“Not so long ago, it took much more to thrill me: the exhilaration of a new relationship, a promotion, one of those spa trips, a binge at Saks. Now it’s just the advance guard of tomorrow… and knowing that today was mine all mine.” – Margaret Roach, And I Shall Have Some Peace There

Just off the wildest back-to-back press trip travel schedule yet (Denver, Breckenridge, Peru, Oaxaca, Mexico City, Belgium, Amsterdam), I am grateful for the endless adventures and incredible people of the past weeks… and just as grateful to be home.

In my action-packed week in Denver working ADI’s (American Distilling Institute) Spirits Conference, we announced the winners of artisanal craft spirits judging in gold, silver and bronze categories. Winners are listed here.

Check out my Perfect Spot Facebook page for updates on restaurant openings, drink industry news, Perfect Spot articles and more.

This issue:

Imbiber – Phan’s New Orleans Duo: Chef powerhouse Charles Phan’s New Orleans-influenced Southern food and bourbon bar newcomer duo.

The Latest – Asian Newcomers: Six new Asian restaurants, pop-ups and a food truck with standout dishes.

Around the Bay – Sonoma: Weekending in Healdsburg and Santa Rosa continues to yield edible joys, including a fantastic brunch with NYC connections, possibly the best po boys in the area, and the county’s best cocktails.

Wandering Traveler – Kentucky: This issue, I cover favorite breakfast and coffee spots in Louisville and a quirky diner in Frankfort while visiting Buffalo Trace Distillery.

I’d love your feedback on any spots visited from my site. As your personal concierge who tells it to you like a good friend would, I also create personalized itineraries: trips, meals, explorations (under “Services“).

Let me guide you to the perfect spot,

Virginia

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**Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Virginia Miller**

PHAN’S NEW ORLEANS DUO

Photos and article by Virginia Miller

Chef powerhouse Charles Phan’s New Orleans-influenced Southern food and bourbon bar duo opened mid-March with similar menus focused on New Orleans-style bar snacks and menus run by the ever-talented Erik Adkins, who oversees cocktail bars at every Phan restaurant. Both are already destination bars in terms of quality and setting.

HARD WATER, Embarcadero (Pier 3, Ste. 3-102, 415-392-3021)

Hard Water is a sleek beauty of a bar designed by Olle Lundberg. The high-ceiling room is centered by dramatic marble-top horseshoe bar, no tables and seating along the walls. Though right on the water, the view isn’t waterside but of the passing bustle of the Embarcadero.

Boiled peanuts, cornmeal-crusted alligator ($12), and a delightful fried veggie snack of crispy milk-braised celery hearts ($12) typify bar food available, alongside entrees like braised rabbit and buttermilk dumplings in sage ($21) or okra etouffee ($17) over popcorn rice.

The shining star here, however, is the American whiskies strikingly lined against a glowing white wall. Adkins and crew journeyed to Kentucky to choose their own house barrels of 9 and 10 year old Willett Bourbon (a highlight of my Kentucky distillery visits this March). House whiskey, Weller 7 year, is used in ubiquitous classics like an Old Fashioned. The rarities on offer will thrill an American whiskey aficionado, like 2002 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, flights of the entire Van Winkle line, and even a few bottles of the put of production, very rare A.J. Hirsch 16 year and 20 year bourbons.

The bar is in excellent hands managed by Joel Baker who has been crafting fine cocktails since the early days of Bourbon & Branch, while the menu keeps it clean and simple with no more than 6-8 cocktails, mainly focused on classics with an occasional twist, like a version of a Whiskey Smash Adkins was experimenting with called a Trailer Smash with smoked maple syrup.

SOUTH at SFJAZZ, Hayes Valley (201 Franklin St. at Fell, 415-539-3905)

For an avid jazz fan such as myself, it’s been a thrill to see the country’s first fully dedicated jazz hall akin to a classical symphony hall open in San Francisco this spring. Already attending a few concerts, I’m delighted to find SFJazz’s house café, South at SFJazz, a welcome, glass-walled space that feels like a community hangout for jazz fans with SF-quality food and drink.

