Buddy surpassed my already lofty expectations - I loved the vintage-chic decor, the music, and of course, the wine. My friend and I dropped by after having lunch in the area and it wasn't crowded at 2 pm. I ordered a white wine, Bodegas Hidalgo-La Gitana, and it wasn't too acidic. She got a sparkling wine that was really good. We also split a chocolate brownie, and each bite was pure bliss. The butterscotch, cocoa nibs, and halvah on top created the perfect texture and flavors. I'm still thinking about the brownie! It tastes just as good as it looks. read more

Buddy - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Wow i love this place!! Drinks are DELICIOUS and the food was amazing. Great ambiance. I can't wait to come back and also check out some of their pop ups. read more

Wow, Buddy is truly such a gem. If you ever want a delicious meal full of flavors and textures, you gotta go to Buddy! We sat outside to enjoy the warm San Francisco weather. It was right on the sidewalk with no parklet, but it was fine. Here's what we ordered: - Corn Fritters - pretty tasty, great crunch, while still moist. Pretty corny-tasting, but well-balanced with the creme fraiche and the saltiness of the smoked trout roe. - Carrots - wonderful crunch and even more delicious seeds and tahini sauce. A must have! - Smoked whitefish tonnato - strange flavors and texture at first, but it grew on me. Not sure if the crackers added much, but the dish by itself was a fun combo! - Fried chicken sammy - perfect crunch (sensing a theme?) and wonderful flavor. The bread was buttery and garlicky, and the chicken was moist. Our waitperson was super attentive and our food was perfectly spaced out time-wise - we had a small table, and they brought out just enough food at any one time to make sure we had room to eat. IMO, deserving of a Michelin! read more

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Honestly it's so cute and I wish I was here during Jule's but we came for a drink and the interior was so cute and the wait staff was really nice. we asked about a few of the drinks and they let us try a few wines before we decided to order. we also got the whitefish tonato which was suppppper yummy and highly recommend that you get. didn't get that many items or any photos but would definitely come back here again!! read more

Ilna This is a review specifically for Ilna (though I also love Buddy as a bar!) Ilna has absolutely beautiful food. The chefs draw on a deep and intimate understanding of the flavor notes and textures of ingredients from several food cultures (Middle Eastern, European, and East Asian)--to combine elements in ways I haven't seen before. The ingredient quality and flavor profiles land significantly above their price point, and it's the first menu I've seen in a while where I genuinely wanted every single dish. I've already started texting friends to plan future visits so I can work my way through the entire menu. Today, we ordered a scallop crudo, smoked fish labne with pita, duck fried rice-stuffed squid, and yogurt dumplings. I need to gush about each of them (but forgive me, some ingredient details may be slightly off since I'm going from memory. I refuse to be the person who takes photos in restaurants). Scallop Crudo -- This dish combined scallops, persimmons, a small mushroom, a mystery leaf, furikake, olive oil, and vinegar to create a beautifully balanced crudo. I'm a sucker for fruit-and-fish pairings, so this was my must-have dish going in, and it did not disappoint. The scallop was incredibly soft, and the interplay of vinegar and persimmon acids with the richness of the olive oil, plus a touch of umami from the mushroom, made for gorgeous bites. The bits of salt and funk from the furikake added depth. As our first dish, it started to illustrate Ilna's whole thesis: traditionally, crudos use fat from fish and oil plus acid from fruit and vinegar, but the umami usually comes from something soy sauce-based. Here, the mushrooms filled that role but brought a lighter, more delicate balance. Labne with smoked trout, cured ikura, buttermilk bulgur, and dill with squid ink pita -- This was perhaps the most classically flavored combination of the dishes we got, but again it had that masterful balance: tangy yogurt with the gentle smoke of the fish, the freshness of dill, and a wonderful textural element from the buttermilk bulgur that added tang, crunch, and body. Squid stuffed with duck and date fried rice with creamy chili sauce -- This dish had the most intriguing use of ingredients. It nodded to Chinese flavors by using duck to create a beautifully crispy fried rice, but instead of sweetness from something like hoisin, it relied on dates to sweeten the rice and add a pleasant chew. The squid (again, very high-quality) encased the filling and contributed another layer of texture, creating a really delightful dumpling-like bite. The dumplings rested in a Calabrian chili-aioli-like sauce reminiscent of Spanish patatas bravas, which cut through the richness and contrasted nicely with the sweetness. Yogurt dumplings with beef and za'atar pepper crunch -- This dish continued our little food journey. Its structure felt most reminiscent of Eastern European dumplings, but the use of a gorgeous olive oil and crunchy za'atar added flavors and textures that really lifted the dish. Overall, I am super excited to return and try everything this chef's team dreams up. I love food, but only so many dishes truly captivate me--Ilna definitely has some I'll be thinking about for a long time. read more

