FUSE

493 Broadway Ave. (on the corner of Kearny) 415.788.2706

First things first: I hate North Beach. As a Mission resident, the place seems like a non-stop frat party in Times Square (pre-Guilliani.) On a personal recommendation I overcame my reluctance to visit this part of town and went to explore the new bar called Fuse. It was a great recommendation and it's a slick bar.

Fuse is located on the corner of Broadway and Kearny. Upon entrance I was immediately impressed - this place is more than Mission hip. I can sum up the decorating scheme by calling it Blue Squiggle. All walls, doors, counters, and other surfaces are painted a deep glowing blue which looks great in dim light. I have to admit that I really like the monochromatic theme even though it is way too close to the Backflip/Gemini/Red Room formula for San Francisco bar decor.

The room is accentuated by squiggles- a vase with curled metal strips in place of flowers, wavy posts which connect the bar stools to the floor, and a coiled lamp cover low enough to ensure that all people's heads will knock into it. The bar counter is a curly "S" shape which bends along two walls and the corner in between. All of these squiggles perfectly matched the lemon twist in the martinis I drank that night. That's pretty damn cool in my book.

Elsewhere inside there are plenty of stools and tables at which to sit and chat. I think this place might serve as a great place to bring a date, but I can't be sure since I haven't had one in a while.

Turntables are permanently set up in the back of the room where DJs spin on weekends. I can't imagine that even if they rearranged the table there would be too much room to dance, but good music never hurts the ambiance. I didn't see a jukebox but I did hear an interesting hodgepodge of tunes ranging from trip hop to house to even old funk. I assume they had a big CD changer on random play somewhere because I didn't hear any repeat tunes.

The barstaff were friendly and mixed up some terrific cosmopolitans for my posse. We grabbed our drinks and took one of the two window booths so that we could chill and watch people out on the street. It was only as the local passers-by stuck out their tongues and yelled "Wooo!" for no apparent reason that I even remembered I was in North Beach at all. That's enough to make me come back.

camper english

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