Cheers!

Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot

Wouldn’t you like to get away?”

And the chorus begins with:

“Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name

And they’re always glad you came”

These days, doesn’t the idea of getting away sound great? And while getting far away has its appeal, the song is about a local place, one where you are recognized and welcomed. A place where, for a short while, you can cut the electronic umbilical cord and actually talk, face to face, with other human beings.

The TV show “Cheers” was a comedy set in a Boston bar. Although the show had typical, mostly unrealistic, sitcom story lines, the underlying idea of a place to which one can escape has its attractions. I’m not really the bar type, but in the right restaurant I find that I’m able to “take a break from all my worries.” There, it isn’t about the food or drink that they serve: It’s about the people, and how they treat you. My neighborhood has a handful of places that hit this mark — and Redwood City now has a new wine bar that just may make me a regular.

When you enter a restaurant for the first time, unless you have a prior relationship with people who work there, they aren’t going to know your name. But a good one will still greet you as if you belong there. And, after a couple of visits, if you’ve made an effort to get to know some of their names, they may start remembering yours. Places like that are where I want to go.

For years one place where everybody (well, the staff, anyway) knew my name was Aly’s on Main, in Redwood City. Regretfully, they’re no longer in business. These days my wife and I find ourselves spending time at Johnston’s Saltbox, on the corner of Laurel Street and Saint Francis Way in San Carlos. Saltbox, as most refer to it, is a relatively small place with a fair amount of outdoor seating. There we’ve discovered the joys of eating at the bar. We not only chat with the friendly bartenders, but also often strike up a conversation with those sitting next to us. The people at Saltbox may not call out our names as we enter, but a handful of the people — including the owner, Sean Johnston — clearly recognize us, and we instantly feel glad that we came.

For a quick morning bite, these days you’ll find us at Kristi Marie’s, at the corner of Broadway and Arguello Street in Redwood City. There they not only know our names, they also know our usual order. We often chat with both the proprietor, Kristi Borrone, and with her employees. And occasionally with Kristi’s husband, “Zu” Tarazi, who sometimes puts in time at Kristi Marie’s.

The reason I mention Kristi’s husband is because he and Kristi just began a new venture in Redwood City, one that may well become a place where everybody knows our name. Last Friday, my wife and I were present at the public opening of Bottle Shop, their new Redwood City wine bar. Over some exceptional glasses of wine my wife and I had a wonderful chat with both the bartender, Grant, and with Zu himself.

Beginning with a great location — directly across from City Pub — Zu and his wife fashioned a comfortable environment that is conducive to convivial conversation. Next, they assembled an interesting selection of small-production California wines, including a handful of sparkling wines. Finally, they added small bites created in the nearby Kristie Marie’s kitchen, including cheese, charcuterie and focaccia. I’ll need to go back to be completely sure, but they appear to have created a place I could see going to regularly. Certainly, the people there are the kind of people with which I’d like to get better acquainted. To me, that makes Bottle Shop a bit like “Cheers,” although it is more the kind of place I’d actually frequent than the bar that “Cheers” was.

These days there seem to be many worries from which to take a break. As well, in this technological age, we periodically need to get out into the real world and interact with others. Fortunately, within a mile or two of my home I’ve found a handful of places where I can do just that; places where I can get away for a little while, where people know my name and always seem glad that I came.

Greg Wilson is the creator of Walking Redwood City, a blog inspired by his walks throughout Redwood City and adjacent communities. He can be reached at greg@walkingRedwoodCity.com. Follow Greg on Twitter @walkingRWC.