Similarities exist between South and Hard Water’s menu, but the casual South at SFJazz menu also offers charcuterie platters with crostini, Creole mustard and celery root rèmoulade ($14), a simple field greens and pickled sweet red onion salad ($10) elevated by peanut vinaigrette, cheese grits ($6), or mini Muffaletta sandwiches ($6).

As at Hard Water, the bar is already another destination drinking spot with bar talent like Erik Ellestad and Ken Furusawa. The cocktail menu ($10) is again compiled by Erik Adkins, with Nola nods in name and style in drinks like The Battle of New Orleans (Buffalo Trace Bourbon, gum syrup, dashes of absinthe, Peychaud’s and orange bitters) or the Tchoupitoulas Street Guzzle (El Dorado 3 year rum, lime, ginger, Peychaud’s bitters).

Horse Thief Cocktail (Hayman’s Old Tom gin, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, absinthe) makes a lovely, clean aperitif with a bitter herbaceousness, while a classic Brandy Milk Punch is my kind of dessert: Germain Robin brandy, Barbancourt 8 year rum, Straus organic milk, and fresh nutmeg grated on top. During opening days, Adkins told me he hopes to add fun drinks like a boozy NY egg cream (brilliant idea) using bourbon or rum, Stumptown Coffee Liqueur, orgeat, cream and soda.

The wine list is no slouch with offerings like a local Sonoma wine I’ve been seeing pop up on a lot of menus lately: Vaughn Duffy Pinot Noir Rose, a dry, mineral, balanced partner to starters like crispy, meaty boudin balls ($9), cornmeal fried oysters ($9) or comforting black-eyed pea succotash ($7).

Staff are sensitive to timing so South is ideal for a pre-show bite and drink.

ASIAN NEWCOMERS:
From Food Truck to Pop-Up

Article & Photos by Virginia Miller

The Bay Area already boasts some of the best Asian food in the US, in a diverse range of categories. Though I can’t recreate the settings from the months I spent traveling Southeast Asia, I can find some of those flavors… and many more from places I long to visit… authentic and complex here in the Bay Area.

What follows are noteworthy dish/es, including fresh dumpling and Malaysian street food interpretations, from six new Asian restaurants (two being pop-ups, one a food truck) open a few months or less.

KOJA KITCHEN, Food Truck

One of the best food trucks to come along, well, maybe ever, is Koja Kitchen. While they make a steady run around the Bay Area, I catch them in my own ‘hood at Off the Grid Haight. Koja ($6 each) are essentially sandwiches where “bread” is toasted rice patties. My favorite is sweet, ground bulgogi beef, mixed with sautéed onions, sesame vinaigrette slaw, and their house red sauce.

I’m most in love with their crosscut fries (the Kamikaze Combo works best at $10.50 for koja, fries and a drink). The fries are elevated by soft, ground Korean bulgogi beef tossed with sautéed onions, kimchi green onions, house sauce and Japanese mayo… a sweet, savory mound of comfort.

AMERICAN BAO BAR, Mission (pop-up locations below)

Chef Blair Warsham traveled through Southeast Asia, taking inspiration from street food-rich countries like Malayasia to create the dishes in his current pop-up, American Bao Bar. Check Bao Bar’s Facebook page to confirm pop-up dinners, but currently they’re at Nombe on Monday nights and Southpaw BBQ on Tuesdays.

Changing dishes arrive in a filling $35 tasting menu, which started strong recently with red curry chicken XLB soup dumplings. Warsham’s XLB (xiao long bao, aka Shanghai soup dumplings) are tender, the dumpling wrappers chewy, al dente, encasing vivid curry and fowl. This is XLB like you’ve not had it before. Three bao or “hot buns on a plate” are stuffed with cumin lamb belly, grilled chili paneer and crispy five-spice smoked pork, the former a tad dry, the latter being my favorite.

Visually striking crispy rice forms a disc around an egg, served with hen and spring vegetables, while chicken is wrapped in plantains, inflected with a savory banana sambal sauce. Shrimp, pineapple and coconut pop on a shrimp chip accompanied by shooters of creamy Malaysian bouillabaisse, my other favorite after the XLB.

Dessert from Batter Bakery is understated perfection: mini-ice cream sandwiches, like chocolate five spice caramel ice cream in chocolate cookies, or oatmeal coconut cookies filled with gloriously tart kaffir lime sherbet.

