests, specifically Champagne, Sherry, Georgian wines and German and
Austrian riesling. The space may be prim and diminutive–a mere 34 seats–but she manages
to pack in plenty of depth: a dozen Extra Bruts, a multi-vintage trove of Knoll rieslings from the
Wachau, plus around ten Madieras by the glass, going back to the 1907 D'Oliveiras Malvasia.
Guests have the option of drinking the Georgian wines out of traditional clay piyalas rather
than stemware, which seems to heighten the resinous, earthy tones of these qvevri-aged wines.
Smith teamed up with Amaryll Schwertner and Lori Regis of Boulettes Larder to stock the
kitchen: small snacks like almonds and hummus to accompany the more rustic wines, and on
to caviar, immaculate tinned seafood from Conservas de Cambados and, perhaps, cassoulet
with duck confit for those in search of a sumptuous evening.
—Luke Sykora
Et Al., 2255 Polk St., San Francisco; 415-655-3155,
etalsf.com (reviewed W&S, 02/13)
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Wo Hing General Store
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Shrimp dumplings aren’t hard to find in San Francisco, but Wo Hing General Store is perhaps the only place where you’ll find ten German rieslings to drink with your ha gau. Opened by Charlie Phan of Slanted Door fame, Wo Hing offers a stylish take on Chinese street food. While the space itself is clearly 21st century—bold collage-like paintings spice up the walls and the music selection tends toward indie rock—the kitchen delivers classic, unfussy dishes: poached chicken with ginger sauce, braised mushrooms with glass noodles, wonton soup and several flavors of jook. Beyond riesling, Chaylee Priete’s list offers an eclectic range of choices, from Moncuit Champagne to acid-driven reds from Alto Adige and Chinon. She also provides a focused selection of local producers that fall into the loosely defined “natural wine” camp: wineries like Broc, A Donkey & Goat, Edmund St. John and Natural Process Alliance. After dinner, unwind with one of several vintage-dated pu-erh teas.
—Luke Sykora
Wo Hing General Store, 585 Valencia St.; 415-552-2510,
wohinggeneralstore.com (reviewed W&S, 04/12)
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AQ
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Integrated into the exposed brick and high ceilings of a former factory, AQ brings some buzz to a section of the mid-Market neighborhood that’s still rough around the edges. The concept is seasonal to the extreme: The menu changes with the seasons, of course, but so does the décor. The winter solstice brought white tablecloths, white wainscoting and light fixtures that look like clustered snowballs, while chef Mark Liberman prepared satisfying, precise dishes such as seabass with a crackling skin served over a silky potato croquette and a neat, succulent square of boudin noir with chestnuts and quince. Instead of the expected trophy wines—you can count the red Burgundies and Napa cabernets on one hand—beverage director Kristen Capella worked with consultant Jesse Becker, MS, to focus on lively, artisanally produced wines from both classic and emerging regions. The choices range from the Mosel to California’s Anderson Valley, with two pages dedicated to the Loire, and a surprising amount of interesting options under $40. Soon, there will be a whiskey lounge on the restaurant’s lower level, too.
—L.S.
AQ, 1085 Mission St., San Francisco; 415-341-9000,
aq-sf.com (reviewed W&S, 04/12)
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Mosto
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Photo by Liza Gershman
Inspired by Mexico City’s Tequila and mezcal bars, the traditional stop for a quick drink and a botana (small bite), restaurateur Joe Hargrave and his team have created Mosto. Named after the term for fermenting agave juice, the diminutive space is stocked with over 300 bottles of Tequila, mezcal and sotol, a rustic and slightly vegetal spirit distilled from the Desert Spoon evergreen. There’s a short list of cocktails, but the focus is on the spirits themselves, available by the glass or five-ounce carafe. All come with a traditional shot of house-made sangrita and an escabeche “pickle-back,” additions that whet the palate for the impressively good tacos al pastor or con nopales that come off the spit and griddle at the front of the bar.
—Lou Bustamante
Mosto, 741 Valencia St. (at 18th St.), San Francisco; 415-626-1344,
mostosf.com (reviewed W&S, 02/12)
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Cotogna
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Cotogna is chef/owner Michael Tusk's second restaurant, located next door to his first, the local icon
Quince, on San Francisco's original Barbary Coast. The glowing fires from the brick pizza oven and the
imported Italian rotisserie create a deliciously inviting dining room, both visually and aromatically.
