After months of delays (you know how it goes), Michael Ireland (previously a sommelier at The French Laundry, Quince, Benu, The Restaurant at Meadowood) and John Vuong (Ame, Gary Danko) have finally been able to open the doors to their wine bar and retail shop in the Inner Richmond.
When we originally broke the news about the project, it was called Pivot, but it’s now HIGH TREASON. But don’t let the name worry you about any high-priced wine shenanigans, these two gents are all about delivering delicious wine at an affordable price point, with no pretentious BS either. There are about 60-65 bottles on the list for now, and it will eventually grow to 120. (There is also a high-end list from their consignment collection if you want to roll deep.)
The list isn’t pigeonholed to a particular style, although they are saying away from big brands and about a third of it will be from California. There will also be French, Italian, Spanish, German, Austrian, and Slovenian wines in the mix.
As for the food, look for this part of the offering to ramp up—they’re still in soft opening mode right now (the grand opening is scheduled for Saturday February 13th). Their consulting chef is Danny Brooks, who is developing the menu—think small plates to start (cheese, charcuterie, croquettes, french fries in duck fat), and then more involved dishes in time.
There are 47 seats, with a bar, tables, and high-tops, plus a private dining room upstairs for dinner, education, and tastings. A big part of their concept is to be able to offer multicourse dinners a couple of times a month centered around the wines (instead of vice versa). They’re having fun playing vinyl on their turntable—look for some somms who also spin to drop by.
Hours for now are Mon-Sat 5pm-9pm, but after Sat, they will be open Mon-Fri at 4:30pm and Sat-Sun at 11:30am. They’ll close at 10pm Sun-Thu and at 11pm Fri-Sat. 443 Clement St. at 5th Ave., 415-555-1212.
