On a warm night late this summer, a friend and I visited 20 Spot, site of a former music store that still sold vinyl. In keeping with the theme, this unpretentious yet ultra-hip wine bar has been giving neighborhood vibe for more than a decade, spinning full albums in a cool, dark, midcentury modern space. You can lounge on a sofa, sit outside in a heated parklet, or shimmy up to the bar and take your pick of wines from Hungary, California, Italy, or Spain. We availed ourselves of a French sparkling red, similar to a Lambrusco and, later, a pert, funky orange wine. Â
Our first shared dish was the corn and nectarine salad.
Inspired, and almost delicious; the corn was lovely and sweet, the greens fresh and hardy but, sadly, the nectarines were unripe, hard, and crunchy. And, yes, it was summertime, when juicy, flavorful stone fruit was falling off the literal trees. It should go without saying that if the fruit that your dish features isn’t ready to be eaten, please don’t serve it. It should, but I had to say it.
Next, thank goodness, an assuaging pâté.
20 Sport is rightfully well-known for its silken chicken-liver mousse, but almost the best thing about it is that it comes with 20 Spot’s amazingly good, freshly baked-in-house bread. I don’t know if they’ll sell you a loaf of this magical crusty stuff, but if they do, I’d be tempted to buy it every week. The creamy, spiced mousse was tempered by a tart plum compote. Excellent, and quite a generous portion.
Next, we had the hamachi crudo.
Light and screamingly fresh fish, this was a great pairing with the hot chilies, pickled onions, and smooth avocado as counterpoints. So good, you’ll want your own plate of this; we had one, and almost immediately ordered a second round for dessert.
On our second visit, we started out with a crisp rosé from Rousillon-Languedoc, and shared a small plate of cabbage roasted in an anchovy butter.
This beauty melted in our mouths, with sweetness, lovely char, and comforting umami. I thought I sensed a touch of miso in here, too, but I may be mistaken. In any case, if it’s on the menu, get it.
We then shared the applewood-smoked bacon pizza.
Mushrooms, garlic cream, and fontina played amazingly well with habanero in this homey and hearty pizza. Since they make their bread in-house, you know this crust had all the right chew.
We finished up with a chocolate pudding.
A creamy lake of luscious chocolate with whipped cream and boysenberries was a perfect, not-too-sweet ending to the meal. Accompanied by a light, Veso Solstice strawberry vermouth with soda. (Okay, it’s supposed to be an aperitif, so sue me.)
Besides their variety of foreign and domestic vinos (many of which are all-the-rage natural wines), 20 Spot offers bubbly, hyper-local beers with a few on draft, the aforementioned vermouth cocktail, and no-proof spritzes. No slouches when it comes to the food that goes with your quaff, the menu changes seasonally, and they’re famed for their 20 Spot pizzas, ever-changing cheese boards, and an eclectic range of small plates. Â
Except for the unfortunate blip with the unripe fruit, I’ve enjoyed most everything I’ve had here, but mostly we treasure this little spot on the corner for its sophisticated yet welcoming atmosphere. We need to find comfort anywhere we can these days.
20 Spot (website)
3565 20th St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
