ABOUT US:

Enotecas are popular throughout Italy for their inviting atmosphere,
simple, honest food and good wine. Experience this now at Uva Enoteca
in the Lower Haight, SF. The two-man team behind Uva Enoteca is Wine
Director/GM Boris Nemchenok (Mario Batali’s Otto Enoteca Pizzeria in NYC
and EOS Restaurant & Wine Bar) and Executive Chef Ben Hetzel (most
recently of the Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton).

Executive Chef Hetzel creates a simple and concise menu that features
locally crafted meats like Bresaola, Speck, Mortadella, and Coppa, and
cheeses including Ubriaco, Tallegio, Cremosina, and Moliterno. An
extensive list of antipasti is on-hand such as Brussels sprouts with
agrodolce, Endive and melted leeks and Eggplant caponata.

In addition, Hetzel’s menu includes inventive pizzas and pastas,
combinations such as Lamb and Calabrian peppers pizza; Wild boar Ragu ;
and Pancetta, pomegranate & burrata pizza is offered on the extensive
list.

Hetzel also brings in one-of-a-kind specialty items such as and small
production gelato made from local artisan, Alberto Malvestio, who owns a
shop in Berkeley called Almare Gelateria. Malvestio makes some specialty
gelato for Uva such as pistachio gelato, using fresh pistachios that he
has sourced.

To complement Hetzel’s menu, Wine Director & GM Boris Nemchenok draws from
his experience working with Mario Batali and focuses on small boutique
Italian wine producers served Quartino-style. (A quartino is a small
decanter that holds a quarter of a liter, or 1/3 of a standard 750ml
bottle.)

“A quartino is a better pour,” says Nemchenok. “It lets people fill their
own glass, share with friends, and experience a variety of different wines
in one seating.”

Nemchenok and Hetzel took great care in designing Uva Enoteca, creating a
rustic and clean vibe with brick walls, dark wood stained floors, marble
countertops, and subway-style tiled walls. The pair even helped hand-craft
the red cedar tabletops and custom-made cabinetry in the basement of the
Lower Haight eatery under the guidance of their friend and designer Joel