My City: Bar hopping, cornmeal crust and breakfast bagels
By: Karen Palmer
Special to The Examiner
June 28, 2009
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| Todd Miles Palmerton, a music/artist agent, nightlife promoter and one of the founding members of Vintage 415, describes himself as a work-hard, play-harder entrepreneur who has been turning weeknights into weekends since 2002. (Juan Carlos Pometta Betancourt/Special to The Examiner) |
SAN FRANCISCO — Faves and raves by Todd Miles Palmerton
Personal stats
Age: 30
Years in The City: 11
Neighborhood: Russian Hill
Occupation: Music/artist agent, nightlife promoter and one of the founding members of Vintage 415, owners of several restaurants and bars including Aventine, Mamacita, The Ambassador and Umami
Self Description: A work-hard, play-harder entrepreneur who has been turning weeknights into weekends since 2002
FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT
Aux Delices
WHERE: 2327 Polk St. between Green and Union streets
WHAT: Fantastic Vietnamese fare that’s delivered
INFO: (415) 928-4977 or www.auxdelicessf.com
The restaurant serves really clean Vietnamese food that’s healthy. I really like their chicken pho, and they have a beef-and-shrimp skewer that’s amazing. I probably order from [the restaurant] about twice a week, and the best thing is that they deliver, which is hard to find with Vietnamese food.
FAVORITE SLICE
Arinell Pizza
WHERE: 509 Valencia St. between 16th and 17th streets
WHAT: Thin-crust, New York-style pizza
INFO: (415) 255-1303
I like pizzas that are baked with a cornmeal crust because it gives it a little more crunch. Plus, they always put on a lot of toppings. I stop in every time we go to Double Dutch [bar]. They’re always playing great heavy-metal music.
FAVORITE CAFÉ
Café Sapore
WHERE: 790 Lombard St. at Taylor Street
WHAT: Stopping in for a breakfast bagel
INFO: (415) 474-1222 or www.saporecatering.com
They just have really solid breakfast food. I probably go two or three times a week. Their coffee is really strong, and they have good bagels. I usually go with a breakfast bagel with egg, ham and cheese.
FAVORITE PLACE TO TAKE VISITORS
Bar hopping
WHERE: All over The City
WHAT: Hitting six or seven bars and clubs a night
Because this is my industry, it’s pretty easy to hop around. We’ll usually start at our spots, like Aventine and The Ambassador, and then hit up Rye, Bourbon & Branch, Slide and Harlot. It’s fun to introduce my friends to other friends in the industry and give them the VIP treatment.
FAVORITE NEW BAR
Bloodhound
WHERE: 1145 Folsom St. between Seventh and Eighth streets
WHAT: A Ketel One and soda, or Macallan 12 on the rocks
INFO: (415) 863-2840 or www.bloodhoundsf.com
I like the rustic feel of the bar, like the birds on the ceiling. Plus, the drinks are really strong. Ketel One and soda is usually my drink of choice, and you always know that a bartender knows what he’s doing when he or she serves it with a lemon. Bloodhound also has a good selection of scotch, bourbon and whiskey.
FAVORITE OLD LIVE-MUSIC SPOT
The Fillmore
WHERE: 1805 Geary Blvd. at Fillmore Street
WHAT: The building’s history in the music industry
INFO: (415) 346-3000 or www.thefillmore.com
The Fillmore has the most history. I’ve been able to experience the backstage area, and it’s cool to think that some of the most famous musicians in the world were there before they made it.
FAVORITE NEW LIVE-MUSIC SPOT
Mezzanine
WHERE: 444 Jessie St. between Sixth and Mint streets
WHAT: Catching performers like Mos Def
INFO: (415) 625-8880 or www.mezzaninesf.com
The space here is really intimate. They get a lot of cool indie and up-and-coming bands that are on the verge of really blowing up. It’s a lot more fun to go see a band up close and in person than to see them in a stadium.
FAVORITE MOVIE THEATER
Sundance Kabuki
WHERE: 1881 Post St. at Fillmore Street
WHAT: Assigned seating, comfy seats and food and drink options
INFO: (415) 346-3243 or www.sundancecinemas.com
This is hands-down the best movie theater I’ve ever been to. I like that you can book seats and reserve them, so if there are only bad seats left, you can see a later show. And, you can drink and eat inside. They really did a good job designing it. I also like supporting small local theaters like the Clay, though. It’s fun to watch a movie in an old S.F. movie theater.
— Karen Palmer
