Pour a Drink . . .Cocktail Hour is Back

The Complete Plate

So the summer hiatus is over and I will try to get back into the regular blogging routine. This Summer I saw 12 of America’s finest Cities, flew over 10,000 miles and drove nearly 2,000 miles. I just wish I had the discipline to write everyday.

But with a couple of weeks back at home it’s time to get the shaker shook and pour new postings for Cocktail Hour.

On Saturday, my friends and I headed over to the Marina District for one of my favorite dining places to have a good steak, Izzy's Steaks & Chops on Steiner. It had been a while since I had been in, but not much changes at Izzy’s. They did tweak the menu a little over the last couple of years, but this is a place for meat, potatoes and drinks.

You have to love place where the namesake is a long time San Francisco bar tender, Izzy Gomez. The bar tender was beloved in the city and his bar on Pacific was local hangout for San Francisco movers and shakers. An Izzy quote still darns the wall: “LIFE IS LIKE A LONG ROAD, TAKE IT EASY; WHEN YOU COME TO A POOL ON THAT LONG ROAD, DON’T MUDDY IT; MAYBE YOU’LL PASS THAT WAY AGAIN AND YOU’LL BE THIRSTY.”

In this vain, Izzy’s keeps it simple and with its food, drink and service.

If you go on the weekend make sure you have a reservation. Wait time can be 90 minutes on a Saturday. Even with the reservation we had a 10 minute wait because the place was packed. The Bar at Izzy’s is solid with a full section of premium spirits and the wait staff and gets the drinks poured in a hurry.

The bartenders are very careful to make sure the cocktail have great balance in their preparation. They pride themselves on being able to mix just about any cocktail. The bar also regularly features at least ten to twelve well priced wines by the glass.

It is nearly impossible to select a bad steak at Izzy’s. I had the Rib Eye with sides of Izzy’s Potatoes and Carrots and onions. The steak was perfect and the potatoes are decadent. The great thing about Izzy's is it is not a chain this is a good locally owned and operated restaurant that uses top quality ingredients. All of the beef is corn fed and the New York Steaks are aged at least 21 days.

For those of you who live in the Tri-Valley, Izzy’s has a newer location for dining. I have not been to this location, but I am told that it has the same great food and local feel. The third location is on Penisula in San Carlos.

http://www.izzyssteaks.com/

Izzy's Steaks & Chops

3349 Steiner St, San Francisco, CA 94123

(415) 563-0487

A Bay Oasis

The road trip continues . . . after six day on the road and four cities and 3,000 plus miles flying and another 300 miles plus driving, I got to stop in one of my favorite cities on the East Coast, Annapolis, MD.

For the Alameda readers, they will understand how this little town on the Chesapeake Bay could feel like home with the water, sailboats and lots of people milling about downtown. Besides being the home of the US Naval Academy (GO NAVY, Beat Army) and the Maryland State Capital, Annapolis has some great bars and excellent dinning.

I have been to Annapolis before, so there was one stop I had to make, Buddy’s. I dropped anchor for an after work beer and some of Maryland’s best crab cakes. The drive to Annapolis was worth just that one stop, even though the Washington DC traffic was brutal. The SF Bay Area has nothing to complain about when it comes to traffic. But back to Buddy’s Crab and Ribs, this is a family restaurant that has an all-you-can eat brunch. It is a little on the tourist side, but you can’t beat the crab. I had just the crab appetizer because I wanted to try something new.

I walked around for a while until I gained an appetite. After looking at 8-10 menus, I decided on Maria’s, very traditional looking Italian restaurant. Maria’s Sicilian Ristorante and Café offers a specialty drinks and I tried the Annapolis Breeze, a drink that they say is unique to restaurant. The drink consist of pomegranate, Gray Goose L’Orange and fruit juices, very refreshing, very much on the orange flavor with the fruit juice.

The food was traditional Italian fare, I had a mix plate that had lasagna and cannelloni and Caesar Salad. The food was very good, tasted was flavorful and well prepared. The place has been voted Best of Annapolis on several occasions. I would highly recommend.

As a day sailor, it was also good to run into a crew just heading into Maria’s for post race Cocktails and food. So I got to talk a little about sailing, have a good drink and dinner all I all a great stop in this very long trip. Back to Alameda soon, one last stop Philadelphia.

http://www.buddysonline.com/

http://www.mariasristorante.com/

Dupont Circle

So my travels had me heading North after business in Virginia Beach and Richmond to the Washing DC area. Once I got into town, I was little tired, so I checked into the Hotel and caught a 30 minute nap before heading out for dinner. I have to tell you, that this Bay Area boy is getting a lesson on what humidity is, but more about that latter.