Add to that a $24 prix fixe, three-course menu and wine director David Lynch's all-Italian, all-$40-a-bottle
wine list, and it is easy to understand Cotogna's popularity. Grab a seat at the copper-topped bar for
Dungeness crab with avocado and radish and a glass of the 2009 Colle Massari Melacce Montecucco Vermentino,
or start on a bottle of De Forville's 2008 Langhe Nebbiolo while watching your pork shank turn on the spit.
—Devon Magee
Cotogna, 490 Pacific Ave. (at Montgomery St.); 415-775-8508,
cotognasf.com (reviewed W&S, 10/11)
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Boxing Room
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Photo by Liza Gershman
The vibe is relaxed, the food is fried (well, only half the menu), the oysters are fresh and the bar is hopping
at this new arrival from the group behind Absinthe in Hayes Valley. The former Citizen Cake space, stripped down
to wooden beams, has been reborn with a Cajun/Creole menu by Louisiana native Justin Simoneaux. An open kitchen
turns out New Orleans favorites like fried chicken, crawfish étoufée and po'boys. At the zinc bar that meanders
along the back of the room, folks happily slurp things marine. Families settle into roomy booths, groups share
hush puppies and boudin balls at the larger tables where suits and messenger bags mingle until midnight. There's
an impressive array of brews available on tap or in bottle, but don't overlook Ian Becker's compact, intelligent
and reasonably priced wine list, which is also perfectly in tune with the food. He offers 14 wines on tap or by
the glass, including Zocker Edna Valley Grü ner Veltliner and the biodynamic Qupé Sawyer-Lindquist Vineyard Syrah.
For the record: Eric Texier's Brézème Roussanne and Marcel Lapierre Morgon work just fine with fried alligator.
—Barbara Haimes
Boxing Room, 399 Grove St. (at Gough); 415-430-6590,
boxingroomsf.com (reviewed W&S, 10/11)
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Locanda
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Photo by Eric Wolfinger
Locanda, Italian for "guest house," describes Craig and Annie Stoll's comfortable Roman-inspired osteria in the
heart of the Mission District. The Delfina owners set their newest dining room in front of an open kitchen with
a wood-fired grill, anchored by a ten-seat communal table. Chef Anthony Strong's menu showcases a range of housemade
pastas, including toothsome cuscini (little pillows) stuffed with gulf shrimp and topped with creamy burrata. The
Quinto Quarto (fifth quarter) section features bold dishes like the trippa served with tomato, chickpeas, pecorino
and mint, as well as oxtails alla vaccinara. Beverage director Chris Wright has filled the taps with domestic wines
and the list with wines from regions conquered by the Roman empire (that includes Rioja, Champagne and Austria's
Kamptal, in addition to all of Italy).
—Chelsea Englund
Locanda, 557 Valencia St. (btw. 16th and 17th Sts); 415-863-6800,
locandasf.com (reviewed W&S, 10/11)
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Plum
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At Plum, Daniel Patterson's Oakland outpost, servers and cooks may wear black and multiple dining parties
may share the long wooden tables, but like its forbearer Coi, this jewel box-sized spot serves food that
is both pure and ingredient-driven. The compact Modernist menu is divided into primordial themes such
as "grains" and "animal"; that might mean pork on a bed of crisped spaetzle blended with bits of trotter,
or pea panisses on yogurt and smoked farm egg with quinoa, zucchini and shishito. All are complemented by
the list of slightly edgy, mostly Old World wines, available "by the flask" as well as by the glass and
bottle—think Delarche Pernand-Vergelesses or the Kerner from Cantina Valle Isarco. When the construction
project next door is completed, the restaurant will be adding a full bar to serve up their own take on
distinctive artisan cocktails.