HOUSE of PANCAKES, Parkside (937 Taraval between 19th & 20th Ave.; 415-681-8388)

Service is slow and Parkside is out of the way for many, but House of Pancakes serves delights worth trekking out for. Yes, there are Asian pancakes aplenty, but it’s the house-pulled noodles and fresh, al dente dumplings that enchant. Pancakes ($3.95-7.95) are solid, particularly simple green onion pancakes… but not the highlight. Think hand pulled noodles and dumplings.

Watching noodles hand pulled through the kitchen door is mesmerizing, as it is at Martin Yan’s new MY China… but House of Pancakes’ noodles ($6.95-7.95) are far more gratifying: think chewy comfort in broth, served with likes of lamb or seafood. The dense joy of the noodles carries over into impeccable, doughy dumplings ($5.95-8.95), filled with lamb or pork and chives, even fish of the day. Other than painfully slow service, House of Pancakes is one of the more exciting hole-in-the-wall Chinese eateries to come along in awhile and added to my favorites list.

HUTONG, Cow Hollow (2030 Union St. at Buchanan; 415-929-8855)

When I moved to SF at the beginning of 2001, restaurants like Ti Couz and Betelnut were on my regular dining circuit. Thankfully, the spirit of ever popular Betelnut remains, as does Chef Alex Ong. Betelnut was recently reincarnated as Hutong, with artful graffiti and bolder dishes fusing his Malaysian childhood, once part of a “secret” Blackboard Eats menu. But as of last week and one day after a negative review from the Chronicle’s critic, Michael Bauer, Hutong switched back to Betelnut. I’m disappointed as I witnessed promise in the more ambitious menu that was still working out kinks.

Highlights were on the raw/crudo side ($12-14), like sea bream in chili-lemon soy with radishes and mizuna, ahi tuna in apple-mustard sauce, or tombo tuna dotted with creamy wasabi, tobiko and lime. The raw great, however, was briny oysters icy dotted with Sriracha-lemon granita ($1.50 each). Chicken livers tossed with onions in black pepper sauce ($6.50) were on Ong’s secret Blackboard Eats menu, evolved into a seamless, meaty liver dish. Giant whole Gulf prawns ($3.74) were plump, wrapped in bacon and dipped in chili jam, while thin slices of lamb belly ($8.88) in jalapeno vinegar, a mainstay from Betelnut, are not at all gamey but clean, savory.

A wise move at the short-lived Hutong, one I wish more restaurants would embrace, is offering four salads ($8.88) that couldn’t be labeled “throwaway”, but boast interesting combinations beyond being merely nutritious. Roasted beets derived texture from cardamom yogurt, contrasted by salted plum vinaigrette, while the now ubiquitous kale salad arrived with Asian pears, cucumbers, roasted peppers, avocado in a bright lime-mustard dressing.

Hutong was still finding its footing with some misses (overly sweet cocktails, for one), but it seems rather than continuing to find ways to stay fresh and age into a new decade, they are reverting back to the past one.

NABE, Inner Sunset (1325 9th Ave. between Irving & Judah; 415-731-2658)

Another hot pot outpost, Nabe (its name derived from nabemono – pronounced “nay-bay-mo-no” – referring to nabe cooking pot/hot pot) is a Zen-yet-hip space lined with empty sake bottles, benefiting from sweet service and sustainably sourced Snake River Farms meat.

To start, Kurobuta pork gyoza ($7) are pan-seared dumplings exhibiting the right contrast of crispy and chewy, dipped in chili ponzu. A nabemono set ($19 regular/$24 large) comes with choice of meat, udon noodles and generous, assorted vegetables. I like shabu shabu choices of Washugyu beef or Kurobuta Berkshire pork in spicy miso broth – there’s also seafood (shrimp, salmon, scallops, clams) in dashi broth.

The crowning moment of this interactive dinner is included: a traditional Japanese finish to hot pot/shabu shabu as our server explained, rarely seen in the States. Our server removed excess broth from our finished hot pot, retaining just enough for flavor. She then filled it with rice, stirred slowly, cracked an egg in it, stirred awhile longer, then topping with shaved nori (seaweed). It’s called zosui, a rice soup/porridge akin to Chinese congee (or jook) but with more flavor. As breakfast the next morning, it was perfection – I  stir fried the leftover zosui with more egg.

