Living in a wine region, any time a new establishment opens that’s related to wine, naturally we are interested.
When the Fusion Wine Bar, located in the Vintage Center at the corner of Stanley Blvd. and Bernal Ave. in Pleasanton opened the door for their soft opening, my wife and I knew we had to visit.
And we’ll be back.
The owner is Tammy Nguyen, the owner of T’s Nail Bar located right next door to Fusion. Nguyen left Vietnam at 16 years old, had a perilous journey in a boat that was ultimately picked up by a Chinese boat that transported the people on the boat to Hong Kong where she was placed in a Vietnamese detention center.
Nguyen finally made it to Oakland where she was reunited with her family. After spending years working in nail salons, she made her dream come true by first opening the nail bar, then opening Fusion.
The Grade Opening was April 12 after a couple of weeks of a soft opening.
It has a very contemporary feel with inside and outside seating. There are various seating options with high top tables and regular table seating being joined by bar seating and even couch seating.
We were greeted by Nguyen when we walked in, and she went out of her way to make you feel like you were a regular.
After being seated, we were given the menus, and it was wonderful to see the only wines being served were local wineries.
We had red and white choices from Rubino, Ruby Hill, McGrail, Darcie Kent, Wood Family, and of course Wente. They also offer a series of Mocktails (ironically since these are hurting the wine industry), three beers on draft, and several different kinds of canned beer.
The food choices are all Vietnamese focused fusion food. Nguyen proudly told us all the recipes came from her and when we told her we liked seafood, she quickly recommended the Seafood Bruschetta that features Vietnamese-marinated shrimp and crab.
Amazing.
The staff was incredibly friendly and by the time we left the place got busy on a non-descript Thursday night.
Fusion also offers a Happy Wednesday where if you buy two drinks you get one dish for free.
The price point was fair for Pleasanton and maybe even less expensive for a similar place downtown. There was no sticker shock for either the food or beverages.
Fusion is a great place to stop in, have a glass of wine, and enjoy some delicious food options.
Right now, there is no web site, but Fusion is open Tuesday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. and 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday. The establishment is closed on Monday.
By Dennis Miller