Hi guys! I’m so sorry I’ve been so quiet lately. I went on a whirlwind trip to San Francisco— a city I last visited 5 years ago. And for 10 days, I explored the city, neighboring wine countries Sonoma and Lake County (I want to introduce you to a new bed and breakfast opening real soon, Stonehouse Wine Cellars— keep reading!), and just ate and ate and ate, and drank loads of wine!
99 Gough Street at Oak, San Francisco, CA 94102. (415) 355-9085. info@richtablesf.com
RICH TABLE: New American dishes creatively crafted from ingredients that we all know so well, i.e. sardine chips with horseradish creme fraiche, porcini doughnuts with a raclette dip– that are still approachable, and most importantly, delicious. They have a Bib Gourmand from Michelin, and a James Beard nomination when they opened in 2013. They recently opened RT Rotisserie, where roasted chicken and meats are available to go.
1529 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115. (415) 795-1272. info@statebirdsf.com
STATE BIRD PROVISIONS: Super cool and delicious North California fare served in small plates and dimsum-style (loved this concept!) So well-priced considering they have a Michelin star, plus received a James Beard award for Best New Restaurant when they opened in 2013. Book way in advance or try your luck lining up as early as 4:30PM as a walk-in. Corkage is $30 (that’s cheap for SF!). And just in case you’re wondering, California’s state bird is the quail. 🙂
1911 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115. (415) 771-7779. info@spqrsf.com
SPQR: This Michelin-starred modern Italian restaurant is known for its pastas. But even if you are avoiding refined carbs (like me), they have refreshing salads (sorry my photos are bad, it was so dark!) and mains. The wine list is purely Italian , and they serve an excellent extra brut prosecco Contratto Millesimato 2011 that rivals some pretty good champers!
3127 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94123. (415) 440-0460
ATELIER CRENN: From the food to service to ambiance, everything was TOP. The menu comes in a poem written by chef-owner Dominique Crenn, where each line corresponds to a course on the menu– modern interpretations of California’s produce. PS They will be opening a wine bar right there, Bar Crenn, in September!With the super cool Dominique Crenn- she was the World’s Best Female Chef for 2016, and you may also have seen her Chef’s Table episode on Netflix!
20 Yerba Buena Ln, San Francisco, CA 94103. (415) 744-5000. office@pressclubsf.com
PRESS CLUB: Alot of articles describe this place as “swanky,” but really, it’s California– come as you are– LBD and heels or jeans, flannel and sneakers and you’re good. I quite liked the array of wine flights (California vs. Oregon; Three Kinds of Pinot) that feed the curiosity for wine explorers like me. PS They have a fab Happy Hour where you get $3 off wines by the glass & draft beers Monday to Friday until 6 PM.
408 Merchant St, San Francisco, CA 94111. (415) 674-3567
THE HIDDEN VINE: Relaxed wine bar in the financial district where wines are grouped by old world and new world, and have featured wine flights (when we went it was Lebanon). They are known for their outdoor bocce ball court (which should be booked in advance.)
443 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA. (415) 742-5256
HIGH TREASON: Almost like the antithesis of what a wine bar is today (no wine flights, no enomatic wine machines), High Treason feels more like a casual art gallery where discovering wines– by glass or by bottle– is the focus.
500 Old Long Valley Rd., Clearlake Oaks, CA 95423. (707) 998-3378. info@stonehousecellars.com
Lake County is today, one of America’s fastest growing wine regions, nestled next to Napa. Stonehouse Cellars Winery, co-owned by anesthesiologist Greg Stratmann, sits on historical Pomo Land (*Pomo are the indigenous people of California), and will open its charming bed and breakfast to the public in a couple of weeks! They harvest their own pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, grenache and grenache rose, which will be available in late 2017.
“Before America was discovered native people lived in Lake County. They spent the summer at the lake and the winter on a shelf above Cache Creek because it was protected, had a mild climate and had an abundance of great water.” Today, it is home to the vineyards of Stonehouse Cellars, boasting of soils like the white tufa and the volcanic red soil. (Photo courtesy of Stonehouse Cellars)
And that was short but sweet! Thanks for the memories, SF! See you again soon! xx
