by Juju H. on So I was entertaining some out of towners and you can't name a more interesting scene than the castro........on any other night than the OSCARS! With absolutely nothing going on in this sudden ghost town we bumped into a sign for a wine bar that read " Great wine, delicious food and cute bartenders." DONE. We walked in and demanded to see the cute bartenders. Fully satisfied by their combined adorableness, we looked at the list for .05 seconds and made our second demands known;we want great wine! OMG delicious! And the decor was so warm and inviting; my guests were happy, I was happy, Sandra Bullock was the happiest. To top it off, as soon as I took that first delicious sip, I look over and see my long lost friend! What are the odds that someone awesome that you meet in one wine bar (Nectar in burlingame) you will re-connect with in another wine bar?! ( I hate it when people say, "small world," 'cause it is NOT small, but I admit I was thinking it. I didn't have any of the food, but from what I saw, it has to be good! Trust me, I have seen a lot of food. We actually took a cab there and back from the Fillmore area and it was pretty cheap, but I can't speak for parking. Let's just guess that it might be a pain. Yeah, OK, it's a BAR, so If you want more wine you have to go up to, wait for it............THE BAR. (I can't believe an earlier Ratecluber commented on that!) Thanks for the relaxing experience, JuJu
by Linsey S. on I absolutely LOVE the decor and atmosphere of Spice Market... hip, sexy and does a great job transporting diners to another place. Super friendly hostesses from reservation to greeting & seating. Our server was good, but we arrived for a 9:45PM reservation... we could tell she was tired for the day, but she had a good knowledge of the menu and gave excellent recommendations. I always asked my server, "if you knew I was going to die tonight and this was my last meal, what should I have?' Based on her recs we started with the Spiced Chicken Samosas with Cilantro Yogurt - delicious! They had the perfect amount of spice for me (I'm sort of weak when it comes to spicy) We then shared 2 entrees and a side. First, the Cod with Malaysian Chili Sauce and Thai Basil - really fabulous!! The top and bottom had a crispy sear and the fish was cooked perfectly - moist and yummy. The chili sauce paired nicely with the Thai Basil for a great flavor. We strayed from her beef recommendation (Onion and Chili Crusted Short Ribs) and ordered the Grilled Strip Steak, which was underwhelming. A decent cut of meat, but no real amazing flavor. The Snap Peas, Shitake Mushroom and Water Chestnut side that we ordered was yummy though! And because no meal is complete without the sweet... the Chocolate and Vietnamese Coffee Tart with Condensed Milk Ice Cream was a great finish to our experience.