After the Nap I was not sure what I wanted for dinner, so I decided to head out to a busy neighborhood to walk and just find something. I’ve been to DC in the past and so I decided that Dupont Circle would be a good spot wander around to find a meal and a cocktail. I walked around the plaza a little, where people were hanging out around the fountain just trying to cool off. A dozen or so people were playing chess and checkers, and there was even one three card Monty game going on.

I headed down Connecticut and found Café Citron. My server was a warm and helpful woman with a Spanish accent. She explained that everything was made from scratch and suggested a couple of dishes. I took my time to review the menu, but ordered the Sangria right away. It was a warm evening. I decided on the empanadas and the jerk chicken.

The restaurant was decorated with warm colors, colored lights and lots of mirrors. The place had Latin flavored techno music playing in the background. Later in the evening, they switch to live Flamenco music, which mad the place come alive. I had a mojito as a follow-up drink as I listen to the music.

The empanadas were very good, but I was not crazy about the Jerk Chicken. The chicken was over-cooked. The jerk rub and sauce was okay, but the overall dish failed to deliver.

Overall Café Citron was a great environment to relax. I would suggest going for the appetizers, cocktails and the music and stay away from the Jerk Chicken dish.

By the way to finish up on the heat and humidity, as I walked after dinner I found that after one block I was soaking wet. Boy, O’Boy do I miss the San Francisco Fog. More from the DC tomorrow.

Alameda’s New Burger Joint

The much anticipated opening of Burgermeister in Alameda cam to fruition this past Tuesday and give the crowds over the past couple of days it looks to be a hit with locals. If you go for dinner and want to sit down be prepared to wait, I went on Wednesday Night and it was a 20 minute wait for table for two.

With any new place there are hiccups, and Burgermeister had a few this evening.

We started with cocktails, the Strawberry Margarita was not good, it was the first time I have sent back a drink in a real long time, and the staff did create the drink but not a good start. The lemon drop was solid, but not great. The bartending needs to be improved.

The real bummer was not wait for table but the long wait for food. Our server forgot to put our order in, and after 20 minutes she noticed. She did apologize and put a rush on the new order, which came very promptly. In the meantime I had twice ordered a beer and never received it, I guess the good part was I did not get billed. I have to say they failed on the execution of service.

The positive was the food. The burger was perfect and the chili cheese curly fries were AWE-Some. So the food was good and I was glad to see all the people dining out in the Park Street District. Of course we ran into several people we know, typical in Alameda. The evening was not a total loss.

I would go back because of the quality of food and give them another shot at improving their service.

2358 Central Avenue (between Oak St & Park St)Alameda, CA 94501
www.burgermeistersf.com/

Classic vs. Contemporary

I ran into a great article on SF Gate doing an analysis of bartending; East Coast vs. West Coast. The basic premise is that East Coast Bartenders are very traditional and make small changes to long time recipes and West Coast Bartenders look at fresh local ingredients to create their drinks.

The article as a whole is a bit tongue and cheek, but a good read and most of all it provides four cocktail receipts at the end. I leaned toward the Nouveau Carre sounded great.

What I got out of the article is that Americans are becoming very picky about their cocktails and why not when you lay down $8-$12 for a speciality drink. When you go into a Bar and/or restaurant these days you will see some very unique and taste driven drinks. The best is when the bar and kitchen work together to build a menu that complements the dining experience.

Two of my favorite places in San Francisco to have cocktails and dine are Bix and Betelnut. Both have great menus and even better cocktails. Bix is very traditional and serves martini style drinks. Betelnut use the Asian menu to complement the fruit and sweet inspired drinks. Both place are great to settle in for just cocktails. Flora in Oakland is doing a similar thing with cocktails, fresh ingredients and unusual list.

It is good to see that bars are becoming central to the dining experience.

Check out the article and let us know what you think.

SF Gate
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/26/WI3K118SKS.DTL


Bix Restaurant
www.bixrestaurant.com/
56 Gold St
San Francisco CA 94133
Tel 415 433 6300

Betelnut
http://www.betelnutrestaurant.com/
2030 Union St
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 929-8855

A little lesson on Cocktails

I was reading the online version of the NY Times and came across a video in the dining section by Mark Bittman, he does an online video blog called "The Minimalist". His video today is on Cocktails, very intresting a little long over 5 minutes.

Here is the link

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/dining/index.html

Story link:
http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=c7fcd98d4eea510380116b5c815a7ac0c75225ef

The player is midway down the page. The video is titled Cocktail Confidential.

