buddy — Restaurant in San Francisco

I'm writing this review because I cannot stop thinking about the incredible meal my sister and I had at Buddy on 6/19/24.

If I remember correctly, the menu was Mediterranean Lebanese cuisine that night by a brilliant chef named Maz Naba. We arrived around 7pm, and despite how crowded it was, we were seated by 7:05pm. Impressive. The vibe in Buddy was so fun and lively! Plus the music selection was so groovy that night!

The whole meal was a flavor adventure that was perfectly curated from the starters to the dessert. The real show stopper on the menu was the "spreads and breads". It was so simple yet so elegant. My sister even teared up when she tasted the "eggplant black on black" spread because it was the most delicious spread she had ever tasted. It was such a divine way to start our sensational feast. We were truly blown away by how much flavor and love were put into those dishes.

In addition to the food, Buddy had a special selection of wine from a local winery called Augur Wine Co. which was truly phenomenal. It was such a pleasure to pair that wine with our food that night.

I returned a week later and was disappointed that Maz Naba was only a guest chef that night. Buddy, please bring Maz back so I can bring my friends and whole extended family next time. I already told everyone I know how incredible my experience was at Buddy when Maz was the chef and now my whole social network would like to taste his food too.

Maz Naba, if you ever read this, I want you to know that I think you're so talented and you have a small cult following now. But in all seriousness, tasting your food made me realize that food can also be an art form....

New favorite spot in the Mission - and I'm not even a wine person! We ordered the following dishes along with a couple of cocktails. As for food:

Crudites - a plate of bright and fresh summer veggies

Little gem salad- crisp greens slathered with a generous serving of blue cheese dressing- not my favorite but I'm sure blue cheese fans will love it),

Charred cabbage- very interesting flavors! Loved the tamarind in it, complements the smoky charred cabbage well

Roasted trumpet shrooms- this everything I had hoped for- a simple dish with sophisticated flavors ranging from sweet to earthy with amazing textures all throughout (I am still dreaming of the honey + feta + salsa macha flavor combo as I write this before going to bed lol)

Chocolate brownie - delicious and moist butterscotch brownie with dessert wine poured over it (+$9)

Even without the draw of it being a wine bar, this place is worth checking out for the amazing veg-forward options, welcoming and casual ambience and great drink options. A bit on the pricey side considering the automatic +20% added in but the whole experience made it all worth it. Would definitely go...

Wow, Buddy is truly such a gem. If you ever want a delicious meal full of flavors and textures, you gotta go to Buddy! We sat outside to enjoy the warm San Francisco weather. It was right on the sidewalk with no parklet, but it was fine. Here’s what we ordered: Corn Fritters - pretty tasty, great crunch, while still moist. Pretty corny-tasting, but well-balanced with the creme fraiche and the saltiness of the smoked trout roe. Carrots - wonderful crunch and even more delicious seeds and tahini sauce. A must have! Smoked whitefish tonnato - strange flavors and texture at first, but it grew on me. Not sure if the crackers added much, but the dish by itself was a fun combo! Fried chicken sammy - perfect crunch (sensing a theme?) and wonderful flavor. The bread was buttery and garlicky, and the chicken was moist. Our waitperson was super attentive and our food was perfectly spaced out time-wise - we had a small table, and they brought out just enough food at any one time to make sure we had room to eat. IMO, deserving...