San Francisco Wine Society

The San Francisco Wine Society Parklet Feels Like an Outdoor Living Room | Eater SF

"In an outdoor parklet on Merchant Street I discovered the San Francisco Wine Society, which Danielle Kuzinich opened on January 29 after securing the lease where the Hidden Vine had been. Kuzinich—who ran nearly everything for the Hidden Vine—designed the parklet to feel like a luxe home library, curating new furniture from Restoration Hardware to Ross and thrift stores and adding details such as a 1983 Hitachi cassette player (soon to be refurbished so guests can select music), old books on music, art, and culture, vintage wallpaper, framed photos, four chandeliers, and two fireplaces she designed and painted. The structure is built over two parking spaces (40 feet long by seven feet wide), completely open on one side with a sun-shade drape on the other, with plans to expand into two more permitted spaces; seats in the parklet can be reserved, including those in front of the fireplaces. Kuzinich made the space intentionally welcoming to solo diners—providing books, cassettes, and visual details as alternatives to staring at a phone—and the bar is open at 408 Merchant Street Tuesday through Saturday, from 2 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and until 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday." - Clair Lorell