Friday, November 2, 2007

Cav Wine Bar

It's great that there are so many great wine bars in and around San Francisco. I have only been back in town for a few weeks now but it has been fun learning about all of the new spots and of course taking time to check them out as well. I recently had the pleasure of going to Cav Wine Bar on Market Street just down from Zuni Cafe. The space is a bit dark with dim lighting, dark walls and flooring and dark gray metal bar and tabletops. The color scheme is black, grey and red. The decor is quite minimal and the overall vibe is hip and modern. The bar area spans the left side of the front portion of the space with tables to the right and in the back area as well. Around 6ish it isn't too crowded so that's a nice time to arrive and get seats if you can. I decided to try the Chateau Ksara Gewurztraminer from Lebanon. It was floral and honeysuckle on the nose, and sweet but not too sweet as far as taste goes. The texture was velvety and the color slightly golden. I really enjoyed it so I stayed with that throughout the evening. My friend started with the Sylvaner "Flood Family Vineyard" Riesling from Santa Barbara County and then went on to Weingut Juris "Selection" Pinot Noir from Austria. Both got good reviews. The food at Cav Wine Bar is elegantly presented and, not surprisingly, all goes quite well with wine. There is a nice selection of cheese as well as a few bites, small plates, large plates and desserts. We were snacking at had the Sweet Potato Fries, which arrive in a cone-shaped container and are absolutely delicious. The fries are fairly thick-cut and are perfectly salted with kosher salt flakes. They are crisp yet still fairly light, and yes you are eating fries but sweet potatoes actually have a lot great nutrients as well as fiber, so why not indulge a bit? We also had a selection of three cow's milk cheese, all of which were delicious. The servers are knowledgeable and friendly and always seem to be around when your glass turns empty. Cav Wine Bar is a great place to unwind with great wine and food after work, or to pop into to enjoy some wine after a meal.

Cav Wine Bar
1666 Market Street in San Francisco

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