Happy Viewing and Cheers

A New Cambridge Restaurant

The "To Tide You Over Dish"

After Tuesday Night’s wild time watching the Celtics Game, Last night I was looking for a quite, and slightly upscale dining experience. After doing a little Internet Research I found a place called Hungry Mother in Cambridge. The restaurant just opened in March and as I walked up you could tell that they have been filling the tables.

The small ownership group had planned on opening this restaurant 18-Months prior in Bay Village Neighborhood as the “Village Table”. The space they original planned fell through and they reorganized to open this small and cozy restaurant. The name comes from a Virginia State park in Marion a place where one of the owners grew up. The restaurant blends traditional French cooking with Southern food of the Appalachian region.

Being a single diner had an advantage on this evening; because they had a table open and I was able to avoid the 25 minute wait. This small space has two dining areas and a bar. The restaurant is a converted home and has all the charm of a period home in this Kendall Square neighborhood.

Hungry Mother has a number of House Mixed Drinks they list by number not name. I started with the no. 8, as my pre-meal cocktail. The no. 8 is tequila, curaçao, fresh lime, orange bitters, pep up for $9. Most of the house cocktails are between $8 and $9. Hungry Mother does something you see rarely in restaurants they list all of their liquor by type and name. So if you do not have to guess if they carry your favorite libation.

The dinner menu has four sections: To Tide You Over, First Course, Main Course, Can You Pass That. To Tide You Over is small plates that are served to right after you order. The plates are: SPICY PIMIENTO CHEESE celery hearts, toasted pain de mie $4; DEVILED CHIP-IN FARM EGGS & hm bacon $4; BOILED VIRGINIA PEANUTS grey sea salt $3: WARM BEEF TONGUE CANAPÉ gruyère, dijon $3. I tried the Deviled Eggs they had a nice mustard tang and were a great comfort food.

The First Course or Appetizers, range from $7 to $13, include oysters, pate, shrimp and grits and smoked barbeque pork rib. I went for the ribs, great flavor and the smoky sauce was excellent.

They have five main courses to choose from chicken, beef, catfish, bluefish and a pasta dish. The entrees range in price from $16 to $27. My choice for the evening was the French style Gnocchi with mushrooms, spring peas, tendrils and large parmigiano shavings for $17. The dish was served in a vegetable broth with all the fresh produce accenting the dish. Each bite was full of flavor and had a buttery element. I was pleased with the selection.

One of the owners, John, came by to ask about my meal and how I had heard about the place. I did mention to John, that the wine list needs a little improving, I ordered Oreana Pinot and it was not a great glass of wine. He took my comment with professionalism and concern. The attention at Hungry Mother shows, you can tell how much they care about the restaurant. Naomi, my server, did an excellent job and the pacing of the meal was perfect.

This would be a perfect restaurant for nice evening out. The patrons dress casually as well as the staff. Hungry Mother has a home feel.

Hungry Mother (Open Tuesday to Sunday)
233 Cardinal Medeiros Ave
Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA 02141

http://www.hungrymothercambridge.com/main.html

Fever Pitch

Celtics Hit A Big Shot for No. 17

Fever Pitch

Wow, what a great night, a great sports town and great timing to be in Boston for Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

Since I was unable to be at the New Garden for the game it made all the sense in the world to watch the NBA Finals with Celtics fans. I was unsure where to go to watch the game, but I was sure if I went near one of Boston’s sports centers I would find a place. I thought going near the Garden would be tough to get into and out of after the game, so I decided to head towards Fenway Park.

Because I am in town on business, I am staying out in one of the suburbs just West of Downtown, so I decided to take the train down to the Fenway Park to find a watering hole to catch the game and spirit of Boston.

The train ride from the Riverside Station to the Park was nice and easy. I got to the area and took a walk around to find the right bar. Game-On, Boston Beer Works and Cask ‘n Flagon are within a jumpshot of each other so a person has plenty of choices for a place that fits their needs and to settle in for the evening.

I decided on the Cask ‘n Flagon right across the street from Fenway’s legendary Green Monster. I thought this would be a perfect location to watch the game. When I arrived the bar was a little sparse the after work crowd was just arriving and the game crowd had not set out for the evening. It was little strange for me, as a West Coast Person waiting for a 9 O’clock start to the game. But I wanted to have a prime seat for the game, so I decided to have a one-man tailgate. Cocktails, hot wings and nachos were on the pre-game menu.