Excellent service. Marcus is a kind and knowledgeable manager. The glasswares and plates are savage Vibes are contagious here. A+ read more

The cucumber, peach dish was SO good. I would come back just for that. Highly recommend the mushrooms as well, at first I thought it might be bland but as I dove deeper into it there were so many flavors. The halibut crudo and anchovy dip was a tad sweet for me and then squash was a bit boring. read more

Buddy - La Gilda Dip (anchovies) and summer squash with Parmesan crisps - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Wow, okay where to begin.. this review is solely about their food. Just going to come out and say this place deserves at least a michelin star for their innovative and interesting flavor combinations. I've been to so many places that have a star that are boring compared to this. Even the bar nuts are unique and flavored unexpectedly! People love their roasted trumpet shrooms, but my current favorite is their fried mortadella sammy, probably the best sandwich in San Francisco. It's like a high end pastrami sandwich. The Bread & Butter is also a staple, and it's always changing to different flavors. Also love their very filling radicchio salad! (Note: it's on the bitter side) The staff here is nice and friendly, my only complaint is service is somewhat slower than I'd like. But that just might be me, being eager to eat the delicious concoctions they come up with. Lots of people come for the drinks, I only come for the food! Will be back!! read more

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Desperately want to gatekeep this place, but here we are. Amazing catchup and date night spot. Perfect for bites at the bar, and while it's a wine bar, the cocktails slap. If you'd like a reco, go with their golden beets, or roasted sweet potatoes. The potatoes in particular were sincerely one of the more flavorful dishes I've had in a while-- prepped well, and the combo of the yogurt, roasted peppers and seeds were incredible. Amazing service, too! read more

Buddy - Roasted sweet potatoes in yogurt - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Quaint, refined, and unassuming spot with inventive wine cocktails. Loved the atmosphere! Stopped by for an evening drink on a weekend and they were decently busy but were immediately seated with quick and attentive service. Tried a couple of their wine cocktails, lots of subtleties in flavor. Great for sipping. I didn't try any of their food but menu looks great for both a light bite or decent meal read more

Buddy - Fig cobbler - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

This was very squarely a 4.5 star rating. Service was good, and staff was friendly. They helped us pick out a really nice wine within our price point. The restaurant was cute and relatively quiet inside which was nice, but I did go on a Sunday evening so maybe more crowded other days of the week. Food was generally good, especially the bread and butter, the beets, and the trumpet mushrooms. A few of the dishes were just ok; I'd probably skip the chilled shrimp on my next visit. Portions are on the smaller side (which is not a complaint since it's a tapas-style place) just make sure to order 2-3 things per person. read more

Buddy - Bread & Butter - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Stopped by this place to the Alamo Draft House for a quick drink but ended up eating an entire meal. Super delicious! Starting off with, when is a great time to come here? Honestly, any time. They have such a great drink selection and the food menu looked so unique and amazing. They had bar seating and a few 2-4 person tables inside. I would definitely come here again for dinner or a date. Next, let's talk about the food & drinks: I was initially excited about the wine glass until I saw their cocktails. I love trying out different milk punch from different places because they're always made so uniquely. This one was super well balanced and one of the better ones I've had. Most of the spirit forward drinks comes out in a cute tea glass. Initially surprised that there was a kitchen, I was blown away at the type of food there was. We saw at the bar facing the kitchen so we ended up getting multiple dishes. Here were my favorites: Brentwood sweet corn -- I've never had corn prepared like this and it was so good, the blueberry miso really gave it an extraordinary umami flavor. Roasted Trumped Shrooms -- Whenever there's mushrooms as an app, I have to get it. These shrooms were prepared like nothing I've ever had before. The truffle on it almost crystalized into the mushroom making it taste like a creme brulee. I loved it! Overall, absolutely love this place to dine & drink, hoping the menu grows more so I can try more items on the menu! read more

