SF Jazz Center

SF Jazz Center

201 Franklin Street

Jen and I went to the SF Jazz Center to see Marcus Roberts.  Marcus Roberts is definitely one of the best jazz pianists of our generation and the show was fantastic.  He played a variety of jazz standards from Jelly Roll Morton to Duke Ellington.  He slowed down many of the pieces and played them with a hauntingly, beautiful melody.  It is as if the pieces were filtered through a modern Chopin.

Why am I mentioning this on a German Wine blog?  Prior to the show, we stopped at the café/bar at the facility called South at SF Jazz.  We just wanted a quick drink (or two) before the show.  They were busy so I didn’t bother asking to see the wine list - I figured it would just be loaded with new world wines.  I ordered a glass of Scotch and the bartender handed us the appetizer menu along with the wine menu when he brought the drinks.  The wine list is short but the quality is amazing.  There are four German wines on the list including the 2009 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Spätlese, the 2011 Dönnhoff Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Kabinett and the 2011 Jakob Schneider Niederhaüser Klamm Kabinett.  The wine list also included some excellent Austrian Gruners as well as a Riesling from Kamptal. 

At this point, I asked to see the dinner menu to see if they served some Riesling-friendly main courses.  The dinner options include Wild Flounder with fennel and green tomatoes, Louisiana gulf shrimp and grits with Jalapeno and Mary’s free range fried chicken with “Delta” sauce.  The most expensive main course was $21.

Maybe we can schedule an event there.  What could be better than a glass of Dönnhoff with Wild Flounder followed by Branford Marsalis?