THE reason mezcal has become popular and widely available in the US can be traced back to one man: Ron Cooper, who founded Del Maguey, a brilliant line of mezcal producers from a wide range of Mexican villages. I have long been a fan of the entire line, and, in fact, it took years before I found mezcals even worth… Read more →
ZIRYAB, Alamo Square/Western Addition (528 Divisadero Street between Fell & Hayes Streets, 415-522-0800) Though open for seven years, Ziryab, Divisadero’s Middle Eastern hangout boasting an enclosed front patio, reopened this week from owner Salim Nasser with a brand new bar, liquor license and new food menu. Having the privilege of watching bar manager Zachary Taylor grow up in the Bay… Read more →
At Tales of the Cocktail (2013 highlights covered here), one can easily taste hundreds of spirits in a week (not that one should). Most of what I find in tasting rooms and at events I’ve already had before, but there’s the occasional new release or product that might not have been released nationally. Here are two standout newcomers – and… Read more →
MIKKELLER BAR, Tenderloin (34 Mason St. between Turk and Market, 415-984-0279) In the heart of the Tenderloin and a couple short blocks from Union Square, Mikkeller Bar has soft-opened, a boon for beer aficionados and fans of the beloved Copenhagen brewery. But this bar and restaurant is not a replica of Mikkeller Bar in Copenhagen. Opened by Chuck Stilphen, founder… Read more →
While any quality spirit should be enjoyed all year round, rum carries the island breezes of summer in its cane sugar and/or molasses nectar. In honor of rum and summer, here are seven rum cocktails currently on menus around town… each one capturing the celebratory simplicity of the long days of summer. —— ALEMBIC’s 30-Day Notice ($11) Alembic’s 30-Day Notice,… Read more →
Perfect for summer cocktails (or neat pours), here are two new spirits I’m rather crazy about. ST. GEORGE’S CALIFORNIA AGRICOLE RUM, $50 It’s back! Sporting a new label aligned with their gins, St. George Spirits released its California Agricole Rum this week. Formerly Agua Libre (first released in 2010), it’s no surprise, given that agricole is my favorite rum category, that… Read more →
Recently catching up on new restaurants, bars, and breakfast spots in Louisville during my second visit in two years, I also trekked to eight distilleries from Bardstown to Lexington, a mixture of “the big guys” (Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace) alongside small batch, craft distillers, including Kentucky Bourbon Distillers/Willet, Limestone Branch, Town Branch, and Barrel House Distilling Co. Here’s a photo journey through my two days… Read more →
NOVELA, SoMa (662 Mission St. between New Montgomery and Annie Streets, 415-896-6500) Enter lounge-like Novela (“novel” in Spanish), a new book themed bar and lounge in SoMa, and you are swept into an elegant-yet-comfortable respite in a space designed by Jacek Ostoya (who designed nearby Harlot). Black and white colors represent ink and paper in dramatic floor tile, gold accents and lighting evoke gold… Read more →
RANGE, Mission (842 Valencia St. between 19th & 20th, 415-282-8283) Range has been one of the Mission’s great restaurants with strong wine list and stellar cocktails since opening in 2005. Maintaining its quality across the board, they have retained staff for years – many since opening – a rarity in the restaurant/bar business. On July 10th, they launch a new concept.… Read more →
Coming from one who hits virtually every new opening in San Francisco, and is constantly exploring new and established places globally, I weary of the “same old concept”, even as I am engaged by genuine passion no matter the concept. These two recent previews of restaurants slated to open this summer have me particularly expectant. Both step with a firm… Read more →