"Food & wine make me happy; hey, I can't help it, I'm Italian!"
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22 Useful, 1 Funny, and 9 Cool
Alameda, CA
Yelping SinceAugust 2006
Find Me InWine bars, UG and outdoor house music parties, 111 Minna
My HometownMt. Shasta, CA
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...I'm listening to house music and/or eating cheese and drinking vino
Why You Should Read My ReviewsI have good taste :-)
My Second Favorite Website My First ConcertHmmm, must have been New Kids -- gasp!
My Favorite MovieThree Seasons (Vietnamese-American movie that is sadly not available on DVD)
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 251-0100
Franklin Square Wine Bar
Categories: American (New), Wine Bars
Neighborhood: Uptown
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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11/8/2007
Being a wino (or should I say wineau?), I was really excited to see that this wine bar opened -- I kept wondering why SF gets a new wine bar monthly but O-town has just one (Zza's Enoteca -- well two if you count Cesar, but I don't really). There are plans for another on Lakeshore soon, too! :-)
However I was disappointed in Franklin Square, mainly because of the (lack of) atmosphere. It's FAR too bright and stark, but not in a modern design sense, it's just lacking in distinguishing features (the surreal/cubist-type painting is cool & colorful, but that's IT). In contrast, Zza's did a great job making their wine bar cozy & inviting with dark wood, chocolate-brown leather & candles. I like the look & feel of Luka's, so I was expecting far more...
The wine list was OK, not particularly inspiring -- everything I really wanted was only available by the bottle & I didn't have that much time! But my half-glass of Verdejo was good, as was the Soquel (Santa Cruz Mts) Pinot -- although pricey at $5.75 for a half-glass! The Rhone blend was average, but it was cheap so I expected that.
Can't speak too much to food, although the olives were yummy (and jumbo!) but the artichoke, shallot & gruyere panini would have been much better if it had been warmer and the cheese more melted.
Service was very attentive, but didn't offer any insights into the wines or pairing.
All in all, I'm not real eager to go back. I'll wait for others to spring up -- and in the meantime go back to Zza's!
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 451-4677
Luka's Taproom & Lounge
Categories: American (New), Lounges
Neighborhood: Uptown
I love that you can call Luka's and get a reservation -- at least on a weeknight -- just a half hour from the phone call. Sure beats standing three-deep at the bar hoping you can get the bartender's attention! Speaking of the bar, Luka's is the only place I know of that has Maredsous on tap. I like the Trappist, but last time I looked they only had it for something like $13 in a big bottle... Not that I shy away from paying that much for a good glass of wine sometimes. Priorities, people, priorities! Luka's has a good deal on wine on Sundays -- 1/2 off a bottle, although that probably just makes up for the markup! :-p
I need to check out my friend Raz's bi-monthly Thursday night party there, Resonant, although I have a hard time associating Luka's with more than drinks and/or dinner...
There are four tables outside (I know where I'm going on the next hot evening) and two bars indoors plus four seats next to the window. All the food comes from local (if not solely Alameda) purveyors and the jazz music provided nice ambiance. We'll definitely be back!
Service was a bit spacey but not too bad, and the mango gazpacho, crab cakes and grilled shrimp were yummers. The yucca fritters fell short -- just basically tasted like fried dough and the bbq-ish sauce didn't work with them. Mojito was OK, nothing to write home about, but I will try a flavored one on my next visit.
One of the best parts is the minimal but brightly colored decor.
There's not much atmosphere, but if it's a nice day you can sit at one of the tables outside. Otherwise, take the grub to go! The family that runs it is very nice and they always throw in a Hershey's kiss to end your meal on a sweet note.
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 536-5800
Bong Su - CLOSED
Category: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: SOMA
But the best part was that it worked out to be just $60 per person -- including treating the birthday boy. We all ordered an entree (much to the waiter's surprise, although he must have been stoked!), and some favorites were the carmelized black cod, the shaking beef, Com Dep prawns, and the empress rice (OK, it's a side but could be a meal in itself). We had a wide variety of more than enough food, which was surprising since a friend had gone there with a group and said everyone left hungry and felt like they paid too much. The Chenin Blanc from Vouvray on the list was a nice accompaniment to our appetizers, we also had a Sangiovese from the list that was so-so -- not as good as some of the bottles we sampled during the tasting (one standout was the Page Mill Cab Sauv ('03 I think), with a very unusual nose of tomato and hot sauce. Sounds strange but was tasty.