As tip-off approached the Cask ‘n Flagon filled with a very fevered crowd looking for the Celtics 17th NBA title. One thing I thought I would never see in Boston, was the Red Sox Game being turned off, so they could dedicate the entire bar to the Celtics. A sox fan understands that this was more important. As the announcer began introductions the crowd booed each Laker, saving the largest jeer for Kobe Bryant. As soon as the Celtics intros began the Cheers began roar and the bar was in a fever pitch waiting for the ball to be tossed in the air.

Boston fans are passionate. With every tip of the ball, every turnover, every big shot the crowd was into the action. I have sat in a lot of bars, watching a lot of sports over the years and there are very few times when you feel like you are actually in the area and part of the game. Last night was one of them.

Since I would not ever cheer for a Los Angeles team I zeroed in on cheering for local Bay Area products. Cal alum Leon Powe and Hayward High School’s Eddie House both contributed to the Game 6 blow-out. Eddie hit a couple of big shots and the Boston crowd embraced me as cheered for my local boys. As a kid and a basketball fan I was a big Bill Russell fan, so it was great to see the former USF Don on the sideline.

I got exactly what I expected a great time. Even though I got to bed late and overslept a little this morning it was worth the trip to experience the Championship with the Celtic Fans.

Cask ‘n Flagon is a great bar with televisions everywhere, even in the bathroom so you do not miss the action. I local told me that on Red Sox home games it is almost impossible to get into the Cask ‘n Flagon because people show-up three hours before the game, to watch the action outside the park because they can not get a ticket to be in the park.

The now World Famous Cask’n Flagon began as a small neighborhood bar known as Oliver’s back in 1969, was host to many now famous musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Hendrix, and the band Boston. A few years later Oliver’s changed its name to the Cask’n Flagon. Through the years the bar has gone through many changes and was once known as the little bar on the corner of Brookline Avenue.

Cocktails were $6 and draft beers $4. I had the meatloaf for dinner and it was pretty good, they grilled it before they served it to give it a smoke flavor and add skewer marks. The food is typical pub fare. The wings and nachos were good and full of flavor. This place is more about a great crowd than the food and beverages. A must try for any Boston Sporting event.

I have to say thank you to the Boston Fans for treating me so well and letting be a part of their history.

http://www.casknflagon.com/about1.htm

Oasis In The Desert

So when you travel for business you get to see very little of the places that you go you have to take full advantage of the small amount of time you do have to experience the city. I was in Tucson and Phoenix last week, so I did a little research and asked a few co-workers who lived in the area for a great place to eat and have drinks.

The staff at our Phoenix office sent me to neighboring Scottsdale to a steak house they said would fit the bill for a great night out. The steak house they recommended was Mastro’s City Hall Steak House and Bar. Mastro’s runs three restaurants in the Scottsdale/Phoenix area.

Let me start with this place is not cheap!! The $8-$10 cocktails are enough to startle any drink bargain hunter. If you are going to do the works appetizer, dinner and drinks bring you wallet. My guess it is $70-$80 per person depending on what you order.

I settled in for a couple of drinks before I had dinner. The drinks were well balanced and on the large side. The bartenders would adjust the drink to your taste on request with no hesitation. A little weak, a little they were there to make it right.

Just as I was finishing my cocktails the live music started. Traditional lounge music with a little rock and roll mixed into the set. I must have heard two or three Elton John songs that night along with Frank and Dean.

For dinner I had a spicy Caesar Salad. It had a little wasabi in the dressing. For dinner the bone-in Rib Eye and the potatoes wedges au gratin. The steak was sizzling and a little under-cooked, but the way they serve it continues to cook on the plate. The steak was more than I could finish, and I am a big eater. I have never had Au Gratin Potatoes served this way. Big potato wedges crispy and then served with enough cheese to make the California Cheese Board jump in glee as City Hall tried to save the industry by itself.

The meal was very good but even better was watching the Scottsdale Nightlife. I learned a new term on my visit: “Scottsdale Girl”. This is a young, very well dressed young lady out looking for a slightly, or in some case much, older man with MONEY. I saw a 60+ Bob Barker look-a-like cruise the bar twice before settling on a young lady sitting at the bar. The three carat square cut diamond ring on his hand was enough invitation for this young lady to accept a drink, titter for a while and then leave with Senor Barker.

As an out-of-towner being guided by the bartender and some locals, I caught on to the game of identifying the “Scottsdale Girls” in the bar. I could not have had a better evening being alone in a foreign town. Tomorrow a much different Phoenix Experience.

http://www.azeats.com/mastros/default.htm

Time Travel -- 1930s

Back from another work related road trip, this time it was the desert of Arizona. So, this week I will have a couple of postings from local business and a few from my trip to the Tucson and Phoenix.