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Wanted some small dishes and had some time to spare before another dinner. We discovered Buddy's walking around after golfing and decided to try to walk in. They had reservations later in the evening so we were on a time limit. We got a few things to try: Gougeres (4/5): I would describe this as a savory cream puff! It comes in two and is topped with trout roe that gives it a smoky salmon flavor. These were very small but delicious. La Gilda Dip (4/5): A very savory dip served with a handful of crostinis. My first bite was incredibly salty so the less the better! It is a layered dip with olives, anchovy, peppers, black currant, and cream cheese. Halibut Crudo (5/5): This was a gorgeous dish! The watermelon rinds tasted like radish and resembled some sort of pickled veggie. The halibut was incredibly soft. FLOWERHEAD Chamomile Tea (5/5): This tea was an amazing pair to the savory dishes and was actually perfect for the meal considering we didn't want to drink. Service was friendly and attentive. Such a cute restaurant for date night or catching up with friends. Really glad I stumbled upon Buddy's! read more

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New favorite wine bar! Love this natural wine bar in the mission. Great jazz/alternative music, yummy appetizers. Perfect for a date, with friends, or with parents. It's small so dont bring a big group. Highly recommend making a reservation but we usually do walk in. Service is friendly and informative. We will be back! read more

Buddy - Hamachi Carpaccio - yum! 5/5 - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Nice place for a drink. Had a great glass of wine, my friends had their cocktails. They don't have a full liquor license so cocktails were amaro/wine based. Beautiful place, great service, nice vibes read more

Very cute vibes- would recommend a reservation as we got lucky to sit at the bar. Even though the tables were relatively empty they said all tables were reserved ? We basically ordered everything on the menu haha. My favorites were the stone fruit salad (it had a curry oil that was such a perfect surprise and pairing), the trumpet mushrooms and the mortadella sandwich. Their cocktail list isn't that expansive and they can't make any drinks off menu as they only utilize what they have (and it seems like they don't have huge stocks of ingredients). However the drinks we did have were really good! Many were made with aperitifs so don't come here looking to get hammered. The first server we had was a little off putting (but it seems like it was the end of her shift and she was just over it ) but the second server (can't remember her name) was amazing. Overall I'd come back for a light snack and an afternoon cocktail if I was in the neighborhood but wouldn't go out of my way to come back. Although I may have to checkout their wine day sales. read more

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Excellent service and delicious food. Really loved the freshness of the crudo and the sandwich was very rich and perfect for sharing. Obviously great wine with a good selection of glasses and bottles available. Best to make a reservation because it's on the small side but definitely with a try. read more

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Great food, wine and service! Highly recommend the trumpet mushrooms, corn fritters and brownie dessert!

I don't care for their wines (natural is not my bag!) but the food is DELISH and the people are so nice and it has a super vibe.

