Neighborhoods: Union Square, Nob Hill
6 Claude Ln(between Bush St & Sutter St)
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 788-6686
In the Know: Let me just start out by saying, WOW! Where the hell has this kinda design in San Francisco been? I mean everything was spectacular, spectacular! And I am not just saying that because one of my favorite local SF designers (Mr. Important) did it. Oh, no no no. Each and every minor detail was attended to as if it was a cuddly bunny nestled in the bossom of a rock star design. From the colored menus to the lighting scheme to the multi-leveled dining/bar areas to the incredible bathroom, Mr. Important left no proverbial stone unturned. Lets begin at the bar as that
is obviously my favorite place to be: When first doing my research (i.e. looking at their website gallery) I immediately thought it was over designed with a cluster f*ck of materials. Not the case at all. Since it is two times higher than it is wide all the elements really start complimenting eachother superbly. But wait! Don't think that is the end of it. After a bottle of wine, the design went from great to a-mazing as I ventured around the rest of the space. The upstairs dining area had a completely different feel than the bar. The brick walls surrounding the space were illuminated from the bottom, a fantastic effect called grazing. What I love most about the walls is they were encased behind glass. It made it look as though the whole wall was its own art piece. This gave the upstairs a very dark and vibrant ambiance. 
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Behind the Bar: Enough with the technical side, lets get to the juicy stuff. Our bartender (the sexy foreign prince previously mentioned) gave Lindsay and I a pretty good insight into why European bars are better than American. He explained that size matters. (Sport, I couldn't agree with you more;) The bar was too spread out. Apparently in Europe all the amenities you need, i.e. shakers, glasses, bottles, etc. are within arms distance away from each other. No need to go from one side to the next to grab a cherry...
Who's Who: As much as I love going out, I have this weird thing about waiting outside a restaurant for it to open just so I can start drinking. If it was a minute before I got there that's totally fine. It was open, im cool. But waiting for them to open the doors and invite me in, sucks. This, of course, happened a
t Gitane because for some reason they don't even open until 5:30pm. (If they only knew how many people they could pull in if they opened just 30 min. earlier. Think about it boys...sitting outside in the 70 degree weather in the middle of the winter, kinda priceless) Luckily, I was not the first in line. A nice group had gathered outside. From what I saw, an impressive after work crowd. Ages looked from mid 20's to late 40's. Mostly all dressed up. Mostly all needing a break from a hard days work. Everyone kinda had their own thing going on which made it pleasant to sip on some wine in the presence of great company. But I suggest making a reservation or arriving shortly after it opens before embarking on this visual extravaganza. Space is limited.
And to you, chatty Cathy sitting next to me: Guy, I am trying to discuss politics, religion, and sex with my girl friend and most certainly do not need to hear another peep outta you about your sweet digs in Tahoe or your workout regime or how much coke you just finish doing. All those things is better kept to yourself.
t Gitane because for some reason they don't even open until 5:30pm. (If they only knew how many people they could pull in if they opened just 30 min. earlier. Think about it boys...sitting outside in the 70 degree weather in the middle of the winter, kinda priceless) Luckily, I was not the first in line. A nice group had gathered outside. From what I saw, an impressive after work crowd. Ages looked from mid 20's to late 40's. Mostly all dressed up. Mostly all needing a break from a hard days work. Everyone kinda had their own thing going on which made it pleasant to sip on some wine in the presence of great company. But I suggest making a reservation or arriving shortly after it opens before embarking on this visual extravaganza. Space is limited.And to you, chatty Cathy sitting next to me: Guy, I am trying to discuss politics, religion, and sex with my girl friend and most certainly do not need to hear another peep outta you about your sweet digs in Tahoe or your workout regime or how much coke you just finish doing. All those things is better kept to yourself.
2 comments:
I loved this post Sheyna!
Just doing a quick glance at your pix my first reaction was very similar to your assessment that this was "over designed with a cluster f*ck of materials"--but im just a dude, so what do i know.
Im kinda curious to hear your thoughts on how Gitane compares to Mr. Smith's...?
Unless you are a gay man (which I know you are not), you wouldn't know much ;)
That is an interesting comparison: a bar that I absolutely love vs. a bar that reminds me of trannys and a projectile vomited floral pattern..hmmmm.... Plus, Gitane bartenders are way hotter!
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