This week I start locally. I was invited by a friend to attend a birthday celebration of a close friend of his in San Francisco. The invite was last minute, but I was up for trying something new and interesting. We head over on BART and walked the few blocks from the Embarcadero Station to 133 Steuart for an evening at Shanghai 1930. Once you arrive you head down the stairs and are transported to another time and place.

Shanghai 1930’s website, http://www.shanghai1930.com/ , boast that this is a “Cosmopolitan Restaurant” that invokes the spirit of Shanghai during the period between the Two World Wars. I did not dine on my first trip but did peek at the menu and saw the Asian influenced meals would be worth a trip back. The party we met raved about the food, so a must on the trip back.

The bar/lounge had a great feel. Live music flowed through the room, with the lead singer rattling off song from Dean, Frank and Tony. Live music is from 8-Midnight on Friday and Saturday and 7 PM to 11 PM every other day. The music is billed as Jazz, but given my experience I see that a few crooners slip in to entertain the crowd.

The staff was fast and the cocktails were large and pack a good punch. The full bar has a strong selection of beers and wine. Shanghai 1930 offers a happy hour menu between 5 PM and 7 PM in the Blue Bar. Signature drink and appetizers headline but the offer six beers and a selection of wines for $5 and $6 respectively. The signature drinks sound very exotic: Shanghaipolitan, Sexual Healing and Dragon Tea

This Downtown establishment also features a cigar lounge. After a couple of drinks we retired to the Guanxi Lounge (Members Only Cigar Bar). Some delicate encouragement to manager by our party got us into this members only section. The thought of a large bar tab and a group buying cigars with a high mark-up must have ran through his head as he sat us in one of the Private Rooms.

Guanxi translates into the American word “Connections”. You could see how this Cigar Bar can be a place for a couple of people to sit down get to know each and make a business deal over a couple of drinks and a smoke. I gave up cigars about a year ago, so I enjoyed more cocktails and watch everyone enjoy the evening.

This is a great place to have a drink and relax. For local Alameda residents it is close to BART and the Ferry, worth a trip in for Happy Hour and a little music before heading back to the Island.

The Greatest Four Weeks of the Year

Cal and New Mexico Last Night

For sport’s fans, today open’s the greatest four weeks of the year, the start of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. For me this is the best sporting event of the year, more exciting than the NFL, more passion than the NBA (that’s not hard to beat), two to three buzzer beating shots each day of the first two weeks, and a good reason to take an extended lunch if your team is playing an afternoon game.

Since my California Golden missed the NCAA Tournament, again, I sat through an opening round game of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) as the Bears hosted New Mexico. I had not seen New Mexico play this season but the game had peak my interest with former Indiana star Steve Alford coaching. Alford, the former Mr. Basketball for Indiana, is the same age as I am and enjoyed watching him play. In 1987, Alford led the Hoosiers to the NCAA Championship Game against Syracuse. The Hoosiers won the game on a late baseline jumpshot by Keith Smart. But, Alford did his part, shooting 7-10 from the 3-point line, scoring 23 points.

Alford as a coach has his team shooting the three. In his first year with New Mexico he and the Lobos went 24-9, and led the nation in three-point shooting at 42.5 percent. Just like Alford in his playing days this was a patient and disciplined team. Down by 10 at half they climbed back into the game on the back of JR Giddens, who had 26-points, 13 rebounds and six assists. The big fellow could do it all, and you could tell was well coached in the motion offense that Alford learned from Bobby Knight. The Bears pulled out the win (68-66) with two freethrows by Jamal Boykin, but I was impressed with the Lobos.

After the exciting finish, I stopped at Blake’s on Telegraph. They have recently remodeled and the place looks cleaned up. I never went to Blake’s as a student because I could not afford to eat or drink there. As a got older it has become a standard when I head over to campus for an event. They have 11 beers on tap and drink specials every night. It looks as if they are trying to get a younger crowd with drink specials every night of the week. An example is: $5 Long Island’s on Monday’s, $1 Beer on Wednesday’s or $3.75 Jack and Cola on Saturday. The food at Blake’s is always very good, but the service at times can be slow. Try the Burger and the fries.

http://www.blakesontelegraph.com/

La vida en la Misión: Tacos, Cerveza and much more

24th Street at Mission

As promised, I headed to San Francisco's Mission District yesterday. I took BART to the 24th street exit and planned to work my way back to 16th street, searching for some great hangout and good tacos. The visit to the Mission was very fruitful.