When the pandemic first hit and we were in lockdown...to help deal with isolation, who did you turn to? Your Buddy....the bottle. If you don't drink, then maybe you turned to your buddy, Frigidaire. Or, both. Nobody is judging. I think I was *cheering* to the mirror at one point. Now, that things are slowly getting back to normal, you can *cheer* in person at Buddy, the bar. Formerly Californios, Buddy is a new bar in The Mission serving low abv cocktails (no full liquor license) and elevated bar food. They have indoor seating and outdoor sidewalk seating (4 tables) with a parklet in the works. Dog-friendly. Staff wore masks properly. M E N U Beer, cider, wine, and low-abv cocktails. They also have alcohol-free dranks like fermented bread soda. Elevated bar bites and small plates. They have a sandwich and frank 'n beans if you're looking for something more substantial. 20% service charge added to all checks. Upon ordering, we were asked for a credit card for the tab. D R I N K S Usually, I find low abv cocktails too sweet and/or syrupy so I asked if they can make something off the menu. They said, they couldn't so I asked what's the cocktail was the least sweetest. The following was recommend: * Salt in the Game w/ amontillado, punt e mea, berto rosso, grapefruit, lemon, salt ($14): https://bit.ly/3ykS6qU Not a fan of this, it was syrupy and medicinal tasting. There was a system glitch so they were kind enough to remove this from the bill since it took awhile. F O O D * Gougères w/ smoked trout roe, bay leaf, and labneh (2 pc -$16): https://bit.ly/3s7Zghd The savory choux was rich, creamy, and delicious with pops of saltiness from the roe and tang from the labneh (middle eastern yogurt cheese). * Fried Mortadella Sammy w/ cherry peppers, americaine, dijonnaise, shredded escarole ($15): https://bit.ly/31OjLo2 ***Add fried egg (+$3) This sandwich hit all the notes - salty meatiness (thick cut of mortadella), creamy tang, custardy richness, sweet heat, and a hint fresh bitterness...all between two toasted slices of bread. Taking that sad school lunch sandwich to a whole new level. S E R V I C E Cordial and friendly. A M B I A N C E Casual vintage vibes. Happy to see that they've kept the beautiful leather banquettes from Californios and added retro checkerboard flooring. P A R K I N G Street parking, pretty easy before 6 pm. Bart is 2 blocks away. If you're looking for a cool new bar in The Mission, give Buddy a try! read more

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Service 5/5 Ambiance 5/5 Food and Drink 3/5 Staff and ambiance were very friendly and comfortable making the overall experience great. Solid spot for bites and drinks but I wasn't impressed. Most dishes were a little bland and could have done with more seasoning and some acidity...I also wasn't particularly wow'd by the creativity of the menu. Overall pretty good but wouldn't necessarily be a go to spot. read more

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Do we need another glowing review of Buddy? Perhaps not, but it gives me a little joy to relive my visit. Dined outside on a cold Thursday night. Heaters created a cozy vibe (go for the table in the center between two if you can). Friendly and attentive service, cool and casual decor. All of the food was outstanding. Notes: Gougeres were perfectly light pastry filled with with a delicious creamy filling, topped with smoky roe. Just a bite (for two), but rich enough to be plenty. Chicory Salad was full of bright fall flavors, bitter greens, apple and tahini. I really, really loved the combination. Warm savory cheesecake looked beautiful (and like a dessert) but tasted like whipped blue cheese, with perfect focaccia on the side. Unusual and scrumptious. Perhaps one order would be best shared by 4 people, it was very decadent. Roasted trumpet shrooms with truffled honey, feta and a crunchy chili walnut sauce was the hands down winner of the night. Just amazing flavors and textures. It's so rare that familiar ingredients are recombined into something so fresh and surprising. And finally the Brownie. Dense and oozing with flavor and intensity it delighted us. Served with a creamy topping and crunchy bits of halvah (chocolate cookie?) on top it was fantastic. Beverage program is interesting and varied. We sampled some cider and vermouths that were perfect with our meal. read more

Buddy - Outside entrance. - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I hesitate to call this place a hidden gem because I think it will simply take off with how high the standards are set here. Buddy, you've deeply impressed me by the quality of your ingredients, the thoughtful presentation, and the taste of the food here. Everything ties together. It's greatness. My favorites were the chicken mousse and the fish crudo in the strawberry/hibiscus sauce. I also particularly liked the bitter milk punch, and the orange and white natural wines. I'll be back! read more

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Walked in on an early Sunday evening and grabbed a seat at the bar without a wait. Menu has a lots of natural wines to choose from and a solid list of snacks to accompany them. Drink: Glass of the orange wine, bottles seem to rotate quickly so pop in and see what they're pouring. The wine I tried was light, effervescent, nice body and a balance between sweet and dry. Food: Roasted Trumpet Srooms: insanely delicious, the combination of the spicy crunchy salsa macha, with the sweet truffle honey, creamy feta and meaty king trumpet mushrooms was so good! This is on the oily and heavy side but in a good way. Don't miss out on these. Service was good, servers were overall pretty attentive and seemed knowledgeable on the menu. Overall great food and drink, would definitely come back to try more on the menus! Great spot to relax and unwind for an evening. read more