SSISSO, Japantown (1700 Post St. at Buchanan, 415-441-1522)

In soft opening mode merely a couple months, Ssisso (Korean word for “seesaw”) is still sorting things out. With traditional and non-traditional Korean dishes, plus cult classic Frozen Kuhsterd for dessert, one can’t help comparing to other local Korean joints. Haemul pajeon ($9.95, $12.95), the ever addictive seafood pancake that turned me on to Korean food as a teen in NY, is gratifyingly (but not overly) greasy and crisp here, though I prefer versions at restaurants like Manna in the Inner Sunset.

Similarly, I think of Aato’s japchae – sweet potato noodles stir fried with beef, soy, onion – when trying Ssisso’s one-note (salty) version ($9.95 lunch, $13.95 dinner). Early on, the best dish remains one from downstairs karaoke lounge, Playground: fried Ssisso chicken ($9.95 lunch, $14.95 dinner), a superior pile of wings doused in sweet soy and loads of garlic. Put a plate in front of me and I’ll devour.

WEEKENDING in Healdsburg & Santa Rosa

Photos and article by Virginia Miller

Dozens of weekends in Sonoma over the years and each is a pleasure, a respite from incessant work, as I breathe in vine-soaked air, taking in new and old restaurants and wineries.

Recent weekends in Healdsburg and Santa Rosa have offered many joys. There have been but a few disappointments, like the bland Asian “fusion” of Chinois in Windsor and likewise the ambitious mashup of Asian cuisines, inconsistent at Sebastopol’s Forchetta/Bastoni, though I dig their Go’s Balls, fried curry rice balls dipped in sweet chili sauce.

Similarly, the new Café Lucia, tucked down a narrow walkway off of Healdsburg’s town square, lacked the familial focus that makes it parent restaurant in downtown Sonoma, La Salette, so special. At Lucia, Bacalhau no Forno ($23), one of my Portuguese favorites, a baked “casserole” of North Atlantic salt cod, potatoes, onions, olives, is one note (salty) and quite dry.

As ever in the ingredient rich region, highlights abound. Here are a few recent additions:

SPOONBAR, Healdsburg (219 Healdsburg Ave., 707-433-7222)

Thanks to the legacy of Scott Beattie who launched Spoonbar’s exceptional bar and to current manager Cappy Sorentino who has kept standards high, Spoonbar is easily Healdsburg’s top cocktail bar. Weekending a few blocks from the town square was reason enough for multiple visits, working through the latest menu ($8-10.50 per cocktail). I even sampled a few of the “Trashy Cocktails” served for $5-7 during their weekday happy hour (5-7pm) where bar staff try to make artificially flavored, lowbrow spirits tolerable, like mixing Stoli Peach with house jalapeno shrub.

Cocktail highlights are many, including their rotating carbonated cocktails, like a vibrant Carbonated Sidewinder’s Fang (Appleton Reserve Rum, El Dorado 8 year Demerara Rum, orange, lime, passion fruit) or an herbaceous, elegant Carbonated Corpse Reviver # 2 (St. George Dry Rye Gin, Cocchi Americano, Cointreau, lemon, St. George Absinthe).

Bartender Tara Heffernan crafts a Burning Shrub using Tapatio Tequila, Tara’s jalapeno shrub, lime, grapefruit and Fidencio Clasico Mezcal, a balanced mix of smoke, spice and tart citrus. Vodka works here, too, with spice and rosy, balanced sweetness in Jalapeno Business: Charbay Pomegranate Vodka, Clear Creek Loganberry liqueur, lemon, ginger, the texture just perfect topped with a layer of raspberry-jalapeno foam.

I love the texture of their clarified milk/whey punch, finely done here with Weller 7 year bourbon, but even more nuanced with Encanto pisco, the creamy whey enlivened by cinnamon and pineapple.

Classic Eastern European Slivovitz (plum brandy) doesn’t show up often on cocktail lists, but in The Mission Clear Creek Slivovitz subtly melds Encanto Quebranta pisco, the French apéritif Byrrah, elderflower and orange, into a nuanced, spirit-forward cocktail.

