Marc 49

Saturday Date Night: May 21, 2011 @ 10:20 PM aka "END OF THE WORLD"

Some people probably chose to hide in their basement awaiting the end of the world but I was sipping a very nice bubbly at Marc 49 with  Enrique.

HOW TO FIND:
If you blink you will miss this tiny wine bar on 51st and Telegraph but the fairy lights outside will beckon you to come in to quench your thirst. 

DECOR:
The decor is mixed nostalgic, gothic and speakeasy-ish. Black and white pictures of the generations before us (including the young Elizabeth Taylor) cover most of the wall on the the side. Red velvet curtains framing a huge mirror cover the opposite wall gave Marc 49 the feel that you are in dracula's lair. (There is also back patio that looked like a steam wooden sauna but I did not check it out during this visit.)

SOCIAL SCENE:

The patrons that night were hip 20s to 40s friends and lovers lazily lounging on the low leather benches sipping glasses of vino.

Enrique and I chose the low table and chairs by the window. We were there for the food!

BUBBLY: Reasonably priced at $8 a glass, this champagne was nice, fresh and with a generous taste of honey.

STRAWBERRY FIELDS $6: Greens with blue cheese, candied nuts, strawberry slices and sweet strawberry dressing. A light sweet delicious salad!

BROADWAY PANINI $7: Chicken breast and pesto panini. He added a Monterey Salad (lettuce, pear, candied walnuts, blue cheese) for just $3 more!

SOLOIST BRUSCHETTA $6: 3 generous slices of nicely toasted baguette, crispy but not hard, topped with goat cheese, proscuitto and melon. Eventhough I had to take out the proscuitto slices that were fresh and not even a hint of dry edges, I really enjoyed these toasts sans the meat. Delicious with my salad!

BROWNIE: It looked prettier than it tasted. It was sweet with mounds of whipped cream and a little bit on dry side but it completed the meal.

SERVICE:
The food and drinks at Marc 49 deserve 4 stars. The staff deserves 6 Stars. Only at a neighborhood place can you get the kind of accomodation we received last night. When we walked in at 10:20 at night, the kitchen was already closed. Our server said that it was a bizarrely slow Saturday. She joked "maybe because it's the end of the world but wouldn't you want to just drink wine and run up your credit card instead of hiding?" They decided to close the otherwise open until 11pm kitchen early. Seeing our disappointed faces, they reopened, told us not to apologize and order whatever we wanted on the menu and served us kindly and ungrudgingly!

LOWDOWN:
We wanted a light dinner and a night cap after a family party then watching "Pirates of the Caribbean 3" at the Kabuki before calling it a night. Marc 49 is the perfect spot for either late night dinner and drinks in Temescal, catching up with your friend, a quick weekday date night dinner or going solo.

They also serve tapas aside from what I mentioned above. Extensive offerings of wine reasonably priced at $8 per glass or $26 per bottle.

Marc 49 is a real neighborhood gem and is now added to my short list of favorites!

$40 including tax before tip. With $20 Groupon, this very enjoyable meal was only $27 including a Diet Pepsi, tax and 20% tip.

Foodie Girl's Rating: 4 Stars

Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Some are good. Some are okay. Some are bad.
3 Stars: Like! I will return!
4 Stars: Love! I will be dreaming of you at night!
5 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)

Dunya Wine Bar: Genuine Gem on Polk

Saturday Night Date: October 9, 2010 @ 6:15 PM (Part 2)
Saturday Date Night (Part I): Visit to the Pez Museum and Memorabilia

I walked in to Dunya with my sweetie Enrique expecting for the worse.  Of course I did not tell him this since I am the "designated" date night planner.  After reviewing so many mixed reviews about Dunya, I was expecting inconsistent food, bad service and dingy wine bar on Polk Street. Since we were already compromised because I purchased a Groupon that was about to expire next month, I thought we had to go.

Little did I know that Enrique and I were about to have one of the  nicest casual Saturday Date Night dinners at a wine bar ever.

Dunya is tiny. What it lacked in space, it made up for its tasteful yet simple contemporary/rustic decor.  The burgundy walls were adorned with romantic jazzy artworks.

A handsome wooden bar stocked with wine bottles was at the far side of the room. Wine vats were used as focal point. A big blackboard lists the "suggested wine list." Across from the bar is a tiny open kitchen.

Enrique and I got the best seats in the house, in my humble opinion.  We were seated by the door at the the L-shaped lounge bench which enabled both of us to have a good view of the wine bar.  It was a good place to go people-watching which at the time we were there was a fun side activity. The place was very festive and happening with people enjoying bottles of wine.

The service was impeccable! Between the server and the bus boy, we felt really taken care of. They were friendly yet relaxed--none of that pretentious "you-are-at the-wine-bar" kind of attitude. Enrique's soda was always filled and our water glasses always topped off.

For starters, we had the MEDITERRANEAN PLATE of homemade Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Yogurt and Pita $10. This plate was so delicious! Everything was definitely homemede and tasted fresh! We asked for a second basket of complimentary bread after we finished the warm pita bread triangles to finish off our Mediterranean Plate. The plate pretty much looked like we licked it clean by the time we left this apps alone!

