Uva Enoteca Italian Restaurant / Wine Bar

The Haight, San Francisco –

Several blocks east of the famous Haight-Ashbury intersection and all its hippy/tourist trappings is a cozy little slice of Italy called Uva Enoteca. The name means “grape wine bar,” and owners take the translation seriously, stocking nothing but 100% Italian varietals on the extensive drink list.

Older couples drop by for a romantic dinner in the early evening, sharing plates of prosciutto and wild boar salami at little tables near the entrance, while younger button-downed professionals take over the marble-topped bar to savor wines and cheeses whose names they probably can’t pronounce.

About the time the early birds have moved on to their peanut butter gelato sandwiches, the local handle-barred hipsters start to trickle in, settling in with dates and close friends at the larger tables along the exposed brick walls in back.

Sounds from the open kitchen mix with boisterous conversation as the venue quickly fills to capacity, and decibel levels continue to rise as more and more quartino decanters clutter the tables.

Trendy ladies share space with cultured college students out front, voyeuristically checking out the Haight Street nightlife before grabbing an open seat, although the wait can be long thanks to the stupor that follows gastronomic gratification and too many fermented grapes.

A dessert espresso ends the meal at Uva Enoteca, after which patrons venture back out onto Haight Street with thoughts of Italy in their heads – and lots of uva in their bellies.