New Mission Wine Bar 20 Spot is Two Weeks Out

A still-under-construction look at the 20 Spot. [Photo: Bodhi Freedom]

It's been a while since we last heard from the 20 Spot, the planned Mission wine bar from Bacchus owner Bodhi Freedom. Though Freedom originally planned to open last November, he was derailed by the usual SF panoply of permitting and construction delays. Happily, the build-out has finally reached its end, and Freedom's targeting an opening in two weeks, pending final inspections.

Housed in the former Force of Habit record store in the Mission, the 20 Spot will be a 38-seat wine bar with a small-plates menu by Anthony Paone, last of Berkeley's now-shuttered Sea Salt. But don't expect the usual nibbles: "We want to do something more interesting than serving a cheese and charcuterie plate," says Freedom. "We're trying to avoid the perfunctory in favor of the creative."

The planned menu will emphasize canning and pickling, and Paone's already built up an extensive library of housemade horseradish, honey, beets, Meyer lemons, and other items. He'll have both a TurboChef and a sous vide machine at his disposal, which he'll be using to put out items like a pork-belly sandwich, jarred rabbit pate, and housemade mushroom and lobster ketchup. (And for those who have to have fromage with their wine, Freedom will also have a nice selection of local cheeses.)

On the vino side, Freedom plans to emphasize North American and European wines, with a broader list and more by-the-glass selections than tiny Bacchus (which seats a mere 14 souls). The vibe is mid-century modern, with lots of vintage furniture and lighting Freedom's collected over the years for such a purpose, and a bar top based on the tables of his favorite furniture designer of the era, Paul McCobb.

The current plan is for the bar to open at 5, six days a week (with Tuesdays off), and close at 1 am Thursday-Saturday and midnight the rest of the week. We'll have more photos, a menu, and an exact opening date as things get closer to completion.

· Bacchus Wine Bar Owner Plans 20 Spot For the Mission [~ ESF ~]
· All 20 Spot coverage [~ ESF ~]