I had the SEAFOOD RISOTTO $20 made with arborio rice, white wine, veggies, scallops and prawns topped with parmesan. This dish came to me piping hot and so delicious! The risotto could have been creamier but I have no complaints. Just so flavorful and the asparagus were still crunchy. The 2 prawns and 2 scallops were tender and fresh. A perfect comfort food! The portion was huge that I only ate half and took the rest home.

Enrique ordered the RACK OF LAMB WITH PARMESAN MASHED POTATOES AND SPINACH $20. Now for someone who is not a lamb person and who does not usually rave about his food, Enrique said, "Very good!" That's saying a lot!  He thought the lamb was a little sweet which I told him was probably the mint jelly. He cleaned those bones and finished the whole thing!



We ordered a Lemon Pie $6  to go which looked like a casualty of war when we got home.

The only thing I was not so thrilled with was my wine. I had a glass of German Riesling  $6 which was described as crisp and sweet. To me it was flat with very short finish. I could not complain though because for the price and generously poured, it was a fair sale.

Overall, I am so glad we went to Dunya. We enjoyed every minute of our date night at this teeny wine bar from the delicious food, very friendly service and cozy ambiance. And I am already craving that Risotto right now!

Tab: $74.00 including tax and 2 Diet Cokes before tip and  $30  Groupon.

Parking Garages are available on Sacramento Street between $8 to $12.

FOODIE GIRL'S OVERALL RATING: 5
Food: 5
Decor/Ambiance: 4
Service: 5

Key:


0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Very disappointing but there it has some good things to offer.
3 Stars: It is okay but do not expect much. I will still return.
4 Stars: I like it! I will be singing your praises!
5 Stars: I will be dreaming of you at night!
6 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)


http://www.dunyasf.com/

Cafe Casa aka Casa Vino: Berkeley Wine Bar

Saturday Night Date: October 2, 2010 @ 5:40 PM


Too lazy to drive to the City and armed with Groupon for Cafe Casa aka Casa Vino, Enrique and I decided to stay on our side of the bay for our date night. 

When we arrived at Casa Vino's parking lot, I was not prepared to find a homey-looking restaurant. The website mentions "casual" but I was not expecting a "country-ish"  square building that was more of  like a track home. 

The tables were unadorned simple square tables. No white linens here.  And "rent-a-chair" wooden chairs for seating. Despite its non-sophisticated image at first glance, its attempts to cozy-up the place were successful such as placing a wine bottle at each table for water instead of a pitcher.  The "wine barrel tables" were actually ingenous and added sophistication to the place.

Casa Vino is a more of a wine bar than a dining destination.  It is definitely serious about its wine. At the bar were patrons who seemed to be enjoying glasses after generous glasses of wine (about 6 or more oz per pour.)

Despite my not-so-encouraging description of Casa Vino, the place is cozy. We got there while the sun was still out but once it got dark, the place was charming and cozy with fairy lights. 

We were seated by the host who was also the bartender. After taking our order, he stayed at the bar and entertained a group of people who were into serious wine-tasting and drinking.  Our server was neither friendly nor rude, just appeared stressed and hurried. Service was slow and although not neglectful, was unattentive.

Despite the initial shock about the restaurant's appearance, I enjoyed my glass of California champagne ($6). Well-chilled, crisp, sweet and generously poured, I asked for a second glass which is pretty rare for me when dining out. 

For starters we had Fries with Rosemary, Garlic and Cheese ($6.50). The fries were garlicky and fragrant with rosemary. However, they were too overly done and crispy for my taste.

Enrique had the Choice cut Rib Eye Steak  Served with 4 Plump Prawns, Mushrooms, Grilled Onions and choice of Mashed Potatoes and Veggies ($25).   Although the steak was a little dry, according to him, it was good. The fact that he did not ask for steak sauce was a great sign that he liked the steak!  He gave me two of his prawns and said that he enjoyed the garlicky mashed potato.

I had the Wild Caught Grilled Mahi Mahi with Rice Pilaf and Asparagus ($17). The fish was crusted and flavorful with herbs and cooked just right.  The asparagus spears were still crunchy and not overcooked. I enjoyed my meal.

For dessert Enrique and I shared the Apple Cranberry Crisp ($6).  It was okay. The oats were undercooked but I liked the peanuts that were mixed in with the crisp.

Overall, Casa Vino aka Cafe Casa is a casual, homey, unpretentious neighborhood wine bar.  I thought that the food was something I could have made at home-- comforting, filling and  home-cooked. There was nothing fabulous about Casa Vino's decor or food.   However, Enrique and I left full, satisfied and feeling okay.

Tab: $59 after $25 Groupon, Diet Coke, tax and 20% tip.

Foodie Girl's Ratings:  3
Ambiance: 3
Food:         3
Wine:        4
Value:       4

Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Very disappointing but there it has some good things to offer.
3 Stars: It is okay but do not expect much. I will still return.
4 Stars: I like it! I will be singing your praises!
5 Stars: I will be dreaming of you at night!
6 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)