Well I went back here on a whim after a wine class (which only served to whet my palate) last week and had a better experience, largely since I talked to the owner Mike, and got a handle on his philosophy. "We don't want to be one of those snooty wine bars where you can pay five different prices for the same wine," he essentially said, referring to the practice by some enotecas of charging by the taste, half glass, glass, bottle (consumed on site), and bottle (to go). "We just want to be a neighborhood bar." And that's what it felt like sitting alone at the bar, having the helpful T.J. pour me tastes so I could decide what I wanted (and then filling my glass of a Paso Grenache up without me even asking -- or him charging). And it even had the feel of other bars, with a single gal getting a lot of attention as she was just trying to read Wine Spectator!
--------------------------(old review below)-------------------------------------------
If I could break it down by sub-category, I'd give this place 5 stars for decor -- they've done a great job remodeling this cozy li'l hobbit house that used to be a vegan restaurant and an ice cream parlor before that. Nice couches, chairs, and pillows covered in tasteful material, dark wood, and a fireplace are among the touches that make it really feel like you're in someone's home. The wines by the bottle (for drinking there or taking home) are tastefully displayed in dark wood shelves in the middle of the "house" with low lighting that adds to the atmosphere.
I didn't think the prices were outrageous at all (or at least not for wine bar standards!). The wines by the glass seemed reasonable and ranged from $5 to $12+, but I shared a bottle of Le Cigare Volant with a friend that was around $36 (maybe less, can't remember exactly) -- not too bad a markup at all considering the wine generally retails between $28 and $32. The Italian cheese plate at $14 was a bit pricey though, considering the portions...
But where this place loses a star or so is in service. The guy waiting on us was perfectly nice, but he didn't explain the cheese plate (aka i.d. the tasty morsels), it took him quite awhile to bring our SCREW TOP bottle over, and after checking on us once (I do give him that) after about 45 minutes he disappeared for at least another 45 minutes and when another guy brought us the check he was slipping out the door for the night. Also, the Placer County Barbera we tasted first was downright off, smelling and tasting quite pruney, although he didn't seem to think anything was wrong. He did open a second bottle, which was better, but while he agreed it was different, he didn't want to admit the first one was bad.
I will be back, as this has got to be the most cozy wine bar I have ever seen (and it's close to work and my hair salon!). They just need to perhaps work out some kinks -- after all, they've only been open 5 weeks.
Bagan did not disappoint. Although the young server was unsophisticated (while they have a corkage fee, he seemed a bit dumbfounded that I brought my own wine and failed to pour it for us after rounding up a makeshift ice bucket ), the food was fabulous. The b/f, a friend, and I shared the samosas, tea leaf salad, pumpkin shrimp, catfish curry, coconut rice and basil chicken (OK, so we have plenty of leftovers), which all lived up to the hype. We ate least of the catfish curry, but that wasn't due to the well-executed and smoky flavor, but rather the difficulty of gracefully navigating the bones in some of the pieces.
Even with a probably too-generous tip, the bill only came to $35 each, which is very reasonable in my book. I also appreciated the attentive water service -- that's coming from someone who regularly begs her dining companions for their water glasses after inevitably draining her own and not getting a refill soon enough!
Stiff cocktails and very generous wine pours in oversized glasses that really let you appreciate the nose on the wines. Would give it five stars, but the music was odd (super random shuffle setting, anyone?) and a few details were overlooked -- a prohibitively dark corner, underused fireplace area, etc. But Patrick's love for his watering hole is apparent, and he has plans to outfit the front with windows and a Dutch door, so I'm confident his place will only continue to improve.
While we live on the other side of the island, I do believe we've found our "neighborhood" bar. :-)
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I would give FSQB 3.5 stars if I could -- I still have problems with the ambience, as it just doesn't feel very warm. But I'll be back to try the grub...