Taste on 23rd: Wine House

TASTE ON 23rd
By BEN WATERHOUSE

The notion of a new wine shop and bar in the toniest, most made-over stretch of Nob Hill is worrisome. One imagines managers from Pottery Barn giggling incessantly over comically large glasses of Beringer chardonnay. But Taste on 23rd (2285 NW Johnson St., tasteon23rd.com) is no corporate imposter. The impeccably remodeled second-story room in one of the Avenue's many converted houses is all white trim and warm hardwood, with a small selection of bottles organized eccentrically ("crisp," "soft," "juicy") around the bar. The place is definitely more bar than store, with a nice menu of cheese and charcuterie to go with a generous pour of Red Blanket Tempranillo. The place was packed on a recent Thursday, and most of the crowd seemed to be regulars—a good sign in a neighborhood dominated by Pizzicato and Kornblatt's.

WWeek 2015

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