Buddy - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Cute wine bar with nice selection of wines, beers/ciders, and wine cocktails. The wine cocktails were fantastic. They do have food here as well though we didn't order any. Great service and small, intimate space. Nice for a date or drinks before/after dinner. Does tend to get busy though so make sure you have a reservation, otherwise you might be stuck at the bar, which by all means is still some great seating. 1 star off for the mandatory 20% service/tip that is automatically included in the bill. Bartender did let us know that tip is included before passing us the bill so that we didn't add on extra gratuity, which was appreciated. But yeah - nice to know for those who may not receive the same input from their server/bartender. read more

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Go for the milk punch. Stay for the small plates. Milk punch is not milk (well, it doesn't look or taste like milk, though technically derived from milk) nor will it make you think of any punch you've had before. But if you like sublime, subtle, unique cocktails, you want this cocktail. Also, they are good at handling GF if you have celiac and want something besides the milk punch. read more

This review is for the chocolate brownie, which was phenomenal. It has flecks of crunchy halva spinkled throughout it, which from a texture perspective complemented the whipped butterscotch cream on top very well. Though $12 initially seemed a little pricey for a brownie, it is both sizeable and decadent enough warrant sharing with at least one friend (or two)! read more

We came here for the Jukes' Pizza pop-up. It was a great ambiance, music background, and great pizza (especially the Curse of the Flower one - it was way more amazing than any of us expected.) super cozy and warm and relaxed. Still craving the pizza. Oh, and the olives were super tasty too! Getting hungry again just writing this! PS the bathroom shrine to Sade was pretty sick. read more

Buddy - Sade inspired bathroom decor! - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Blown away -- do not be fooled by this place being called a "wine bar" -- it's a full blown restaurant! I've been a couple times before but this was the first time I tried their food and it was amazing. We had the acme bread with pumpkin miso butter and apricot preserves (5/5), shrimp cocktail (2/5), and tuna crudo (5/5) to start. The bread was delicious and was studded with walnuts, overall pairing really well with the super creamy and light pumpkin miso butter. The crudo, too, was delicious! It was a little spicy which we loved. The shrimp cocktail was a miss for me -- it lacked salt and the shrimp didn't taste the freshest. We then got the sweet potato with nduja (5/5) and the mushrooms with salsa matcha (5/5). The mushrooms bathed in the crunchy and spicy salsa were so good that my partner and I fought over who got the last piece! Their brownie, however, took the cake (ha!) because of the perfect bite you get with eat spoonful. Please get this it's a not to miss item! Best brownie I've ever had. They have a solid wine selection, including some top shelf NA wines for the easy nights. Overall a great place for a chill Friday evening :) read more

Buddy - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This was my second time here, and it was not busy. The food and drinks were delicious. The only comment I have is that they didn't let us sit where we wanted because they said they had a reservation coming in; however, nobody came in and sat at the table that we wanted for our entire visit. Other than that, the experience was very pleasant. read more

Buddy - Roasted Trumpet Shrooms - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Drinks were great but didn't enjoy the food as much. Most of the dishes were very salty. Would come here again for drink but not dinner read more

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The food and cocktails are great but pricey. No complaints about the ambiance and service. read more

Buddy - Cocktail - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's a natural wine bar but I would come back just for the food--it was really excellent. I love the small plate format with many seafood and veggie options. Everything we had was good but the trumpet mushrooms in particular was salty, sweet, spicy, crunchy, umami, just so good. Also like the cozy, neighborhood vibe. They have sidewalk tables as well that I imagine would be nice on a warm evening. read more

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Service was great. Ambiance is intimate. But the TRUMPET MUSHROOMS will bring us back.

