VinDivine - Living it Up John & Janine Style

Mamacita - Marina

Our good friend Elliot (and friend of the owners!) scored us a table at "Little Mama" one night and thank god, cuz there were more marina-ites jammed in there than there are people jammed around the sample tables on a Sunday at Costco. People, it's not for your entire MEAL, it's a "sample"! Move along.

Back to Mamacita, what a madhouse! Pick-up city, too. I mean how can it not be when you're basically dry-humping, or being dry-humped, just trying to snake your way through the crowds to the bar.  Seems like the crowd is a slightly older (note - we didn't say more mature) and richer Taco Tuesday crowd if ya know what I mean.

The drinks? FAB. Great ritas, great tequilas...packed a punch. We had our favorite, basic Hornitos version (no salt for me, salt for Johnnie), but the Pomegranate ones are supposed to be killer too.

The food? You know what we love people...good chips & salsa and small plates!! Super-fresh tortilla chips and perfectly-spicy salsa, Hell even the guac was good and neither of us are fans of the avocado. Next - the Niman Ranch meatballs. They come on a bed of cumin-scented whipped potatoes and a super-tasty charred tomatillo chipotle sauce. The tacos come 3 at a time. We had the carnitas and the carne asada. Cow whores that we are, the pork was actually better - more tender and paired with some type of parmesan-like cheese and a zingy chili sauce. 

We'll go back soon and have more different plates, too bad we made such pigs of ourselves with the chips. Then we'll report back atcha, loyal VinDiviners.

Bottom line: We're damn glad we had an 'in' or we may have starved to death waiting for a table. And we've heard that even if you call ahead for a resie, count on waiting an additional hour or so before you actually get your table. Don't hate the player, hate the game - 'cuz people just don't wanna leave! Secondly, unless you are in the mood for a scene (it is the Marina) you may want to go elsewhere - but if you have your game on, you'll have a blast! Oh yeah, pack your earplugs;)

Mamacita
2317 Chestnut St.
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 376-1629

Capannina - Cow Hollow

Here is the general takeaway if you are not in the mood to wade through all my yammerig below: if Tony Soprano (before getting capped by Uncle Junior) would have had the experience here we recently had, somebody would be sleeping with the fishes, know what I mean?!

It's fun being negative! We don't do it often enough. Why am I being this way, you ask? Well, my friends, here's why:

1. This place has scads of positive ratings on other, lesser;) review sites
   
2. We L-O-V-E Capri Italy as I believe we've mentioned about a gazillion times, and that's where the owner is from
   
3. Mikele, the owner (a very nice guy) is the uncle of a semi-friend of ours in Capri and last but not least...
4. In our book, anything Italian has a decent chance of being kick-ass good. So what the hell happened between Capri and Cow Hollow?!

WOW. Want the run-down, the evidence, the goods? DO YA? Ok, here ya go:

1. Place was dead...a place smack-dab in the middle of Union Street, dead? First warning sign.
2. Our waiter, nice as pie of course, reminded us all of Count Dracula. Is Transylvania near Italy? We all covered our necks
3. They were...wait, I still can't believe it...out of...oh god, I can barely say it...CHICKEN! Are you kidding me? CHICKEN?  Out of fresh, moist, tender Bufala Mozzarella or kid goat, maybe but...Chicken?
4. Once we got over our shock and ordered other stuff, they brought us the wrong dishes. Fixed it, no problem, smiles the whole time
   
5. The dude poured the new (second) bottle of wine in my existing 1/2 full glass from the first - different - bottle. When he had just placed a new glass down. Maybe he was so busy staring at my neck he lost his concentration
6. Papardelle with Boar. Boar-ing.

That said, let's leave on a positive note, whattaya say? Throw 'em a bone.

1. The Bufala Raviolis were tasty. Nothing to write home about, but definitely tasty.
2. Being with our comedian friends like Shari & Dave, how bad could it be?
3. Everyone really was nice, especially Mikele.
4. So maybe we hit an off night, Monday and all. Hey VinDiviners out there - Go check it out yerselves and holla back!

