Fat Angel on Fillmore

I know there are a lot of wine bars in San Francisco, but how many of them have draft wine and butter on the menu? Fat Angel opened in the very historic Fillmore district in February of 2010 by Jason and Cyrick, two local guys who wanted to make a name for themselves by serving tasty comfort food and offering a variety of local wine and beers (38 different wines and about 15 kinds of beer).

It is saying a lot that they are still standing and have a great local following. If I was living in this neighborhood I would definitely have my name on one of the bar stools that is shaped like an iron saddle, it cradles your butt in comfort. The décor is rustic, charming and all of it was built with recycled, refurbished and repurposed material that was found in San Francisco. These guys are green to the core!! Always fun to meet up with friends for a bite and a catch up—and of course share your food–if you don’t share, we cannot be friends, virtual or otherwise. On the menu: •Butter– Garlic and chili infused, served w/ warm organic Firebrand whole wheat levain (fancy name for wheat bread) ($4.50) •Salad – Smoked trout on organic greens w/ horseradish vinaigrette ($11.00) •Flatbread – Basil marinara, arugula and spicy sausage w/ricotta ($10.00) •Mac ‘n Cheese – Gruyère, aged cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano (a trio of yumminess) ($11.00) *********************************************************************

Draft wine –This was the first place where I tasted wine from a tap, draft wine, very good wine for the price, I had a fun and fruity Sauvignon blanc and I can’t have just one. According to Monkeydish.com–“In a more casual and informal operation, wine on tap can be very exciting and innovative on a host of levels,” declares Michael Green, president and creative director of the Liquid Assets Consulting Group. “One, there’s less of a carbon footprint. Two, the unusual dispensing technique can be an interesting marketing concept. And three, in certain cases, operators are able to pass on savings to the customer.”

Butter -served w/ warm organic whole wheat bread. Helllllllllo butter–obviously not the healthiest thing in the world to eat but a small slab of flavored lard won’t kill ya. Just do one hour of cardio that day and you’ll be able to eat it guilt free. There was a choice of Lemon caper sage, Garlic chili, Maple bacon, Chocolate cinnamon, Honey and we went with(dramatic pause) the Garlic chili of course. I’m not much of a garlic fan since it usually overpowers the meal but this had just the right amount and the chili gave it a tasty zing at the end. Top it with a dense piece of warm bread and we were in heaven.

Salad – Smoked trout on organic greens w/ horseradish vinaigrette. Elaine Benes (yes there will be the occasional Seinfeld references in this blog) would be proud of this BIG salad. A bit overdressed for my taste but the smoked bits of trout cut through it and blended well with the blue cheese.

Flatbread -- Basil marinara, arugula & spicy sausage w/ ricotta. I do love a crunchy flatbread to go with my BIG salad. There was crunch all over, in the bread, the arugula and the bite of the spicy sausage, yes there was a party in my mouth. Mac ‘n Cheese – Gruyère, aged cheddar, parmigiano-reggiano.Why do I always burn my mouth on Mac ‘n Cheese? Because I can’t wait to eat it as soon as it gets to my table. I must learn self-control but when a plate of bubbly, cheesy, noodley perfection is put before me, I dig in!! I never have room for dessert after eating here but it’s a good thing since they don’t serve it. Just do as I do and order another glass of wine, that can be your dessert. So if you are in the Fillmore district, maybe to see a show at Yoshi’s or The Fillmore or want to get away from all the fancy shops, cross Geary and go to the dark side (okay it’s not the dark side but don’t wander too much if you are not familiar with the area), you’ll find a sweet wine pub (did I just coin a new phrase?) that might be small in size, but is big on quality food, style and of course….WINE. Tell them Laurie sent you, not because you’ll get a discount but because it will puzzle them…until next time. Happy eating!! 1740 O’Farrell St SF, CA Hours Monday - Thursday 5pm to 12am Friday 5pm to 1am Saturday 5pm to 1am Sunday 4pm to 11pm