By Kira
About a year ago, I was lucky enough to find myself settling down to live in San Francisco’s The Lower Haight, or as the Bold Italic calls it, “The Upper Haight’s hot younger sister.” With its central location, low-key vibes and amazing food and drink establishments, the Lower Haight is nothing but a great place to live, and I’m proud to call it my ‘hood.
For CCA’s neighborhood Food & Drink Report, here are few places you must go if you find yourself roaming the neighborhood:
Maven, located at the corner of Haight and Steiner, is one of my favorites. With its chic and a relaxed atmosphere, it’s a great place to come dine with friends and enjoy some tasty bites and drinks. The inspiration behind Maven’s mouth-watering menu is small bite/cocktail pairings, a unique and simply genius idea. Many of their cocktails feature some very unusual ingredients (just a few: chili smoke, hazelnut, maple bbq’ed agave), but the outcome is always spectacular. Here are my food and drink recommendations at this fab establishment:
Dish: Chinatown Duck Sliders with shiitake, bok choy & hoisin
Wine: Marc Brédif Chenin Blanc
Cocktail: “5 Spot” with aged rum, ginger, citrus, maple, Thai basil and five spice
Uva Enoteca, located on Haight between Steiner and Fillmore, is an authentic Italian wine bar with that classic old world charm. It’s a perfect warm and welcoming spot for a date night, or a small gathering. Mouth-watering Italian dishes and juicy Italian wines, all served up by true Italian servers – what could be better? Here are my recommendations:
Dish: Pizze with Meatballs, mozzarella & San Marzano tomatoes
Wine: 2008 Gattinara Nebbiolo, Bianchi, Piemonte
Pizze with meatballs, mozzarella & San Marzano tomatoes at Uva Enoteca
Blackbird, located on Market Street on the other side of Duboce Park, is simply a classic cocktail spot in San Francisco. Its discreet location noted by a small sign with a cartoon blackbird wearing a top hat makes it easy to miss for passer-byers, and just that much more special for locals. The craft cocktail menu (with very creative names) changes consistently, and makes coming back time after time always fun. Here are a few cocktails I would recommend on their current cocktail menu:
Cocktail #1: “Fortunato” with aged rum, coconut marmalade, lime, lemongrass & Thai bitters
Cocktail #2: “Adios, My Friend” with Campeon Silver Tequila, dry curacao, Peloton Mezcal, Sotol Reposado, Bacanora & Luxardo Bitter – cocktail is aged for 2 months in Bourbon Barrels
Cheers to wining, dining and the good life!