by Michael R. on Wow, there are some really mean reviews here. I wanted to write because that was not my experience at all. A friend recommended Le Club and said how wonderful the food was. We were not disappointed. I don't live in the neighborhood and I was a little concerned about parking up at Nob Hill but the valet parking made it easy. The person who seated us asked if we had ever been before, and took me and my friends on a quick tour. It really does feel like old San Francisco especially the private game room, where there was a party going on but they let us peek in. Everything on the menu looked good, so we decide to share a bunch of dishes. We asked the wait person if the chef would mind putting together dishes we could all share and after asking, she was happy to and asked if we wanted to have a wine paring with each course, which we did. We started with the ahi tuna tartar with tiny croc monsieur sandwiches with caviar, just big enough bites to want to have more. Everything was yummy but a few dishes stand out, the 3 bite pork sliders, the seared scallops with watermelon gazpacho (wonderful and unusual combo) and the grilled fish atop fresh greens all were delicious. Everything was beautifully presented. The chef (I think she said her name was Amy?) came out to see us later and was very excited to know we enjoyed all the dishes. She said she got her training in Paris, but the food was much better than what we had in Paris, for lower price. Everything was fresh and delicious and expertly prepared, I'll definitely go back.
by Jason C. on It's hard for me to objectively rate Mezzanine. As a club venue it's spacey, has 2 levels, and the drinks are overly expensive and not very strong. Bar service is quick and efficient, and there's a coat check. It's located close to Mission St. garage so there's plenty of parking and taxis are plentiful along the thoroughfare, even driving up to Mezzanine's front door if you're too lazy to walk to the corner. The view of the front stage is great from all angles (unless someone is really tall, has a Kid N Play haircut, or huge fro). At the end of the day, Mezzanine is a venue capable of delivering the goods. But that's not how I want to rate this place because venues with shows create memories for me that I hold dear to my heart. As a punk teenager growing up in the streets of LA, I was a product of the first generation rap produced: sagging oversized pants, XXL tee shirts, a fade, big toe Addidas or Nike Cortez, and the still ever present gangsta mentality which I unleash whenever someone disses LA. I listened to, among others, NWA, 2Pac, Cypress Hill, Ice Cube, Dre, Snoop, Kris Kross, Janet, Mariah, and Boyz II Men. Fast forward to the present and Pac and Eazy E are dead, I adamantly swear I never wore my cloths backwards (I did, twice, but try pee'ing), Cypress Hill doesn't do as much for me since I've grown out of that "life style," and the others have gone through some amazing life transformations and matured into adults, right along with myself. I haven't seen any of those groups live in ages until last night when Boyz II Men performed at the Mezzanine (Thanks Jessica for telling me!). The venue was packed with mid 20 to mid 30 year old types who grew up dancing and singing along to Motown Philly http://www.youtube.com...and End of the Road http://www.youtube.com.... I can't say enough about how awesome Boyz II Men were. Just watching them stand on there on stage put me in a state of awe and disbelief and I overheard numerous women talking about their idolization of the group back in the day. The magical performance brought me back to a time of innocence, when Boyz II Men lyrics were harmless and fun, and my youth was filled with crushes that seemed like more than they were. When Bended Knee came on, everybody knew the lyrics and sang along. Actually saying the lyrics, though, hit me like a ton of bricks. Back in high school, the song was harmless and fun. Now, having gone through the pain of having your heart broken, the song's true meaning spoke out to each and every one of us in the room. 4 minutes later there were a lot more misty eyes in the room, yours truly included. http://www.youtube.com... It's a curious and ironic phenomenon when you revisit things at a later stage in life, how you tend to understand and appreciate things a little bit more. Fitting, then, that the group's name is Boyz II Men. My favorite line in On Bended Knee is: Can somebody tell me how to get things back the way they used to be. Visit Mezzanine when one of your favorite bands is playing, and you'll have your answer.
by Lecia Paull on It's hard to write a proper review of a place when you're there for a private party & the company is obviously going to make it a five-star experience. But I will try. As nice & helpful as the bartenders were, the door people were quite nazi-like about letting people in if they weren't on the list. At the same time, there was an almost constant stream of straggling strangers from the downstairs level wandering into the place. Here's how it could've worked better: Turn away the random people, let in the real legitimate friends who happened to not be on the list. Monitoring the back door leading directly to the private party rather than the front door of the establishment would've been a starting point. But still, like I said, five star company. Also, there were stripper poles, which was equally ridiculous & hilarious for all involved (participants & witnesses alike).
