New Natural Wine Bar Sluts, From the Hi Felicia Team, Opens in San Francisco’s SoMa Neighborhood

Right after a couple months jogging as a pop-up out of Oakland restaurant Hi Felicia, the provocatively-named natural wine bar Sluts is opening in its long term home on Folsom Street in San Francisco. It is a aspiration that chef Imana (who goes by her first identify only) has held onto considering the fact that ahead of the opening days of her “vulgar” high-quality dining cafe, a person that’s ultimately coming to fruition as of opening night Friday, February 3.

While some may perhaps snicker or giggle at the head-turning name, Imana insists it’s symbolic in a multitude of ways, and emblematic of how she would like to characterize herself right now: pushing boundaries, though concurrently staying avant-garde and controversial. Pointing to the male-dominated bar and wine industries, Imana says there is anything to reclaiming the which means of slut from its derogatory origins. “I think the energy is saying it, and professing womanhood, and feeling liberated and safe in my sexuality — it is just a term that encompasses embracing who you are and not becoming shamed for being yourself, and I just desired to uncover a way to tie that into a business enterprise,” she says.

Sluts is Imana’s very first venture exterior of her Oakland restaurant, and one particular that arrived with a few bumps in the road. But she’s absolutely immersed in the pure wine planet and felt a wine bar is a “nice 1st step” on her journey of becoming a restaurateur and bar proprietor. Sluts is getting more than the previous Terroir area, which Imana considers a passing on of the purely natural wine bar torch.

The wine options are equivalent components nearby and intercontinental. Imana namechecks labels this sort of as Richmond’s Purity Wines and TyTy Wine, Lula, and Everwild as favorites. Some sake possibilities, a “curated Madeira section” for those people wanting for a nightcap, and some nonalcoholic wines will round out the record. There’s no full-on food items menu to converse of, the solutions instead consist of convenience store favorites to assist soak up the evening’s drinking activities. Assume Lean Cuisines, Flaming Warm Cheetos, Chips Ahoy, Cup Noodles, and Lunchables — which, hey, some have argued is just a child’s model of charcuterie boards.

Friends who appreciate the maximalist aesthetic of Hi Felicia will not be unhappy here. Influences for the design involve Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Manufacturing unit, who Imana claims was on the bar’s temper board when drawing up strategies for the space. Deep blues, purples, and gold, coloration the area with spectacular things like purple curtains, bare yard statues, and chandeliers with blue gentle bulbs screwed in to proceed down that sultry observe. “It’s just attractive and moody and enjoyable,” Imana claims. “It’s the very same as Hello Felicia in that way, but I wanted the two spaces to actually engage in off of every other. I feel like Hello Felicia’s so maximal and Sluts actually feels really minimal.”

No matter whether Sluts will really feel “minimal” to visiting guests continues to be to be found, but other things may possibly argue from that point. In keeping with the Sluts topic, a stripper pole stands prominently in a window seating spot, when neon get the job done developed by artist Meryl Pataky hangs driving the bar and winkingly asks, “Spit or Swallow?” in scrawling handwriting identified nicely to Hello Felicia followers. The bathrooms in the meantime will be bathed in a deep purple glow, contrasting the splatter paint occupation and mirror balls strung up among the artwork, with extravagant lavatory goodies like Tic Tacs, Tums, floss, and additional to get by yourself prepared to head again into the fray. “I just want men and women to arrive and have a seriously, definitely great time,” Imana suggests. “I want people today to have a place to be wild and outrageous.”

Sluts (1116 Folsom Avenue) debuts Friday, February 3 and is open up 5 p.m. to midnight on Thursday, Sunday, Monday, and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.