Amelie Le Bar de Vin on Polk Street

I have been wanting to try Amelie, especially since it's in my neighborhood, and was really happy when the chance came to pop by last Friday night. We arrived around 7:30ish and the place was hopping - standing room only at the bar and full tables. The space is sort of railroad in style with a somewhat narrow width and much longer space from front to back of house. The tall bar back spans one side of the venue and the other is adorned with a handsome mirror. Hues of rich red and earthy tones generally lend a really appealing ambiance, and a shiny bar top and loads of pretty little candles add a really nice warmth as well. The furniture is minimal which works in the smallish space and goes with the generally clean lines and modern vibe. We were seated on the inside end of the bar area and thus had a perfect view of the small kitchen-space they have in the restaurant section of the space and which they use to make several of the menu items, including a couple of which my friend and I ended up ordering. The wine and food menu is a printout which is clipped to a vintage vinyl of one or another variety - a cute touch. There are various epithets and other quick blurbs regarding wine and enjoying life and each other's company and the like in various spots which makes for fun eye wandering. I was tempted by many of the offerings on the approachable and well-crafted yet not at all overwhelming wine list. I chose a somewhat lesser-known white variety from Austria - Gruner Veltliner, which was really nice and light and a decent value at $8 a glass. My friend had the Bordeaux Chateaux Bonnet Reserve Merlot which had really nice fruit character and was well-balanced and smooth on the palate. We both enjoyed our selections quite a bit and stayed with them for the duration of the evening. I would say most folks were having some sort of snack with their libations, though I imagine later in the evening it's more of just a wine bar and not also a spot for food as well. We shared a Mixed Lettuce Salad with grilled fennel and lemon-herb vinaigrette; Flatbread with portobello mushrooms, caramelized onions, watercress, balsamic reduction and topped with oregano; and Roasted Peanuts topped with sea salt. The salad was crisp and tasty and only lightly dressed which was nice. The flatbread was tasty, although a bit heavy on the onions for my taste. A nice flavor pairing with the crisp wine though. Next time I go back I want to try a Roasted Pork dish that's served with faro and vegetables and perhaps the Miyagi Oysters and the Cheese and Charcuterie Plate. Amelie is really cute neighborhood spot and one ideal for lingering over wine and small plates for the duration of an evening.

Amelie

1754 Polk Street in San Francisco

http://www.ameliesf.com/