—Barbara Haimes
Plum, 2214 Broadway, Oakland, CA; 510-444-7586,
plumoakland.com (reviewed W&S, 10/11)
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Alexander's Steakhouse
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Alexander's is one big wink to the steakhouse genre. Given the bull's silhouette on the signage, the
brick-and-glass exterior suggests an evening spent with a baked potato and a massive porterhouse. But
one look at the menu, where ingredients like sea beans and matsutake abound, and it becomes clear that
tradition is about to be upended. As the bartender points out, Alexander's is a "Japanese restaurant
that happens to serve steak." Chef Jeffrey Stout's prime rib is indeed a classic slab of tender beef,
served in its own jus with horseradish on the side—but, in a nod to his Japanese heritage, he pairs it
with a hamachi sushi "shot." There are short ribs, but here they come tempura-fried; in addition to
creamed spinach, there are truffle-buttered edamame and miso eggplant. Likewise, Johnny Slamon's
extensive, globe-spanning wine list offers familiar steakhouse staples (read: cabernet) peppered with
intriguing options—say, a duo of Rioja blancos from López de Heredía or an array of German rieslings.
Add in a notable sake list and a collection of artisan cocktails that make generous use of Japanese
whiskeys, and it's clear this isn't your dad's steakhouse.
—Jesse Hirsch
Alexander's Steakhouse, 448 Brannan (at 3rd St.); 415-495-1111,
alexanderssteakhouse.com (reviewed W&S, 10/11)
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Bluestem Brasserie
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From its geometric wood floor to its gray banquettes, Bluestem exudes mid-20th century modern. The svelte
advertising executives of AMC's Mad Men would probably feel quite at home here. Or would they? Because
this steakhouse is no mere throwback, nor is it a stuffy boy's club. Instead of a traditional martini,
that young woman in the lounge is sipping a Salt Lick, a potent concoction of Zubrowska vodka, Noilly
Prat Dry and caper berry brine, garnished with a plump caper berry. The steak tartare, tangy with
Worcestershire sauce, also flirts with nostalgia while adding some contemporary touches: a quail egg
on top, a handful of mâ che, a drizzle of pistachio oil. While cocktails might better drive home the
early-1960s fantasy, owner Adam Jed and bar manager Matt Cleave have compiled a trim wine list that
yields California classics from the likes of Ridge, Mount Eden and Heitz, with a few choice imports
slipped in (William Fèvre Chablis, Graillot Crozes-Hermitage Blanc) to appease more Eurocentric
palates. There are also cool, fresh wines on tap. Together with the watermelon salad, the oysters,
the sautéed branzino and the chickpea cake with eggplant caponata, this cosmopolitan steakhouse can
satisfy even those who shy away from red meat.
—Luke Sykora
Bluestem, One Yerba Buena Lane; 415-547-1111,
bluestembrasserie.com (reviewed W&S, 10/11)
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Leopold's
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Confronted by five-litre beer boots and lederhosen-clad wait staff, the casual observer couldn't be
faulted for assuming that Leopold's is a German-style brew haus built with a tourist crowd in mind.
After all, Fisherman's Wharf isn't too far away. But when the pig trotter rounds arrive, served on
a delicate bed of frisée with pickled shallots and a quail's egg, this Austrian-styled establishment
betrays surprising nuance. Dishes like the pan-seared trout, wrapped in pancetta and filled with leeks
and garlic purée, bring further sophistication to an antler-heavy dining room reminiscent of an
alpine ski lodge. Pilsners and lagers abound, but Leopold's small wine list, leaning toward Austria and
Northern Italy, is well-chosen. The list is embellished by quirky selections like the 2009 Crnko Maribor
Jarenincan, a zippy, citrus-inflected blend of riesling, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc from Slovenia.
That wine provides an admirable match for crispy speck and arugula flatbread. And if a glass or two of
zweigelt leads to a boot of Bitburger and a round of drinking songs, who are we to judge?
—Jesse Hirsch
Leopold's, 2400 Polk (at Union); 415-474-2000,
leopoldssf.com (reviewed W&S, 10/11)
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Piccino
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Once an unassuming neighborhood café, Piccino has become a Dogpatch neighborhood destination since
moving to a new (and larger) space in late May. On sunny weekend afternoons, light floods through
its raft of west-facing windows. In the center of the minimalist dining room, a long communal table
holds a wooden bowl cradling bright lemons. This approachable, no-frills vibe extends to the kitchen,
where Rachel Sillcocks turns out simple, satisfying Italian-inspired dishes presented with a minimum
of fussiness. While the pizzas don't quite share the dramatically bubbly, thoroughly charred crusts
that seem to be de rigueur for the city's popular pizza spots these days, Piccino's crust is flavorful
and chewy with a satisfying crunch; salads like the little gem and marinated cucumber salad enlivened
with nutty fried capers and a juniper-infused dressing provide a lovely, understated starting point.
