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Mauna Loa goes against the grain of Marina bar scene in San Francisco

By: Brendan P. Bartholomew 03/07/13 6:51 PM
In the heart of the Marina district, Mauna Loa Club is a cozy alternative to the numerous upscale nightspots — long on value and short on pretense. To the left of the curved bar, a large red-and-white sign informs patrons that during happy hour, which runs from 2 to 8 p.m. weekdays, draft beers are $1 off and well drinks are just $4. In a neighborhood where $12 cocktails are the norm, that’s no small thing. Read More

Chambers bartender Richard Woodruff found niche in booze

By: Donna Domino 02/28/13 6:42 PM
In a town crowded with chic, sexy bars, Chambers stands out. Located in the Phoenix Hotel, the bar underwent a striking and modern remodeling. It once housed Backflip and Bambuddha Lounge. Unique and varied lighting in the two indoor bars, brocade and leather banquette seating, and indoor and outdoor fireplaces give it a distinctive, classy feel. Read More

Good crowd and interesting San Francisco history at Burritt Room

By: Rhys Alvarado 02/21/13 6:38 PM
Burritt Room
Burritt Room and Tavern Just steps before the Stockton Tunnel sits a cocktail gem in the Mystic Hotel where bartenders use swizzle sticks made from tree branches and eye-drop house-made tinctures into vessels of boozy glory. Red velvet stools, 12-armed chandeliers and the original layer of preserved flooring with dime-sized tiles decorate the refined yet approachable low-lit bar and adjoining restaurant. Read More

Fishbowl combines dive bar with some class

By: Donna Domino 02/14/13 6:11 PM
You gotta love a bar whose menu board on the street says “Soup of the day: Whiskey.” This proudly self-proclaimed dive bar in Lower Pacific Heights is known for good “drunk” food, such as chicken strips. But I was lucky enough to enjoy delicious sauteed Brussels sprouts during a restaurant pop-up featuring A16 cook Chris Norton. Read More

Soda Popinski’s enters the San Francisco bar ring

By: Rob Goszkowski 02/07/13 7:51 PM
Soda Popinski’S Eight-bit video game nostalgia combined with a Russian hunting lodge theme? If it will work anywhere, it will work in San Francisco. At this new Nob Hill watering hole, sleds and bear pelts somehow fit together with globular lights on spears illuminating a framed “Rocky IV”-era Dolph Lundgren poster. Several months in, Soda Popinski’s is up and punching. We spoke with bartender Cory Hunt. Read More

Super Bowl-watching destination Kezar Pub chock full of 49ers lore

By: Brendan P. Bartholomew 01/31/13 8:02 PM
Kezar Pub
If you’re looking for a great place to watch the Super Bowl, Kezar Pub is hard to beat. Located across the street from Kezar Stadium (the original home of the 49ers), the bar boasts 24 high-definition TVs, 24 beers on tap and a stunning collection of 49ers memorabilia. Read More

Bartender perfects the blind tasting at The Homestead

By: Brendan P. Bartholomew 01/24/13 6:41 PM
the homestead san francisco
Burgundy and gold complement lush earth tones and vintage style in the bar’s warm interior. Robust wood, padded leather surfaces, diffused lighting and friendly chatter contribute to a comforting ambience that prevents the bar’s framed portraits of buxom, naked ladies from seeming inappropriate. Veteran bartender Josh Bluh has been a fixture at Homestead since film producer Raub Shapiro and actor Rio Hackford opened the Mission district bar seven years ago. Read More

Need a big drink? Blondie's Bar and No Grill has your back

By: Rhys Alvarado 01/17/13 7:57 PM
Blondie's bar and no grill
When Blondie was given the Mission district bar at 21 by her entrepreneur mother, she did not know the difference between a vodka tonic and a gin and tonic. “My mom told me, ‘That’s the glassware, those are the bottles of booze. Go.’” Since 1991, Blondie’s has hosted a sweet and savory 16-ounce martini menu, garnished with home-stuffed blue cheese and sausage olives and pickled asparagus, using local and international spirits. Read More

Elixir Saloon's mix master is a true people person

By: Kevin Livingston 01/10/13 7:16 PM
Elixir Saloon has the distinction of being the second-oldest bar in San Francisco, but its modern take on serving up high-end cocktails and a unique beer selection is what sets it apart from other bars in the Mission district, particularly along the 16th Street corridor between Valencia and Guerrero streets. Part of the reason is the bar staff. Read More

Sample the worldly palate of B Restaurant & Bar’s Marjan Simovics

By: Brendan P. Bartholomew 01/03/13 6:26 PM
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. Read More

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