When you exit the BART station towards the eastern side, you come up from the underground station to a plaza. Walk through the plaza and on 24th Street you will find two good stops. Even if you don’t venture far from the station you can find five taquerias and one good waterhole. Carlos’ Bar, Taqueria El Taco Loco, Taqueria El Farolito, Taqueria San Jose are within a hundred yards.

Carlos’ Bar is a true neighborhood bar. Regulars bring in food from the local neighborhood restaurants, Tejano music blares from the jukebox and there is a pool table. The long bar can accommodate a big crowd. If you are into oil paintings of bare breasted women, this is a definite stop. Carlos’ boast four, very large paintings, of Romanesque women draped with very little and breast in full view as they hang throughout the bar. A beer cost $4.

I tried tacos at both El Farolito and El Taco Loco. Farolito has a line that goes out the door. It has a full taqueria menu and serves beer. The taco was $2.25 and the the Mexican Beer was $3. The Taco was a solid B. Good tortilla, the steak was seasoned well, but the meat quality was a bit on the cheap side. El Taco Loco fared on the C side, by my grading standards. There are much better places in the neighborhood, so I would skip it.

As you walk down Mission, you can see a neighborhood that once must have been a thriving district. I counted four, former large movie theaters that are now dilapidated and following apart. The street is full of shops, low cost shopping and place to eat on the cheap. There are two nice dining stops on the street, Foreign Cinema and Cha Cha Cha. I have eaten at both in the past, but this was not part of the excursion.

The street has some of the best little Mexican bakeries. If you have a sweet tooth, stop into any of them. I stopped at Acaxutla, they have these large cookies for a quarter. I did not know you could still by anything for a quarter. The cookies are perfect for a cup of coffee.

The final stop on this trip was Taqueria Pancho Villa on 16th Street. This is the cleanest and brightest place in the neighborhood. The food is excellent and the salsa bar is bursting with incredible flavors. Pancho Villas boast their wins from the State fair in the Salsa Division on the wall. I had the grilled Chicken Taco $2.44 w/tax included. A boast that they definitely backup. For more local flavor, head next door to El Tin Tan for a drink. The Mission is a great place to spend an afternoon.

There is so much to take in and to experience. I covered very little ground, after several hours, and still have Valencia from 16th to 24th Street to write about. Well another afternoon.

Plan B with a View

PLAN B -- Beach Chalet Exterior

Okay, I have slack-off on the post, no excuses but the rain just put a damper on the week. So with this weekend precipitation free it was a good time to get out and have Sunday Brunch. The original plan was to head to a little French Breakfast Bistro in Cole Valley called Zazie. It is right on Cole and if there is a wait, usually there is, you can head next door to Finnegan’s Wake for a drink. Finnegan’s Wake is a great neighborhood bar, but is was food that was on the agenda.

Every person in San Francisco must have had the same idea, for food and a beverage, at the exact time. With the Sun, even in the avenues, people were swarming to and fro to get out from under the storms of the prior week. The wait at Zazie was way to long and even a drink at Finnegan’s could not comfort me for that long, so on to Plan B.

Since it was a nice day we drove towards the Ocean and headed for one of the best view places in the City, the Beach Chalet. Even though the Chalet is a bit on the tourist side the food, microbrews and cocktails are worth the trip and the tourist. The Chalet is located on the Western edge of Golden Gate Park and has sat across from the Pacific Ocean since 1925. The building opened as a lounge and changing rooms on the first floor for those heading to the beach and the restaurant on the second floor provided diners with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. Over 80-years later it serves much the same purpose.

The building was designed by the famous San Francisco architect Willis Polk and includes some fantastic murals, mosaics and wood carvings that were incorporated into the construction in 1936 as part of a federal works program.

But a few years back the building was restored and renovated and the restaurant reopened with a microbrewery. More recently the restaurant has expanded and they created the Park Chalet on the first floor of the building looking into Golden Gate Park. The Park Chalet is a very nice setting, but people come here for the Ocean View in the upstairs dining area. Yesterday, the waves were breaking between 3-7 feet and made for a great view.

The food is always solid, and the brunch menu is enough to wait for when the lines get long. I had to have one of the micros: today it was the RIPTIDE RED it has a toasty and caramel maltiness and mild hop bitterness. The finish on Riptide Red has a sweet taste. Very good and could have had a few more. We also tried the MAVERICK'S MARGARITA: Herradura Silver, Fresh Lime Juice, Triple Sec, Sweet n' Sour.

Going on a first date or looking for a way to impress out-of-towners here is a big tip. Find out when sunset is and book a reservation(415.386.8439) for 20 minutes before sun down. The place will stop when the moment happens.

