Salty and sweet
Michelin-starred restaurant is reborn as a casual-chic San Francisco bar: RTB Wine Bar
Although San Francisco lost fine dining spot Avery back in November, this upscale wine bar replaced it in the same location on Fillmore.
By Virginia Miller
I was saddened to see Michelin-starred Avery move to Edinburgh, Scotland recently; the restaurant went with chef Rodney Wages and his wife. Since the Fillmore Street gem opened in 2018 — in the same Michelin-rife couple of blocks as State Bird Provisions, The Progress, Anchovy Bar and Merchant Roots — it quietly bucked upscale trends with Wages irreverent, rock star attitude towards fine dining, complete with caviar bumps and his famed liquid tortellini en brodo (in broth).
Avery’s exquisite champagne and sake selections made it all the more special. I gave it a perfect five stars in my Time Out days, and will never forget the “feels like you’re in Tuscany” magic of their pop-up dinners in Napa during pandemic, complete with limo rides to and from SF.
Though we’ve lost a treasure, we’ve gained its essence in more casual form: RTB Wine Lounge opened in the same space in December 2023 from Wages and Avery’s former sommelier, who is now general manager and head of beverage, Sean Widger. Widger and team’s gracious service is Michelin-level, while the space is reborn into what feels like a swank friend’s city apartment.
Velvet couches in red, royal blue and soft sky blue, comfy chairs, vinyl selection, mid-century tables, a couple corner booths and a beautifully gnarled Napa vine that Widger saved from being thrown away and is using as wall art, mark the intimate two floors. There’s a private dining room with records, a table and artful, circular wine cellar storage.
Thankfully, Sean’s beverage program still holds rare Champagnes and sakes, but he’s expanding the by-the-glass and bottle list with more affordable, wide-ranging options. What’s exciting on the food side is a menu one could call Avery’s “greatest hits” in casual, a la carte format.
Wages works with chef Janik Hengelfelt, from Avery, now running the kitchen and creating new dishes. Yes, the magic chew and melt–in-your-mouth contrast of Wages’ liquid tortellini en brodo, tributing Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, is back. So are beloved aebleskiver, fluffy Danish pancake balls. Currently, it’s a savory version graced with prawns, pickled peppers and roasted garlic. Irresistible.
Ditto on killer caviar that’s served on a sweet potato pancake, savory-briny-sweet with nuts and buttered maple. But jamon Iberico fat-laden popcorn dusted in nori dried seaweed and onion could be a night on its own. Paired with champagne it’s the dream movie night or bar snack. Silky, cured Scottish river trout recalls Scotland via Scandinavia, with the fish cured in brown sugar and sea salt, in a creamy-white layer of horseradish creme fraiche marked by golden osetra caviar. All happiness.
Wine and sake pours thrill, including the citrus-muscat silkiness of Temahima Daiginjo Yamadanishiki, the crushable bubbles of Michel Gonet ‘Les 3 Terroirs’ Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne or the mineral complexity of a red from Jura, France: 2019 Domaine Rolet Arbois Rouge Tradition.
More edible fun is had with de-boned, stuffed and lightly fried chicken wings filled with braised tendon and scallion sticky rice. Accompanying house fermented Fresno chili hot sauce threatens to steal the show. Wish I could bottle and take it home. Though a pork katsu sandwich is Japanese in origin, it reflects chef Hengelfelt’s Germany home. A tenderized pork chop is breaded and fried in puffed rice, served on fluffy grilled milk bread with house fermented sauerkraut, spicy apple mustard and house pickles brined in a white balsamic vinegar blend.
Dessert is no throw-away, continuing in Wages’ playful spirit, from ice cream sandwiches to a savory-sweet pop tart. This puff pastry is filled with a puree of clarified onion butter, dehydrated cherries rehydrated with tawny Port. On top is Jasper Hill Farm’s Harbison cheese and a glaze of ice cider, black pepper and thyme.
Hot damn. We miss Wages, but this new evolution feels more fun and inviting than ever.
// 1552 Fillmore Street, www.rtbwinelounge.com
Virginia Miller is a San Francisco-based food & drink writer.
The Bold Italic is a non-profit media organization that’s brought to you by GrowSF, and we publish first-person perspectives about San Francisco and the Bay Area. Donate to us today.
