Ivory & Vine opened in the space left behind by bohemian Revolution Café, which closed in March, 2021. Owner Christopher Nickolopoulos also owns Linden & Laguna in Hayes Valley, and was the founder of Maritime Wine Trading in North Beach. He also makes his own wine, so he knows this biz pretty well. His newest endeavor, Ivory & Vine specializes in Greek antipasti.
He told us that he completely redid the inside of Revolution Café, and it shows. The space is serene and lovely, with Spanish-tiled floors, a pale blue accent wall, and his very own baby grand piano holding court.
So, the name Ivory & Vine is quite apropos, if a little frou-frou. After all, this corner was renowned as a spot where you could get a contact high just rounding the corner. The clientele seems just a bit older now, and perhaps a tad less “herbal,” shall we say? Still, a raucous space it remains, with chairs, tables, and music spilling out onto the sidewalk. Yep, there’s still live music, jazz and classical, and a happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. with discounts on house wines and some of the food.
One such item is the mega mezze platter.
The platter consists of dolmathes, spanakopita, kalamata olives, big chunks of feta, tzatziki, salami, and warm pita triangles. It’s sized to share, and offers a good selection. I especially loved the dolmathes and feta, but all the items tasted fresh and homemade (though we were told the dolmathes were not).
We also got the gigantes plaki.
Which is homemade, or at least the tomato sauce is, with oregano and fat, meaty beans. Such a homey dish.
Next, the loucanico sausage gyro and horiatiki:
A warm pita comes tucked around a richly flavored, delicious sausage, perfect with the coolness of the tzatziki, tomato, cucumber, and onion. Alongside was the horiatiki (Greek salad) for more freshness and crunch, with cukes, kalamata, tomato, bell pepper, red onion, garbanzos, and creamy feta. I’d get just these two plates and be quite happy pretending I was sitting in a taverna on a Greek isle.
Our server was kindness itself. Seeing we would have to wait quite a while for a table outside, he graciously brought one out from indoors and nestled us in. Nickolopoulos came and chatted us up, regaling us with the story of how he came to run two cafes in the City during the pandemic, as recounted by Mission Local.
So, it pains me to say that the wines we had were a bit of a disappointment! Sadly, all that we tried (I believe three or four varieties) were either very muddled in taste or just one-note. I was surprised, with Nickolopoulos’ pedigree, but I’m hopeful he’ll be changing up the wine list often. They also serve craft beer, and it’s really great to have fresh Greek mezze in the neighborhood, and music and laughter emanating from that corner again. Maybe we just picked wrong that night.
In any case, I saw others enjoying their wine, beer, and the cozy atmosphere, along with Nickolopoulos’ warm and welcoming ways. Ivory & Vine makes a lively addition to our neighborhood, so let’s get out there and support it.
Ivory & Vine (website)
3248 22nd St.
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I was a regular Revolution Café customer from it’s very beginning, and I’m so happy that Chris was willing to take on the burden of trying to run a business in this town (I’m a little jaded as I own a café myself). I love the food, the wine, the regulars are back, locals and musicians get a gig, and you can still get “contact high” at that corner. Good luck Ivory and Vine!
surprising about the wines ..
i’ve been to linden & laguna, his casual wine spot in the hayes, as mentioned, and his offerings there are quite good, and reasonable.
and this reminds me that individual palates can be oh so subjective .. !!
very true! for both us not to find them very special was unusual, though. But i’m willing to try again!
An antiseptic marina-style wine bar in the mission. No thanks.
Looked at the wine list on Yelp. It’s weak, especially if they’re calling themselves a “wine bar.” Hopefully they’ll add some more interesting bottles.
thanks for validating! i don’t know enough about wine to have figured that out myself.