High Treason Is Quietly Pouring Wine and Spinning Records In the Inner Richmond

After over a year of hustling, High Treason (neé Pivot) has finally (soft-opened) its doors to the citizens of the Inner Richmond. After a name change and a tough time securing contractors to build it, the wine bar and restaurant (formerly known as Pivot) from reformed fine-dining sommeliers Michael Ireland (Restaurant at Meadowood, Quince) and John Vuong (Ame, Gary Danko) is almost fully realized.

Ireland says that though he and Vuong have had a challenging time finding both front- and back-of-the-house staff, they decided last week to "just turn on the lights and open the doors, and see what happened." Right now the duo is pouring wine, beer, cider and sake by the glass to whoever happens in the door, while Ireland plays records from his personal collection. "Oddly I'm running into a lot of somms who have great record collections," said Ireland. "And, stuff I actually like." As a result, Ireland plans to have sommelier pals come in to play their records on set nights. "We just want to have fun here," said Ireland. "And wine pairs with certain moods, just like music; going from song to song on an album is almost a progression like a tasting menu, putting things together to create a common thread."

And though food is still just on the horizon, the menu will come from the mind of consulting chef Daniel Brooks (with whom Ireland worked at Quince), and is designed to pair with the list of wines by the glass. If all goes as planned, the menu will roll out in two phases, starting with a selection of lighter fare like salads, sandwiches, cheese and charcuturie, followed by lunch and dinner in a few months. In addition, an extensive to-go menu of picnic fare (plus wine pairings) is in the works— a wise move, given the restaurant's proximity to Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach and the Presidio. Start plotting those Instagrams of a wine-soaked feast on the beach now.

Right now High Treason is open Tuesday-Thursday from 5 p.m.- 9 p.m. Stay tuned for details on an official opening.