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.
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.
