It's been a year and a half since Wine Kitchen opened its doors on Divisadero, and we caught up with owners Jason Limburg and Greg Faucette to check in with what's new.
First and foremost, they've now got a daily happy hour going from 4:30-6pm. In contrast to local beer bars, their happy hour is relatively quiet and makes for a good place to talk. The menu includes $7 tap wines, $3 beers on tap, and discounted food.
Why wine on tap? There are a few reasons. First, it's more economical for both the winemaker, vendor, and customer. It's also less wasteful, with no bottles and wine labels to produce and less to recycle. Finally, the quality of the wine remains high with no spoilage, and the whole process of pouring from a tap as opposed to opening a new bottle saves time when serving.
Finding good quality wines on tap, however, is not an easy feat. Earlier this year Greg and Jason were lucky enough to team up with local winemaker Brian Harrington, who will keg any wine he carries for them to run on tap, such as their current 2013 Sangiovese.
Aside from what they carry on tap, Wine Kitchen has about 50 wines on their list, ranging from the more inexpensive 2010 Syrah for $36, to a pricier 2008 Nebbiolo for $110. Every week there's a slight change to the wine menu to keep selection fresh and interesting.
They've also just started carrying a Pinot Noir from Wait Cellars—which, wait for it—is owned and operated by Bob Wait from The Page just down the street.
The staff is small, with two servers front of house and all the food cooked by Jason and Greg. The two chefs feature a variety of plates, ranging from lamb belly with English peas, almond pesto, and Shimeji mushrooms to hangar steak with potato croquettes. The menu is switched up every few weeks, based on what's selling well and what's in season. Here's the full wine, food and happy hour menu.
Finally, every Tuesday at 7:30pm they feature live music, which we were lucky enough to see in person last week. Alternating between musicians Hot Club Pacific and Bill Phillipe, the music leans towards Delta Blues and New Orleans-style jazz.
As owner Jason says, "We're trying to be a neighborhood place." Acknowledging that they're not a destination restaurant like Nopa, their goal is to offer a quiet and comfortable place on Divisadero to grab a glass of wine in a friendly and unpretentious environment. And for those of you looking for a place to watch the upcoming World Cup—yes, they'll be screening that too.