The Beach Chalet is open 364-days a year (closed Christmas Day) and they do have live music, check their calendar.

The Beach Chalet

http://beachchalet.com/index.php

1000 Great Highway @ Ocean Beach
Between Fulton St. and Lincoln Way

415.386.8439

A Fire and A Warm Drink

Baileys Irish Cream and Coffee

With four days of rain pounding the West Coast, I have not been out of the house much just trying to stay dry and warm. The rain was also a good excuse to watch two-week marathon of football and the only reason to leave the couch is for food, drink and a comfort break. So I have no new spots to write about today.

But as was stoking the fire the other day, the heat made me a little thirsty and It got me think, "I'm on vacation so why not a cocktail, I know it's 10 am, but hey football has been on for a half an hour" but the day did not call for an ordinary drink.

On a cold, rainy day you have many options: Irish Coffee, Hot Totty, Hot Chocolate and Peppermint Schnapps, Hot Buttered Rum or Rum and Warm Egg Nog. So many choice. First I needed to have the ingredients in the in the house so the Hot Buttered Rum and the Peppermint Schnapps were out. No way I was leaving the house, plus with Peppermint Schnapps you have to be 19-years old and on a ski trip with your BFF.

I had Egg Nog in the house, but I am not a big fan of the Nog. An Irish Coffee and Totty just seemed over the top; so what was left? The old standby Baileys Irish Cream and Coffee. For me it may be the perfect rainy, cold day drink.

I started by brewing a pot of good coffee, Peet's Fair Trade Blend, a little strong to hold it flavor once you add the Bailey's. I love the smell of coffee brewing. The aroma filled the kitchen.

I like my coffee in a beer pint glass, so as I waited for the brewing process to finish, I put a small portion of Bailey's into the bottom of the glass. Once the coffee was ready the pour. The pour is like watching Yosemite Falls in the Spring, a beautiful sight. The Bailey's swirled in the glass and move to blend with the coffee, symmetry.

The first sip is always the best, because you have waited and anticipated this moment. It was a perfect cocktail for a day that had no agenda, except football. So to those kids that say "Rain, Rain Go Away" . . . I say "hold on a minute and let the adults enjoy the moment."

The fireplace roaring and a warm drink not a bad way to start 2008.

Holiday Break with Bao Bing and a Cocktail

I have been on vacation the past two week and I have been very busy around the house without adding in the task of a job. I have a host of things that I am trying to accomplish before returning to my day job. So as the vacation winds to an end, neither my wife or I felt like cooking, and we took a dinner break at Ching Hua, 1650 Park Street in Alameda.

Alameda has no shortage of Asian inspired restaurants and about a dozen of them are Chinese. What standout from the other resteraunts is Ching Hua has a great bar, I had two cocktails, the first was a Tanqueray and pom and the second was a Crown Royal Down. Both very good, preferred the gin drink. Would recommend if you like tart drinks. The second is the quality of the food. Chinese food in Alameda can vary from the very poor and greasy to the mediocre, but Ching Hua has step up the level.

Last night, we ordered the pot stickers, won ton soup, lamb bao bing and dry sautéed green beans. The entire order was good, my favorite was the pot stickers they get them very crisp. The soup stock was very flavorful and the won tons packed with meat. The bao bing is a solid meat dish with tons of flavor. The green beans are flashed fried and then tossed with a mixture of ginger, garlic and preserved Chinese turnips.

Tip: Ching Hua serves brown rice.

This is a sit down dining place with real napkins and the price reflects it the food was about $35 for the order. Cocktails range from $6-$10. Ching Hua is located in Alameda's Market Place and if you get a chance take a tour though the hall, some great vendors.

For look at Ching Hua's menu http://chinghuaonpark.com/index.htm.

Cocktails and Movie

Forget the popcorn, give me a Patrone Margarita before the show. This exactly what you can get at the new Sundance Cinemas Kabuki. Yes, same Sundance of the Film Festival and Robert Redford fame. When I read the San Francisco Chronicle article announcing the opening I new that this was a must for this weekend, so I venture out for their Grand Public Opening Friday Night.

For San Francisco’s Fillmore District this is a perfect new addition to the neighborhood. The former AMC Theater is in the heart of a neighborhood that is one of San Francisco’s greatest neighborhoods and has entertaiment venues such as Bill Graham’s Rock Palace “The Fillmore,” John Lee Hooker’s “Boom, Boom Room” and the new Yoshi’s at the Fillmore Heritage Center, but over the years this theater had become aged and an afterthought for film goers with the opening of AMC 1000 Van Ness and Metreon. Sundance did a excellentjob renovating and creating an upscale Cinema that no longer has to take a back seat.

