Megan L.'s Profile

The wine list has gotten better -- helped by the addition of flights -- and I've heard people rave about the food, although I didn't eat when I was there recently (having stuffed myself at Luka's). I was impressed they had a Chenin Blanc flight that even included a sparkling one! I didn't have it since I wanted more variety, instead choosing tastes of this and that -- OK, I don't remember, so sue me! :-p

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...

As I've told chef Jake, Luka's has got to have the best burger in the East Bay. And this is coming from a recently reformed decade-long vegetarian. Too bad my system doesn't like meat (yet) as much as I like it...

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...

Being just around the corner from this place, the b/f and I decided to venture out on opening night. While service was a tad slow, we didn't let it phase us considering there were quite a few friends there to lend their good wishes. The b/f and I tried 5 different wines, with the Tres Ojos Old Vines Garnacha '06 stealing the show (enough that we took home the bottle for all of $9.50 ) and the Licoco Indico '06 blend of Carignane and Petite Sirah coming in a close second. The prices are ridiculously low (for tastes, glasses or bottles) and the cheese plate we had was far and away more generous than one from any other wine bar I've been to. Owner Karen was quite nice, taking time out of her busy evening and a few problems to chat with us and give us a complimentary taste of a digestif that was surprisingly good.  

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!

I wouldn't be willing to wait much more than 20 minutes (and would never venture here on a Friday or Saturday night), but I went on a Friday for lunch with the 'rents when they were visiting and we were pleased.

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.

Yum, I love this place -- it's great to have a cheap spot that serves my favorite type of food in li'l ol' Alameda. While I haven't been able to tear myself away from the Mediterranean sampler plate (falafel, dolma, hummus, tabouleh, baba ganoush, greek salad, rice & lentils and pita bread), the rest of the menu looks good too. The sampler is plenty for two to share, but I usually wolf it all down myself!

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.

I really didn't expect to be giving this restaurant 5 stars, but it warranted it on a recent night when I went with 8 other friends for a birthday party. The service was terrific, the pre-dinner wine tasting with sommelier Ashley in the gorgeous wine room was informative and tasty, dinner was plentiful and well-executed, and the ambiance was lovely with us surrounded by stone carvings of Buddhas and bodhisattvas and paintings of rural Vietnamese landscapes.

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.

I hurried over here after work (at Stanford) and before a class back on campus and was in & then out the door with a yummy falafel wrap in hand within 5 minutes. In that time, the friendly staff gave me TWO free falafel balls, which were warm, perfectly spiced, and delicious. Given those freebies, I kind of wished I had gotten something besides the wrap, which had about 5 more of the balls inside, along with cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, and tzadiziki (I might be missing something). Don't get me wrong, it was quite tasty and I loved that it was spicy, but I think I prefer Gyros Gyros' veggie wrap that is chock-full of different stuff (falafel, dolma, feta, hummus, baba ganoush, veggies, etc.) but does require me to apply hot sauce on every bite. I would definitely come back to Med Wraps and try something else to go along with the free falafel balls!

**UPDATE**
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.

I was super-excited when I heard the Burma Superstar folks opened a restaurant in lil' ol' Alameda. While I've (gasp!) never made it to the SF location in the Richmond, friends have regaled me with gastronomic tales about the place, so my expectations were high.

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!

What a find!  While I can't speak to its former incarnation, the new Fireside Lounge is inviting -- from the tasteful decor to the creative cocktails, unexpected wine offerings, and most of all the enthusiastic and personable staff (owner Patrick and cocktail queen Cristi). They made the b/f and I feel most at home and talked to us at length. Patrick was stoked to find fellow wine buffs to share notes with and hearing about Cristi's amazing journalism career was another surprising twist to the night.

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. :-)