Irish Coffee @ Nopa

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Ducking into Nopa from a blustery Divisadero Art Walk last Saturday, some friends and I looked to escape the (relative) cold to warm our chilled spirits. With the hectic brunch rush long over, the restaurant takes on the characteristics of a low key cafe—people reading at the communal table, a relaxed staff (until the dinner bell rings, at least), and plenty of seating at the bar. Though the kitchen is not open, the bar sure is, so we quickly took our seats.
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The Blue Bottle Irish Coffee should do the trick!

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Ah,much better now!

Mojo Bicycle Cafe

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If I were to tell you there exists a cafe where you can sip your coffee or Hitachino White Ale on an outdoor parklet while waiting for your bicycle to be fixed, and enjoy a meal from a pop-up cafe, you must think you've died and gone to hipster heaven. Well the rumors of your demise are greatly exaggerated, my skinny jeaned friend. Welcome to the Mojo Bicycle Cafe. The delightfully named Rice Paper Scissors (aforementioned pop-up cafe) was providing Banh Mi Sandwiches Thursday night for the hungry patrons. Depicted above is their very delicious Pork Belly sandwich.

Nopa

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Olive oil poached albacore at Nopa. (Wait a second—Is the olive oil poached? Or is it the albacore? And isn't poaching illegal?) Ok, back to the meal..this colorful dish is listed on the appetizer section of the menu, but it sure seemed like a full meal to me, as I was sufficiently satisfied after finishing it. The egg was a nice compliment, too. I highly recommended it, but from what I understand, the albacore is a fleeting seasonal fish, and only makes an appearance on the menu when available. In this case, it made an appearance on the wine menu—or at least the back of it. Kind of wish I kept this one, looking back on it. But I'm sure the poachers took good care of it. (smiley emoticon here)

Corkage

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Corkage is a quaint little sake and wine tasting room nestled between Cafe Abir and Tsunami on Fulton Street. Yoshi Sako (above) makes you feel right at home in this neighborhood establishment, where you can taste a variety of sakes and wines that you may not have otherwise considered-- like draft wine on tap. Monday nights Yoshi offers a tasting class, where you can sample the spectrum of sakes.

 

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