My experience started with online ticket purchasing for this adult oriented theater, Adult as in age not content, and I am so glad that I bought ahead of time. In my opinion, this is the best feature of the Kabuki, the ability to reserve seating in the over-21 balcony section. I strongly suggest using this feature we walked straight through the full lobby of people waiting to purchase tickets and straight to our theater. With San Francisco traffic, which I experienced in full force Friday, you can breath easier knowing that your seat is saved and waiting for you. My wife and I saw Juno, very funny and a great measure of the type of films that the Kabuki will book.

The Kabuki has three dining areas with full bars. A downside is you cannot move from one dining section to another with alcohol, so in the adult only balcony the bar is slammed before the movie starts. The service was a bit slow, staff getting to know the bar and one cash register, but being a veteran of sporting events and concerts I just bought two drinks so I would not have to get up during the movie.

I dined after the movie. Take my advice please; plan to eat after the show. The Kabuki shows no ads and only two to three previews, the show start almost at the publish time. The menu and wine selection has a wide variety to select from for almost any taste. My food was good, the attempt is a fine dining experience, but what it is well presented pub fare.

I would definitely go back, Theater 1 w/balcony is very comfortable, and a great place to watch a movie. The design is really to make you feel a different movie experience.

For another place to get a drink, food and a movie try a trip across the bridge in Oakland. I am a big fan of Oakland’s Parkway Speakeasy. The owners treat like hanging out in you best friend’s basement. This is a totally different experience than the Kabuki, but this is the first time I was able to have a top shelf cocktail at a movie theater. Alameda plans on having an adult only section in it’s newly renovated theater that is to open this Spring.

Parking: Try Japan Town Garage ($2.75 for three hours with theater validation)

Sundance Kabuki
Address
1881 Post Street at Fillmore
San Francisco, CA 94115

Phone
415.929.4650
http://www.sundancecinemas.com/kabuki.html

SFGate Article (Thanks for the Photo)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/12/DDIETS6M3.DTL&hw=kabuki+cinema&sn=001&sc=1000

Parkway Speakeasy
http://www.picturepubpizza.com/

Flora

Flora, originally uploaded by John Oldham.

Tried this new restaurant in Oakland last week and was very impressed. Flora is in the former Oakland Floral Depot (1900 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA) at the corner of 19th and Telegraph across from the Old Fox Theater. This addition to the neighborhood is an island business right now, not much around this transitioning neighborhood. With Lukas Tap Room two blocks away the neighborhood is getting geared up for the thousands of new Condos and apartments that are being built in Downtown.

The dining room is very clean, the light jazz music is at the right level to carry a conversation and the staff was attentive. The menu has prosciutto wrapped swordfish and NY Steak that jump right out, but they have a pork dish, chicken and vegetarian dishes. The wife and I stuck to the Starters with a couple of cocktails. The red braised short ribs, pan gravy, crispy potatoes, cheddar cheese béchamel was fantastic. By the way I had to look up béchamel (Béchamel sauce also known as white sauce) thank to Wikipedia once again with the soup and a salad was just right for the late evening fare. The wine by the glass and beer list is very good. But take a gander at the cocktail list.

If you are looking for an inexpensive evening this is not it, the prices were a bit on the high side, $16-$25 for an entrée. If you are going to show at the Paramount Theater or looking for a casual but chic place to have a drink and some food, it is well worth the stop.

The San Francisco Chronicle did a small write up of the restaurant.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgibin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2007/11/14/FD9NT9P3K.DTL

Fireside

Fireside, originally uploaded by John Oldham.

If you have not been to the new Fireside (1453 Webster St # A
Alameda, CA) it is a great place to settle in to have a Cocktail. The old Fireside had a lot to be desired but new owner Patrick has cleaned (that's a first for this place), painted, remodeled and made it a great place to stop after work or any night of the week.

My first encounter with the Fireside was 1980, long ago when sailors still roamed Webster Street and Ladies of the evening were hailing distance from the Fireside. I was 15 and it was a place that would serve me a beer. I was so nervous that the only thing that I could order was a Bud. Patrick now serves probably 30 types of beer now and that choice no longer has to be an option.

The Bar has two big screen tvs that are placed above the bar, so if you have a group or you are out on a date it does not have to be the focus. Pool Table is by the old fireplace. The liquor is top self and the offer a menu of Cocktails.

Downside -- Cash Only! I understand that they are trying to resolve this, but it is a bit inconvenient. Good atmoshphere, check it out.