When are you ever going to roast your own suckling pig?

feast v. famine

If you've dined at Heart before, you may have noticed that we are of the Mick Jagger school of philosophy. Namely, we believe that "Anything worth doing is worth overdoing" -- and we endorse that sentiment with hearty wines, stinky cheese and creative uses of meat. In today's glum-leaning world, who wants to go out to dinner at a restaurant and share polite conversation over plates of salad? We'd rather sit at a big table, meet some new friends and eat pate.

To each his or her own.

But still. If you enjoy a good, rollicking dining experience every now and then (and we know you do), we can't wait to introduce you to our private dinner series. It's going to be less like going to a restaurant and more like going to a dinner party at your best friend's house. But the food will actually be amazing.

The first event, a four-course food & wine extravaganza in the style of Segovia, Spain, goes down on Tuesday, April 27. We still have some seats available, and we're offering first dibs to our newsletter subscribers .

Located north of Madrid, Segovia is an ancient city of Castile and Leon that is famous for its rich, Romanesque cuisine. In other words, it is practically the world's capital of roast suckling pig, and Kitchenette is bringing this herculean feat of pork, plus several other classic dishes, to Heart, where they will meet their wine soul mates inside of your mouth.

A feast is in the works.

We're not going to give the whole menu away (it is a "secret" dinner, after all), but we'll have pulpo (slow simmered octopus off the plancha with fresh lemon), spanish cheeses, patatas panaderas, and so much more, along with live entertainment. And then there are the wines we're pairing to each course. Have you seen our shelves? We're obsessed with Spain, so expect some reserve selections that will blow your mind.

So, stop procrastinating and save your spot. Once we're booked, we're locking the doors and eating/drinking the house down. To make a reservation, email us at info@heartsf.com with your name, phone number and number of guests in your party.

We can't wait to see you here.

-Heart

arrhythmia

weekly wine reviews by heart's keeper, jeff segal

This week’s wine is…a sherry. If you’ve been to Heart, you’re probably aware that I’m always trying to find ways to get people to try, and like, real sherry (our half-price sherry Happy Hour, for one). I’m not alone in this regard – sherry is one of the favorite charity cases of many a wine “professional” now that Riesling is no longer locked in Chardonnay’s basement like The Gimp in Pulp Fiction. But most people will tell you that sherry is amazing because it’s so food-friendly. Don’t get me wrong, it is. But I think sherry is one of the best wines in the world, food or not.

The sherry I’m talking about right now is the El Maestro Sierra Amontillado. El Maestro Sierra is quite possibly the best sherry house in the world and its location is a major reason why – it sits right on the Atlantic Ocean in El Puerto de Santa Maria. Another reason is that it houses some of the oldest soleras (the barrels that age sherry) in Jerez, ironically enough because it doesn’t sell much wine. The winery is owned by a woman, Pilar Pla Pechovierto, and has a woman winemaker, Ana Cabestrero, both of which are extremely rare in cojones-fueled Andalusia.

These broads know how to make some seriously good wine, though. Their Amontillado detonates on your palate like a sea salt and almond bomb, and then repairs the damage with a caramel and toffee dressing. Best of all, despite the carnage, its acidity leaves you ready for more. Honestly, what this wine tastes like the most to me is a bone-in smoked Christmas ham that somebody forgot to soak first.

As far as a food recommendation, that’s tough. There are so many options. But I’ll forgo the more obvious ones (almonds, olives, cheese, charcuterie) and go with rabbit and artichoke paella. The Amontillado has the stuffing to stand up to the complexity and meatiness of the dish, but it isn’t overpowered in anyway by it. Here’s a great recipe to try.

The El Maestro Sierra Amontillado retails for $28 a bottle usually, but if you come in to Heart this week and tell me you read about it in the newsletter, I’ll sell it to you for $24. My lucky number.

Until next week…

-Jeff

get. here. early.

outside in #4

street food and street wine @ heart

On Sunday, April 25 we're pairing wines to street foods at Outside In, a collection of San Francisco food cart vendors who are wheeling their way into Heart for an evening.

Check out this video of Outside In #3 at Mink Bar, then get excited for the next episode on April 25, which is already drawing plenty of hype from foodies, winos, and bass-loving maniacs.

That reminds us...check out the amazing DJs we have lined up for the event:

DJ Concerned {SF,Brooklyn,New Orleans} 9pm-10pm

Tee Money {SF WEEKLY} 8pm-9pm

B. Cause {4ONE FUNK, GROOVE MERCHANT RECORDS} 6pm-8pm

Food by:

Kitchenette
Urban BBQ
Leif Hedendal
Adobo Hobo
Sour Flour
Slow Jams
Creme Brulee Cart
Magic Curry Kart
Pizza Hacker
Lumpia Cart
Soul Cocina
Venga Empanadas
Gumbo Cart
Forage SF
Egg Creme Cart
Evil Jerk Cart
Toasty Melts
Chile Lindo

Outside In IV @ Heart: Sunday, April 25 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The Heartbeat, Vol. 4

feast v. famine

let's talk wine

arrhythmia

weekly wine reviews by heart's keeper, jeff segal

upcoming events

outside in #4

street food and street wine @ heart