Wayne Garci, husband of co-owner Sher Rogat, builds Piccino's wine list mostly from selections he sells
next door at his DIG wine shop—which explains the focus on artisanal French and Italian wines. Head
for the fleshy yet rainwater-clean pinot nero bianco from Vercesi del Castellazzo in Lombardy, or spring
for a bottle of the vibrant and sunny COS Frappato. Since Dogpatch is a bit out of the way, you may as
well make an afternoon of it. Grab a cup of coffee at Piccino's attached coffee stand, browse the shelves
at DIG and, if kids are in the picture, walk two blocks east to Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous for ice cream cones.
—Luke Sykora
Piccino, 801 22nd St. (at Minnesota);415-824-4224,
piccinocafe.com (reviewed W&S, 10/11)
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Nojo
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"Nojo" is Japanese for "farm," a tip-off that Nojo is serious about the provenance of its ingredients.
A list of "daily nojos" on the menu might boast Prather Ranch (beef tongue), TwoXSea (steelhead) and
Mariquita Farm (squash blossoms) any one day. But this small Hayes Valley izakaya wears its dedication
to quality lightly. Chef/owner Greg Dunmore divides the menu into two categories: "stick" and "not on
a stick." A non-stick dish might include tender squid resting in a sake and butter broth with some
seriously earthy new potatoes and vibrant chrysanthemum greens. The yakitori dishes include an
exceptionally succulent chicken thigh and scallion skewer with a hint of sweet tare and a woodsy char.
To match, head for the sake list, which ranges from the crisp yet open-knit Shichi Hon Yari ("Seven
Spearsmen") to the more deeply savory Genji ("Shining Prince").
—Luke Sykora
Nojo, 231 Franklin St. (at Linden); 415-896-4587,
nojosf.com (reviewed W&S, 10/11)
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TXOKO
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Photo by Heath Orchard
Amid the flashy gentlemen's clubs and red sauce Italian joints of North Beach, Txoko stands out as
something of an anomaly. Whimsical murals. Basque-influenced cooking. Tasteful lighting. Think of
it as a refuge from all things neon. For the last two years owners Ian Begg and Ryan Maxxey have
been running a wildly successful sandwich shop, Naked Lunch, with a rotating menu of upscale fare
(their signature sandwich is foie gras and duck prosciutto). When the Italian restaurant next door
shut down, the duo quickly took over, converting the space into a restaurant and wine bar. As at
Naked Lunch, the elaborately crafted menu changes regularly; late summer highlights included grilled
quail over mushrooms and dandelion greens in a braised garlic sauce, and pan-seared scallops adrift
in a sea of sweet corn, sea beans and potato coulis. The food is made all that much more satisfying
with a glass of wine off the list, a tight selection of Iberian pours focused on getting the mouth
watering: think Txakoli, Basque cider, Fino and Vinho Verde.
—Jesse Hirsch
Txoko, 504 Broadway (at Kearny); 415-500-2744,
txokosf.com (reviewed W&S, 10/11)
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Ippuku
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Photo by Mitsue Nagase
Ippuku is a veritable temple to umami.
Dinner in the narrow, gently lit space begins with a wedge of raw cabbage and dipping sauce, a revelation
in the potential of Brassicaceae. Then there are the salty skewers of bold chicken heart and toothsome
gizzard as the woodsy smell of burning charcoal wafts through the dining room. Or the house-made pickles,
which include a bonito-laced preparation of kelp so deep and savory that it is could be mistaken for
preserved beef. This is tough food for wine, or even sake, so chef/owner Christian Geiderman has gathered
some 30 shochus—over half of the bottlings available Stateside, he estimates. Dry and palate cleansing,
the spirits cut through the fatty grilled meats like a knife, readying the palate for the next skewer—and
you'll want many. There's even a shochu to match the pickles: Yufuin Black, barley-based and rendered
slightly smoky by a stay in used whisky barrels.
—Luke Sykora
Ippuku, 2130 Center St., Berkeley, CA; 510-665-1969,
ippukuberkeley.com (reviewed W&S, 10/11)
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