So I just finished going through all of my pictures of San Francisco so that I could post them on Flickr and then blog about my trip (click on the pic above to see the whole set). In reviewing, it appears that I spent almost the entire trip in bars.
But that's not true! We did all kinds of things ... but it was a fairly low-key vacation and the times we weren't eating or drinking we were either shopping, watching a movie, watching football, or just plain relaxing. Another contributing factor is the fact that I have become fascinated with the low-light settings on my camera that allow me to take pictures without using my flash and being an obnoxious jerk, so I took a LOT of pictures whenever we were in dark places.
So here's a whirlwind tour of some of the places we went:
Absinthe Brasserie: Upon our arrival on Friday night, we needed somewhere delicious to go. Somewhere that served food late and was comforting for travellers. It didn't take us long to decide on Absinthe. We had been there before and just remembering the coq au vin is enough to make me feel warm inside. This is where I had my first taste of maraschino liqueur and I haven't looked back. The cocktail pictured above is called the
Ferry Building
Originally uploaded by ktglick.
The Ferry Building: Besides our hotel (which was conveniently right across the street), we spent the most time here at the Ferry Building, which is where I want to go after I die (but everything will be free, then). We started at the Saturday Farmer's Market with drip coffee from Blue Bottle Coffee, made the old-fashioned way, which is very cool to watch. Sadly, I got no picture because fools kept stepping in front of the camera every time I tried. We were entertained by a lovely pink-haired accordion girl, and I tried every damn flavor of June Taylor Jam, since I could not bring any of these delicious gels back on the plane with me. Then we purchased pastries to go with our coffee and sat and watched the bay.
We were back for lunch to try Delica rf-1, the sleek Japanese-style deli. I had a vegetable miso with wild mushroom croquette and it was the perfect warm lunch for the cool day. We also picked up some bread and produce for snacks while J. watched his football game.
Finally, we came here for our last breakfast on Monday morning at Boulette's Larder, which replicates the most pastoral dream of a French country kitchen. The menu changes daily depending on what's fresh. There's an open kitchen where you can watch everything happen, and a mop/dog that hangs out for authenticity. Your breakfast comes with an array of cute little trappings that replicates your favorite European bed and breakfast times 100, and we even had a fabulous French waiter to serve it to us.
We were back for lunch to try Delica rf-1, the sleek Japanese-style deli. I had a vegetable miso with wild mushroom croquette and it was the perfect warm lunch for the cool day. We also picked up some bread and produce for snacks while J. watched his football game.
Finally, we came here for our last breakfast on Monday morning at Boulette's Larder, which replicates the most pastoral dream of a French country kitchen. The menu changes daily depending on what's fresh. There's an open kitchen where you can watch everything happen, and a mop/dog that hangs out for authenticity. Your breakfast comes with an array of cute little trappings that replicates your favorite European bed and breakfast times 100, and we even had a fabulous French waiter to serve it to us.
Beard Papa
Originally uploaded by ktglick.
Beard Papa: After breakfast on Saturday, we went to H&M for shopping (still hate it--it's crowded and terribly organized and the clothes don't fit right, blech--I always end up sitting with the dads and kids while my husband goes clothes-shopping). After that harrying experience, we made the mistake of trying to just pop into the new mall to use the bathroom. There was no popping in to that place. The entire city was jammed in there. I waited in line for about five years just to use the loo.
After that, it was necessary to reward ourselves with lots of sugar and fat. So we stopped at Beard Papa and got ourselves some cream puffs. I got a green tea cream puff and J. got an eclair. After tasting both I determined that what was really needed was an eclair that had the green tea filling. But alas, it does not exist.
After that, it was necessary to reward ourselves with lots of sugar and fat. So we stopped at Beard Papa and got ourselves some cream puffs. I got a green tea cream puff and J. got an eclair. After tasting both I determined that what was really needed was an eclair that had the green tea filling. But alas, it does not exist.
Madrone Lounge
Originally uploaded by ktglick.
Madrone Lounge: Before dinner on Saturday, we stopped off at Madrone Lounge ... yet another dark, relatively low-key bar in the Hayes Valley featuring DJs, infused vodkas, and anime. And yeah, that international supermodel up there is my husband. Sorry, ladies and gents. I am not sharing. We relaxed in some comfy chairs, sipped on our infused vodka drinks and took in some Dragonball Z, which always seems to be playing in the background at bars I am in, and which I have ONLY seen in the background of bars I am in.
NOPA
Originally uploaded by ktglick.
NOPA: We had dinner at NOPA. If you happen to be in SF, I highly recommend it. Someone at the bar takes great care with the cocktails, and someone in the kitchen takes great care with the food. It's fresh and seasonal and if you sit where I sat (second floor, right above the kitchen), you can watch them make it. Despite the fact that we probably didn't need more calories, we powered our way through an amuse, salad/soup, mains, and dessert. And the food was all fairly healthy so it wasn't too guilt-inducing. I managed to resist the hamburger in favor of fish and I wasn't sorry.