Really enjoyed dining at Buddy! They have a small menu so probably best for smaller groups (unless you want repeats of items). Between 2 people, we shared 4 dishes and dessert which felt like the right amount of food. Started things off with the nonalcoholic plum spritz which was delicious! Would recommend it as an alternative to wines - sophisticated and tasty. Stone fruit & early girls - delicious and would highly recommend. I'm a sucker for early girls while they're in season, and the smoked goat cheese on this dish was pleasantly mild, almost labneh like in consistency. The basil and olive oil garnishes were fantastic Brentwood sweet corn - the corn was cooked perfectly, but the highlight of this dish undoubtedly was the blueberry miso sauce Butter beans - simple but hearty, with a nice well done breadcrumb garnish (these are usually very hit or miss for me!) and finished with a good helping of lemon zest Trumpet mushrooms - probably my favorite dish (!) was too excited to eat it so didn't get a pic. Love what they described as a "Mexican chili crisp" as the sauce on this Chocolate brownie - solid finish to the meal! Well balanced chocolate with flakey salt Great place for non-obvious vegetarian dishes, which can be sometimes hard to come by! read more

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Super cute place to grab a drink & some small bites for a date or with friends! Came on a Saturday evening (with a reservation) ~6:30pm and the place was packed throughout the entire night. The place has a really great atmosphere - Felt relaxed like a neighborhood wine bar with nice decor and friendly service. There wine menu was a bit smaller than expected but have heard that they rotate the selection frequently. Food was super delicious, with great presentation and some really unique flavors. Would definitely recommend getting the Roasted Trumpet Shrooms - So much flavor punched into one dish with a perfect combo of sweet, spicy, and savory. Also would give an A+ to the service. They noticed our dips were low on crostinis and offered to bring out more. Appreciated the attention to detail and, overall, enjoyed our night here. read more

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Came thanks to recommendation by Nicole at Rich Table! Great ambiance and service. We sat at the bar and order a bunch of their small dishes to share. I could have had 10 of the grougeres so delicious. And that Tomato & Stone fruit salad was UNBELIEVABLE! that dressing and sauce that came with it was out of this world. Also really likes their mushroom dish. The Elote was just OK. we also ordered the brownie because another table ordered and was drooling over it but i think its a question of tastes (it was too sweet for us). Had their dry spanish vermouth which was delicious. This place is great for a pre-dinner drink/apps! read more

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Love. Balanced cocktails. Fun wines by the glass. Food delivered over expectations, we love a snack sized plate: shrooms - very good, complex, spicy, sweet Bread - crusty, soft, apple butter and grana Dip - sour, salty, olives, creamy Not hard to get a seat (yet?). Great, casually classy service. read more

Buddy - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This place is like stepping into a neighborhoody, European wine bar. It has a lively atmosphere, unpretentious vibe, friendly staff, and great food. We sat at the counter and had fun watching them prepare all the dishes from scratch. The wine list could be expanded, it's very small and not the best wines, also having a protein-centric dish on the menu would make it a spot I could easily do for a casual dinner. The food: Stone fruit salad was amazing, and the smoked goat cheese that was a creamy consistency just brought it all together and made it really special. The tater salad was a nice surprise, everything worked together, was well executed, and reminded me of an easter European appetizer. The gougéres while pretty, were my least favorite dish. The puff pastry was cold even though they did heat it up, but it was pre-made, the dip and caviar made it cold and somehow didn't work for me with wine, but could be a good vodka chaser. The trumpet mushrooms were delicious and reminded me of the French countryside cooking. Definitely check it out! read more

Buddy is an absolutely charming little wine bar, and it's so close to where I am, It's hard not to go more often. The atmosphere is incredible. The decor is so beautiful, a mix of an aesthetic trendy bar, and a comfortable home. One of my favorite features in the decor is the wine wall, that doubles as a second menu. When you go to Buddy, they encourage you to visit it, as many of the wines up there might not be on the menu, making you feel like you are part of a secret exclusive club. The outside is also lovely, with heating lamps that protect you from the code, and great, though limited, outdoor decor. The atmosphere also works in any setting, whether it be a first date, a 100th date, an anniversary, a catchup with an old friend, or a get together with many. I've only gotten one thing to eat here, and it's their classic gougères. The mix of flavors is delicious and perfectly balanced. It serves as an amazing pairing with a chilled glass of wine. Be careful though, they are smaller than they seem online, so although delicious, truth be said I was a little diappointed. Definitely one of my go-to bars in the area though, with swift and friendly service as well as amazing vibes all around, I couldn't recommend it more. read more