You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'bars' tag.
By E-Manny:
It’s a beautiful, sunny day in SF and if there is no wind and you aren’t standing in the shade, you might almost call the weather perfect. Bliss. You wake up with the feeling that it would be a crime not to enjoy the sunshine and bask in it…..so now what? Well, if you’re hungry and thirsty, here are some starts:
The Ramp: Don’t be scared of the neighborhood which looks like a dump (literally). This little sunny escape sitting right on the dock of the bay in Potrero Hill/Central Waterfront provides an outside patio for drinking, breakfast, and lunch.
Foreign Cinema: A delightful safe haven in the middle of the Mission. A peaceful courtyard surrounded by a white brick walls with ivy patches, you can enjoy their various refreshing champagne concoctions.
Medjool: Also in the Mission. Drinks on the rooftop with a view to kill for. Enough said!
Palmetto: Grab a seat at one of the white-tablecloth sidewalk tables and watch the Marina day-time action on Union Street pass by. A glass of white wine is perfect for this setting.
Red’s Java House: Straightforward diner on the Embarcadero. Wander to the back patio where they serve a full bar. No frills about this place, but the view of the water is calming as is the price of the beers.
Inside the dark and generic building that sits on an busy corner in the Tenderloin, you’ll find a warm, quiet beverage club that transforms time, space and sound into the 1930’s. Without going into too much detail about this secretive and deliciously seductive speakeasy, we recommend checking out their less-private library for mixology classes. The Academy’s a series of intimate, 16-student sessions, each focusing on a single spirit: gin, tequila, scotch, and whiskey. At your own stocked workstation, you’ll begin by learning the history of the liquor, how it’s made, and relevant laws and rules. Classes are filling up quickly (in fact, it seems all of the next sessions are full, but they are starting to take reservations for their following series). Bourbon & Branch is an intimate, sexy and pure Schtuff Favorite.
Bourbon & Branch Beverage Academy [website]
By: E-Manny
The Tunnel Top: Don’t go here stone cold sober. Go after a few beers and wander upstairs to snag one of the coveted sofa seats. After you’ve made yourself cozy, make your friends battle the bar downstairs and buy you drinks while you get down to some old skool hip hop. They pour them strong and the next thing you know, you may be grinding between Old Man River and a SF State student. This is a true dive bar because anyone and everyone can be found here, including me.
B-H’s 2 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Lime : Castro
Perfect for me because I can NEVER decide on what to order and I love to people watch. They have very very good cocktails, American small plates (including grilled cheese) and a super fun vibe.
2. Nicks Crispy Tacos: Russian Hill
Hands down best fish tacos I have had in The City. Perfect order - Elote, cheese quesadilla, and one pescado taco “nicks way.”
M. P.’s 2 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Lefty O’Douls: Downtown/Union Square
Simply put, I like meats. Cured meats, boiled meats, grilled meats…there isn’t one I’ve met that I haven’t enjoyed thoroughly. Plus, the atmosphere reminds me of a Moose Lodge or German Beer Hall. With piano playing, cocktails flowing and an exchange of beef, turkey and pork unlike any I have ever seen, Lefty O’Doul’s adds spirit to an otherwise lifeless collection of hipster trash.
2. Eric’s: Noe Valley
This Chinese restaurant has no character. It does, however, have the greatest Chinese food known to man. Add to that a VERY complete lunch for less than $10 and you have a combination for the gods. I strongly recommend the Walnut Prawns, Eric’s Chow Mein and General Tso’s Chicken if you’re there for dinner. Ask how the proprietor “allegedly” stole the recipes from his ex-wife (who owns Alice’s…just down the street and around the corner). Stop by, soak up the zero atmosphere and allow your taste buds a treat…at a cost fit for us eking by in this damned expensive city.
B-H’s 2 Favorite Pizza Places:
1. Za Pizza: Russian Hill
The perfect slice, thin and not soggy, creative combos, and they have the best best best salads. I moved away and crave thier honey mustard dressing, it’s DELICIOUS. Not to mention going in there as a local, getting bottomless wine, good tunes, and cute boys to boot.
2. Haystack’s Pizza: Noe Valley
Duh, it’s Right down the street from me! Very good/unexpected wings and carafe’s of wine. If you get a smaller size pizza the crust can be a little thick, so the larger the better.
M.P.’s 2 Favorite Pizza Places:
1. Haystack’s Pizza: Noe Valley
This is a guilty pleasure for all those living in or around Noe Valley. Haystack’s blends a unique cowboy and Indian (excuse me…Native American) motif with a traditional Italian Pizzeria and come up with something…how do we say…magnifique!! There pizza is a bit doughy at times, but definitely made to order and with the freshest ingredients and richest cheeses this side of the Central Valley. I usually dig into the Popeye the Sailor, minus the garlic, but add sausage (again…meats). Along with the pizza, try the Greek Salad and get a carafe of the very affordable house Chianti and you’ll feel like a true cowboy/Indian/gangster/foodie right in the heart of Noe Valley.
2. Escape from New York Pizza: Haight-Ashbury
Have you ever been to the Haight? Smoked so much of the local herbs and spices that you get REALLY hungry. How about Polk Street? Ever gone to Shanghai Kelly’s and shared a dozen or so Jaegermeister shots with the bartender? Well I have…and Escape from NY provides fast, easy, inexpensive and surprisingly delicious pizza. Try the potato pesto or go for a classic slice of pepperoni for those late night munchies.
Read the rest of this entry »
Recent Comments