Club Waziema: After dinner, I dragged J. over to Club Waziema for a glass of Ethiopian honey wine to close out the night. Club Waziema is a beer/wine bar and Ethiopian restaurant (although I've never eaten here) and it's an old favorite of mine. It's always cozy, doesn't tend to get obnoxious and it's been around forever. At one time Billie Holliday and Ike and Tina performed here and one bartender claims ghosts haunt it, but if they do, they are friendly. We watched the TV on mute and played a game called "Why is This SNL Sketch Funny?"
Club Waziema: After dinner, I dragged J. over to Club Waziema for a glass of Ethiopian honey wine to close out the night. Club Waziema is a beer/wine bar and Ethiopian restaurant (although I've never eaten here) and it's an old favorite of mine. It's always cozy, doesn't tend to get obnoxious and it's been around forever. At one time Billie Holliday and Ike and Tina performed here and one bartender claims ghosts haunt it, but if they do, they are friendly. We watched the TV on mute and played a game called "Why is This SNL Sketch Funny?"
Olive
Originally uploaded by ktglick.
Olive: Our last night we ended with a bang, trying to get in all the places on our list that we could. We started at Olive, a place I'd been wanting to go to since I moved away from SF. (Sad.) Olive is a bar that also serves small snacks. My kind of place. On a Sunday night it was really quiet, except for a few obvious friends of the people that worked there. It gave it a nice "neighborhood place" feeling. The little flatbread pizza I had to prepare me for the drinks to come really hit the spot. (I kind of wanted another one, actually). And the rose petal vodka drink I had was elegant and unique (and pretty).
Originally uploaded by ktglick.
Rye: After Olive, we found we still had some time to kill before our secret reservations at Bourbon & Branch. We slipped into Rye to try some of their drinks. It was also a quiet Sunday night there, but the bar seats were still full. I've noticed that there are several bars in SF now that are cocktailie heaven in a way that seemed to me reserved for NYC. J. had an interesting drink that actually was rimmed with chile salt and I had a flip, which is one of the basic types of cocktails that you almost never see on a bar menu anymore.
Bourbon & Branch
Originally uploaded by ktglick.
Rye: After Olive, we found we still had some time to kill before our secret reservations at Bourbon & Branch. We slipped into Rye to try some of their drinks. It was also a quiet Sunday night there, but the bar seats were still full. I've noticed that there are several bars in SF now that are cocktailie heaven in a way that seemed to me reserved for NYC. J. had an interesting drink that actually was rimmed with chile salt and I had a flip, which is one of the basic types of cocktails that you almost never see on a bar menu anymore.
Bourbon & Branch
Originally uploaded by ktglick.
Bourbon & Branch: Finally, we reached the climax of our trip: Bourbon & Branch. Bourbon & Branch is a new bar in SF, that is in the style of a speakeasy. It's reservation only and only after you make your reservation do they call you and let you know the location and give you a password. Unlike the elusive Milk & Honey in NYC, however, it's not that hard to figure out where it is, and anyone can go, as long as you make a reservation. You walk up to the bar, ring the buzzer and are ushered into a dark--very dark--elegant space. We didn't experience any of the negative aspects of reservation back-up reported since it was a relatively quiet night.
The menu is large and bound in wood and contains a large list of cocktails divided into sections, including a shout-out section featuring drinks concocted by famous mixologists like Audrey Sanders of Pegu Club and local legends like my old tequila professor Julio Bermejo, the master of margaritas.
You are served by a pair of lovely cocktail waitresses, who are friendly and ready to tell you anything you want to know, or make recommendations. The cocktails are all iced to perfection and well-crafted. This is not, maybe, a place you want to go for everyday drinking. The drinks are mixed to cocktail-snob standards and not to get you drunk, and the pacing is slow if you're sitting at a booth. But you can--gasp--actually talk to the people you came in with and the atmosphere is definitely something special. It was the perfect ending to our weekend getaway.
Tags:
The menu is large and bound in wood and contains a large list of cocktails divided into sections, including a shout-out section featuring drinks concocted by famous mixologists like Audrey Sanders of Pegu Club and local legends like my old tequila professor Julio Bermejo, the master of margaritas.
You are served by a pair of lovely cocktail waitresses, who are friendly and ready to tell you anything you want to know, or make recommendations. The cocktails are all iced to perfection and well-crafted. This is not, maybe, a place you want to go for everyday drinking. The drinks are mixed to cocktail-snob standards and not to get you drunk, and the pacing is slow if you're sitting at a booth. But you can--gasp--actually talk to the people you came in with and the atmosphere is definitely something special. It was the perfect ending to our weekend getaway.
Tags:
Comments
I always hold my breath when I take low-light pictures--and hold the button down for several seconds before pushing it. I don't know why ... I feel like it gives the camera time to absorb the details. Wow, that sounds really dumb when I actually write it out.
I definitely left my heat in SF.
*sigh*
;-)
Isn't that magical? I love vacation!
I agree about the mint, and I think we even talked about using a strainer when we were trying to figure out how you could fix it.
Thanks for the comment!