It's called a saloon and it plays one: small, a little funky, sidewalk booths, a sunny back courtyard a few blocks from the ocean, and a bar side that's genuinely inventive. They've been at it since 2014 and the drinks are the half of the place I didn't expect to be this good - specialty cocktails, a real wine program they've built around craft, organic, family- and women-owned producers, plus a rotating list of draft, cans, and even sake. It's the kind of place that will pour you something you've never had and explain it like they actually care that you're holding it.
The food is the other half and it runs on the same energy - Asian and Indian flavors, a menu that keeps changing, and a standing welcome for people who eat plants (vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, "we see you, too"). We went after a day on the beach, ordered way too much to share, and ended up with a glass of wine we'll be trying to track down. It's affordable, it's a little off the main drag, and the whole room feels like a friend's kitchen that happens to have a very good bar.