RICH TABLE, Hayes Valley (199 Gough St. at Oak, 415-355-9085) Not since State Bird Provisions and AQ opened towards the end of 2011 have I been as excited about a new opening. Evan and Sarah Rich’s new Rich Table presents itself as the whole package, kinks and all, even in the first month. With efficient, informed service, reasonably priced wine… Read more →
SODA FOUNTAIN REVIVAL Photos & article by Virginia Miller A wave of old fashioned soda fountains serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic fountain treats alongside quality food is hitting various parts of the country with two notables in San Francisco, including the one-of-a-kind Ice Cream Bar and all-around delights of the new Corner Store. THE CORNER STORE, Western Addition (5 Masonic Avenue… Read more →
A special year for SF Cocktail Week… a couple new, notable events like Jupiter Olympus‘ imaginative (Altered) State Fair (watch for their Cocktails from the Crypt event on 10/28) and the Spirited Food Trucks mixing food trucks and cocktails. Here are highlights in photos… Read more →
Judging a cocktail contest in Calistoga and sampling Wine Country cocktails early in 2011, I witnessed a rise in quality congruent with the cocktail renaissance exploding across the nation, beyond longtime torchbearers like SF and NY. This is especially notable in Wine Country where the god of wine dominates. Despite growth, making a dent in the all-consuming wine culture is… Read more →
TRADITION, Tenderloin (441 Jones Street at O’Farrell; open Monday through Saturday at 6 pm-2am) Tradition is not neighboring Bourbon & Branch, part two. Though I continue to bring visitors and locals who’ve never been to the still magical B&B, Tradition is a more relaxed entrant in the Future Bars line-up, which includes Bourbon & Branch, Wilson & Wilson, Rickhouse, Swig, and Local Edition. Having been to Tradition… Read more →
These six noteworthy new books are either just released or out this fall. THE BLUE BOTTLE CRAFT of COFFEE: Growing, Roasting, and Drinking, with Recipes – James Freeman, Caitlin Freeman, Tara Duggan Since its first kiosk in January 2005, Blue Bottle has been my first choice in coffee, from ethos (served immediately, individually, beans sold fresh after roasting) to taste. Musician… Read more →
It was another humid, sweltering year at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, the world’s biggest cocktail event, drawing thousands of global attendees for a relentless week of tastings, seminars and parties in the great queen of the South. Any reason to be in Nola is a good one and with the city overrun with some of the… Read more →
16th Street between Valencia and Guerrero is packed with good food and longtime dive bars. As classic cocktail dens and mixology menus are the norm rather than the exception in this town, it’s easy to forget that some of our great ‘tenders continue to serve the quality drinks we crave without fuss. On this stretch of 16th, there’s two in… Read more →
Grandaddy of the speakeasy resurgence, New York’s Milk & Honey, has been doing the menu-less thing since 2000, while places like LA’s Library Bar get their inspiration from daily-changing, farmers market produce. Two fascinating new SF bars are serving custom cocktails their own way, only able to go sans menu because of strong talent behind the bar. RIO GRANDE, Mid-Market (1108 Market… Read more →
Seasoned doesn’t mean old. In fact, what impresses about these five is that their knowledge consistently marries youthful love for their subject and customers. Whether in years of bartending or expertise in classic cocktails and customer service, these five have long encapsulated what made San Francisco a leader in the Cocktail Renaissance of the past decade plus, not a recent… Read more →