San Francisco has a new wine list—one that’s dedicated to the southern hemisphere. South Food and Wine Bar at 330 Townsend Street highlights food and wine from down under. And with perfect pairing, the chef will titillate your taste buds.
Australian celebrity chef Luke Mangan has never been one to sit still. With two chic restaurants — Salt in Tokyo, and Glass Brasserie in Sydney — and three best-selling cookbooks, he’s now brought his signature “ModOz�? cuisine to San Francisco.
Mangan is teamed up with Liz O’Connell from Western Australia, a former executive of Southcorp, one of the world’s largest wine producers and distributors, and Anna Weinberg from New Zealand. Weinberg received rave reviews from the New York Times for Stella, a restaurant she opened in Soho in 2001.
The restaurant highlights a rotation of small boutique wineries from Australia and New Zealand. The reds move from lively to gutsy and whites from sparkly to creamy, making it easy to choose a wine to match both your mood and your food.
The menu showcases regional delicacies such as New Zealand lamb, barramundi, Tasmanian ocean trout, and Australian beef. Mangan’s style marries these southern hemisphere staples with bold flavors that reflect all of the influences of modern Australia and New Zealand.
From the jarrah wood tables to the custom Maori-inspired tile, the small dining room that seats 50 people exudes authenticity. Bent-wood and reed lamps created by New Zealand designer David Trubridge hang from the ceiling casting warm, soft patterns on the walls and floor when the lights come on after dark.
The industrial look of the building on the outside is completely unpretentious—so completely SoMa Yet once inside, the warmth and authenticity from down under invite you to stay for awhile.