I’ve been vaguely aware for a couple of years of the Bubble Lounge, that bicoastal temple of Champagne worship.
Inspecting its comic-font website, with a cascade of bubbles framing the city skyline, it always seemed like a place “not for me.”
Don’t get me wrong: I enjoy Champagne, in theory. It’s a toast to victory, or new babies, or sexy times. It’s a way for high rollers to flaunt their wealth, an ostentatious bit of nightclub theater. It’s stiletto heels and shellfish, boats and bachelorettes, cigars and stretch limos.
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With the holidays over and big credit card bills about to arrive, let’s talk about how to get you through the throes of January — including a sneak peek into topics I expect to cover in the next few months.
Pinot noir has remained the “it” grape for a decade now, and that appears unlikely to change this year. However, gamay noir, the grape of Beaujolais, has some of the qualities of pinot noir. Fruity, light and high in acid, gamay is spicier than pinot — a trait that you might find appealing. Besides Beaujolais, gamay is grown in the Loire Valley.
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B Restaurant & Bar An airy, elegant atrium provides a fitting contrast to commanding views of architectural icons as diverse as the Contemporary Jewish Museum, historic St. Patrick Church and gleaming Marriott Marquis hotel. Order one of bar manager Marjan Simovics’ multifaceted drink creations and reflect again on the interplay between clean and complex elements. Originally from Hungary, Simovics started as a bar back in a small New England seafood restaurant in 2001.
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Trying to remember every wine I’ve tried this year is like attempting to remember every at-bat the Giants had at AT&T Park. Narrowing it down to wines I actually enjoyed is akin to detailing each one of Marco Scutaro’s hits — I know there were a lot, but I only remember a few.
These five wines stick out:
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There’s nothing like misplaced expectations to muck everything up.
For years, Pacific Catch was just a massive, hokey-looking spot I’d spy while cruising down Lincoln Way. I never paid it much mind; chain restaurants rarely make it on the radar.
Then I was struck by that dastardly rule of threes. In a one-month period, three different people — one a food writer — told me Pacific Catch was much better than it looked.
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The BarNotes app puts the crafty drinker in touch with a community of like-minded enthusiasts who introduce new takes on old classics. Users can like or comment on cocktails, suggest different portions, post variations and even create their own recipes. Curated cocktail lists cater to the holiday, game day or even time of day. Creator Brandon Herring, an Atlanta native who now lives in San Francisco, and partner Peter Bodenheimer, who resides in New Orleans, have blended the two cocktail hubs using social media.
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I’d like to think there are people who plot their weeks around dinner specials at the Basque Cultural Center. Certainly the clientele has an air of permanency, of dining patterns reaching back for decades. “Put down those chips, Murray, you know Thursday is fondue night!”
I’m teasing, but without malice. The Basque Cultural Center is a delight, a place where only the sourest scenester wouldn’t appreciate its warmth or lack of pretense.
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By:
Brendan Bartholomew
12/20/12 8:46 PM
DNA Lounge Cocktail connoisseurs may be surprised to learn that subtlety is on the menu at the South of Market dance club and concert venue. Bartender Jared Williams has carved out a niche for himself, mixing drinks as boldly individualistic as the club’s clientele. Staircases figure prominently in DNA’s architecture. Beyond the main bar, which sits like an arena in the center of the space, a small stage is framed by two wide staircases zigzagging up to the second floor.
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Few things make me happier than drinking Champagne, especially when I have an extraordinary bottle to share with friends. I’ve been doing quite a bit of that over the past couple of weeks and, much to the chagrin of my liver, have tasted quite a few that are memorably delicious and relatively reasonably priced.
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On the block that contains State Bird Provisions, did you know there are some shops, even other restaurants? Rack your brain and try to remember what’s nearby: “Well, I think there’s a Subway, and a shop that sells hats, and um, maybe a big patch of dirt?”
I get it. This year’s runaway culinary darling has such an outsized presence that it practically obscures anything within visual range.
But from the doorway of State Bird, where you’ve just been told the wait time is eight hours, you can cast your eyes on a fine alternative for dinner.
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URL: http://www.sfexaminer.com/archive/17556/17556?page=6&type[story]=story&quicktabs_6=0