PS. Sorry for the list overload. Capannina Ristorante

1809 Union Street
San Francisco, CA
415.409.8001

A16 - Marina

This southern Italian restaurant ain't no Hawaiian Pizza' joint...do not ask for Pineapple on top! (as a mother-in-law of one of our friends recently did. Ouch). This place is groovy and serves up some of the only authentic thin-crust pizzas around. Umm mmm.

As your source for 'the places to be', we're a bit embarrassed that we were probably the last ones in San Francisco to go to A16, and only for lunch so far. But we're sold, and will definitely hit it for dinner pronto.

So, I took a large client of mine here just last week, and was a little surprised at the stripped-down lunch menu - appetizers and pizza only. I mean, it was major schmooze time. Serious wine and dine. Rack up some points and all that. But any doubt that I selected the wrong venue quickly dissolved, just as fast as that thin crust dissolves in your mouth.

Why? Well, for starters: the wine list is the wine list, lunch or dinner. And it rocks. They offer about 50 or so wines by the glass and over 300 by the bottle. Plus 4-5 2oz flights with great themes (women winemakers, Campagnia flight, etc). Emphasis on southern Italy, but for you "Hooked on Cali" winos, an excellent selection as well. And, wait for it...good prices too! Shelly Lundgren is tops at assembling a killer wine list. I suggest the Greco di Tufo, Illuminati Rose, Di Majo Norante, and the La Corte, a zesty Zin from Puglia. And if you just can't hack figuring out the Italian selections, the Siduri Pinot is awesome. Hey, sure that's a lot of wine, but it was a business lunch, remember?!

The food, while limited in selection, and service is great. My client definitely had the hots for our server, Shaudra. Scoring points! Plus she had a good grasp of the wine list, and was super nice and fun. I don't even like eggplant (or any purple vegetable actually), but the Eggplant Bruschetta with Mint, Chiles and Pecorino was really good, Zuccini salad, Pork and Lamb meatballs (yum) were all great starters. And the Pizza...as a pizza snob I was still impressed. We had the Margherita and the Funghi. Perfectly blistered, paper-thin crust and farm-fresh toppings. Not too heavy, just right.

The perfect ending? I suggest a long siesta.

A16
2355 Chestnut St.
San Francisco, CA
415-771-2216

Perry's - Cow Hollow

This is the Perry's to go to. Accept no substitutes! A real checkered-table cloth, old-school, cool joint with just a little sports bar vibe. There is another Perry's downtown and one in the SF Airport (?) but this is the original, and the one that Perry, the owner, cares about. They have a few tables outside, pretty hard to score one on the weekends, but the bar area seats plenty and the service is great. Good, solid grub. Get the wings buffalo style if you're into messing up your fingers, and they make a mean bowl of french onion soup believe us we've tried MANY. They have a good burger too. Figure pretty much anything you get here is gonna be good.

Oh, and if you're nursing a hangover, get the brunch, a pile o' food that'll mop up the last remnants of last night's bender. Or if you prefer to just Start It Up again, they make a mean Bloody Mary pretty much from scratch.

Great place to go to watch the game, younger Mike behind the bar knows pretty much everything there is to know about college football (and golf), try to stump him. He's very cool. Older Mike is his bar mate, very cool, fun guys.

Perry's
1944 Union St.
San Francisco, 94123
(415) 922-9022

Left at Albuquerque - Cow Hollow

Wow, are there some messed-up people here. Drunk little twits fresh outta their no-name private colleges and over-the-hill wanna-be's looking to snag some ass. That said, it's damn good people watching! These places (there are a few in the bay area) have seemed to lose their steam in the past few years. Dunno if it is the management, more competition, 'shifting demographics' or what. But one thing - it's not 'cuz the salsa and chips. Them's gooood. Also get the chicken salad, and the steak and potato burrito, VERY yummy.

This is not a destination place, my furry friends. This is a "I'm walking down Union Street and have the munchies" place. That's it. Nothing wrong with that. It's like looking through your closet and deciding to wear the beat up pair of Pumas just because it's not worth lacing up the Y3s. They have a few outdoor tables, not worth fighting for IMO. Know why? You'll be sitting right next to some tool who thinks his/her poop doesn't stink because they scored a table.

Left at Albuquerque
2140 Union St.
San Francisco, 94123
(415) 749-6700