Wine & Spirits - October 2016 - 38

30 Meadowood Bar The Meadowood resort's threestar Michelin restaurant may be pricey, but locals know that you can get similarly world-class service while enjoying the prix-fixe bar bites menu: eight to ten bite-sized courses that are as intricate as the dishes served in the main dining room. Plus, you get access to the wine list, including the impressive collection of by-the-glass Champagnes, as well as barmaster Sam Levy's seasonally inspired cocktails. -E.C.B. 900 Meadowood Ln. (St. Helena); 707-963-3646, meadowood.com Liholiho Yacht Club Liholiho's welcoming, aloha vibe is pervasive, right down to the rum, pineapple and coconut in the cocktails. But this isn't your mother's Hawaiian restaurant: Those drinks are just as likely to include Sherry, amari and bitters. Chef Ravi Kapur, from Hawaii via Boulevard and Prospect, crafts the experience like a DJ, working his magic from an open kitchen in the middle of the room. His umami-rich dishes sing-tongue, kimchi and pickles in a poppy seed-encrusted bun; beef carpaccio and crispy fried oysters; rich pork belly topped with shaved fennel. Kapur's partners, Jeff Hanak and Allyson Jossel of Nopa, keep the happy, busy restaurant humming, as does the 80-bottle wine list from Lulu McAllister (also of Nopa and a W&S Best New Sommelier of 2015). It's eclectic and wide-ranging, rich in classic aromatic whites from Italy, Germany and Alsace plus domestic standouts like Ravines Riesling from the Finger Lakes and a grüner from Tatomer in Santa Barbara. Reds include both Old and New World pinot and gamay, plus outliers like Sandlands Trousseau from Sonoma and Eszterbauer Kadarka from Hungary. There's also a small but thoughtful selection of sake. -B.H. 871 Sutter St.; 415-440-5446, liholihoyachtclub.com 33 Nopa A crowd seems to constantly fill the long, bustling bar at Nopa, drinking craft cocktails while they wait for tables. Laurence Jossel and crew turn out rustic dishes made with great, often local ingredients-from fried duck wings with peach jam to a simple but legendary dish of wood-baked butter beans-while Lulu McAllister's wine list accommodates a wide swath of flavors and textures, with offerings like Graci's Etna Rosato and skin-fermented pinot gris from Salinia in Sonoma County. Tip: Magnum Mondays are always festive, and the restaurant stays open until 1 a.m. -B.H. 560 Divisadero St.; 415-864-8643, nopasf.com 38 WINE & SPIRITS OCTOBER 2016 32 31 Mister Jiu's Everything old is re-imagined at Mister Jiu's. Though the address has hosted Chinatown restaurants for over a century, the dining room has been transformed into a quietly modern, light-filled space. Chef-owner Brandon Jew, who cooked at Zuni, Quince and Bar Agricole, transforms flavors and textures you may have encountered before at a Chinese restaurant into singular dishes, while John Herbstritt pours wines with abundant acid and minimal tannins, a fine counterpoint to the umami-dominant cuisine. The cocktails, with names like "Happiness" and "Joy," incorporate Asian flavors like tea, lemongrass and sesame, and are fun starters. -B.H. 28 Waverly Pl.; 415-857-9688, misterjius.com Octavia Like Frances, Melissa Perello's Castro restaurant, Octavia feels unassuming, with little in the way of décor-at both spots, she lets the food do the talking. Here, you might start with cold squid ink noodles with bottarga, a salty and primal introduction to the purity of her cooking. Joshua Thomas, formerly of Prospect, recently took over the wine list from Paul Einbund, who set off to open The Morris. Thomas's list is expansive, leaning toward Burgundy, with room for everything from Moric blaufränkisch to Sonoma Coast pinot noir. -L.S. 1701 Octavia St.; 415-408-7507, octavia-sf.com 34 Liholiho Yacht Club photo by Shannon McLean; Mister Jiu's by Krescent Carasso; Nopa by Patrick Beaudouin; Octavia by Aubrie Pick. 29 Miminashi Chef Curtis di Fede, previously known for his seasonal Italian menu at Oenotri, takes inspiration from Japanese izakaya cuisine at Miminashi in downtown Napa. Ad Hoc alum Jessica Pinzon finds partners for ginger-sausage fried rice, Shoyu ramen and yakitori in umami-friendly wines like the vibrant Château de Brézé Clos de Midi Saumur Blanc; she also stocks plenty of sake. -E.C.B. 821 Coombs St. (Napa); 707-254-9464, miminashi.com http://www.miminashi.com http://www.meadowood.com http://www.liholihoyachtclub.com http://www.misterjius.com http://www.nopasf.com http://www.octavia-sf.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - October 2016