Wine Jar (1870 Fillmore), a cozy and friendly neighborhood hangout, is what I call a real wine bar, as opposed to a restaurant that doubles or poses as a wine bar. They sell some nuts, olives, and cheese to snack on, and have a small selection of good bottled beer, but the focus is on the wine.

The thoughtfully chosen list includes around 50 wines, more than half available by the glass ($4-18) or half-glass, and many of the rest in half (375ml) bottles. The selection favors boutique California wineries, but also has some nice choices from France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.


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It's a cliché that when times are tough, people will sometimes cash in on one of their most basic attributes: blood. So don't be surprised to see a mob scene at Balboa Cafe's Sixth Burger for a Pint Blood Drive next Tuesday.

In this case, donors will be trading their vital fluid for a Balboa Burger, acknowledged as one of the best slabs of grilled meat in town. If the sight of gore doesn't exactly stoke your appetite, no worries: You can take your pay in the form of a certificate, good for the same burger within a year. If you aren't in a weakened state after your donation, linger over a few drinks from Balboa's cocktail and beer list -- I recommend Herb Caen's Vitamin V (Stolichnaya over ice with a splash of soda and an orange wheel). It happens Tuesday, March 24, from 2 to 7 p.m. at Balboa Cafe San Francisco (3199 Fillmore at Greenwich). For the first time, this year's drive is also happening at Balboa Cafe Mill Valley (38 Miller at Sunnyside) on Tuesday, March 31, from 2 to 7 p.m. To sign up, visit www.bloodheroes.com, click on the "Donate Blood" tab, and enter "Balboa-SF" or "Balboa-MV."

Tataki (2815 California) prides itself on the sustainable seafood it uses for its sushi and sashimi, but one of the most intriguing rolls on the menu is actually made with meat. The Early Bird ($12) has crunchy asparagus and avocado on the inside and blowtorched filet mignon with pineapple and chile sauce on the outside. I had to remind myself repeatedly not to scarf down this sweet-hot treat too quickly.

With creamy miso dressing and crisp romaine, many Japanese restaurants offer a cool little companion to sushi. But the best one I've found in the City so far this lifetime belongs to Kyoto Sushi. Its Yasai Salad takes those basics and kicks up the flavor and texture with black sesame dusted avocado slices and a mountain of diced vegetable tempura, the latter of which adds a touch of fun and caloric naughtiness to the plate of those that are trying to be good. Kyoto Sushi is located at 1233 Van Ness (at Post). —Tamara Palmer

Name: Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes

Brand: Tastykakes

Origin: Philadelphia

Found at: The Cheesesteak Shop, 1716 Divisadero (between Sutter and Bush). The Bay Area franchise has several locations and is one of the only places on the West Coast to get Tastykakes treats.

Cost: $2.50

Ingredients: Sugar, peanut butter, partially hydrogenated vegetable shortening, bleached enriched flour, water, whey, milk, eggs, cocoa, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, mono and diglycerides, salt, cornstarch, skim milk, leavening, soy lecithin, butter, natural and artificial flavors, propylene glycol monostearate, isolated soy protein, xanthan gum, tapioca starch, cinnamon, sorbic acid, nutmeg, food starch modified, pectin, citric acid, dextrose, stearoyl lactylic acid.

Calories per Serving: 270 for a package of three

Why I Bought It: It was a gift from my friend Missy, who knows my sweet tooth and that this is some exclusive Snacktion.

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Despite the sky falling over most of the U.S. (check the value of your 401(k) lately?), it appears there are still those in SF with a leetle extra cash in their jeans, who are willing to splurge big bucks on a hamburger - and a glass or two of red to slosh it down with.

Well, Spruce, the well-reviewed (including by us) Pacific Heights restaurant, thinks - and hopes - so. It's just introduced Burgers & Burgundy, every Sunday night through November, at which you can order a $14 burger (served atop a housebaked English muffin, with pickled onions, zucchini, and remoulade) and glasses of boutique red Burgundy from Spruce's award-wining wine list -- at $12, $25, and, yikes, $50 a glass. A tasting flight of all three will also be available at $40.

The rotating selection might include Saint Romain, Christophe Buisson 2006, Mercurey, Les Montots, Aubert de Villaine 2006, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Les Bousselots, Robert Chevillon 1999, and other varietals, including some not regularly available by the bottle.

If you have some extra change in your pocket, you can even "spruce" up your burger, as they put it, with housemade pancetta for $3 or seared foie gras for $13. But wine-pairing buffs might do well to hold the pickled onions. --Meredith Brody