Beattie’s influence still shows in layered, garden fresh cocktails like Pear Pressure garnished Beattie-esque with a crisped pear. The drink blends Bartlett pear-infused Rittenhouse Rye with Clear Creak Pear Eau De Vie, Punt e Mes sweet vermouth and sherry, illuminated by clove and bitters.

Sage Canyon Flip was an immediate favorite earlier this year, simultaneously hoppy from Charbay R5 White Whiskey, lively with pear, sage and lemon, and textured with house orgeat.

Spoonbar remains the county’s “it” bar for artisanal cocktails, impeccable spirits collection strong on amari, whiskies, eaux de vie, etc… and knowledgeable bar staff.

THE SPINSTER SISTERS, Santa Rosa (401 South A St. at Sebastopol Ave., 707-528-7100)

Open since last August, The Spinster Sisters is helmed by Chef Liza Hinman from now defunct Santi in Santa Rosa, Eric Anderson (from Santa Rosa but in NYC as a founding partner of Prune Restaurant), and Giovanni Cerrone, a local in the California wine industry.

The sunny space welcomes me to its wrap-around, redwood bar in the center of the room. Dining at the bar for breakfast, I’d consider it possibly the best brunch I have had in the entire county over the past decade. I anticipate returning for dinner and lunch.

House pastries, Rancho Gordo bean tostadas, and Flying Goat Coffee flow as ‘50’s rock n’ roll sets a cheery backdrop. Thoughtful dishes are above and beyond the sameness one often finds on brunch menus.

A weekend special ($11) consisted of garbanzo beans, eggs, red bell pepper, caramelized leeks, chard, and mini-cauliflower sizzling in a cast iron pot, creamy with Greek yogurt and chili oil. Redolent of garlic, the dish proves why breakfast is no afterthought here.

The PARISH CAFE, Healdsburg (60A Mill St., 707-431-8474)

Parish Café was on my go-to list because they serve New Orleans cuisine in a charming, restored yellow house. The front porch is far more inviting than the rather bland interior, but one can sit at the counter inside and watch the kitchen staff churn out po boys and gumbo.

I must admit my expectations were not high. Nola cuisine, and certainly po boys, are often a poor shadow of what they are in the Big Easy. But Parish Café’s po boys are blessedly authentic and among the best in the West. The bread, made by family members at nearby Costeaux French Bakery, is appropriately crusty and soft. Fried oysters and shrimp are plump, delicately fried and sauces and toppings plentiful. Gumbo may not be the ultimate, but it’s solidly done with a dark, rich roux and Andouille sausage. Cornmeal fried oyster salad ($11) is freshly gratifying over heaping spinach leaves, bleu cheese crumbles, bacon and buttermilk vinaigrette. Parish is a welcome addition to downtown Healdsburg and one of the best lunch options in town.

CAMPO FINA, Healdsburg (330 Healdsburg Ave., 707-395-4640)

Alongside its parent restaurant, Scopa, Campo Fina is easily Healdsburg’s best Italian restaurant. Bocce ball in a glowing back bar and patio makes it all the more winning a place to spend an evening.

Where Scopa focuses on ubiquitous Neapolitan pizzas and antipasti, Campo Fina shines in shared small plates and cocktails, though their pizzas are also highlights (I’m partial to the sweet/savory speck and fichi, aka fig, pizza with preserved lemon, bufala mozzarella, aged balsamico and arugula contrasting the speck and figs. In true Venetian style, there’s cicchetti (little bites, $2.50-6) served all day, like tuna-stuffed sweet n’ spicy peppers ($3).

Baccala (salt cod) croquettes ($11.5), are appropriately salty, contrasted by fennel, cherry tomatoes and aleppo chili. Charred octopus ($13.50) is dotted with potato, rapini/broccoli rabé, chicory and black olives. There’s a vibrant Italian wine selection or Bar Manager Erica Frey‘s lovely cocktails ($8), which thus far have utilized beer and wine – they recently gained their hard liquor license so there will be a wider range of cocktails going forward. Cleverly playing off a shakerato (an iced, shaken espresso), Shakerato Superiori is a winning blend of Marsala wine, Allagash Black Stout beer, cherry pistachio syrup, Angostura bitters and espresso, which plays as a rich, savory, bright dessert.

KENTUCKY QUIRK in Frankfort

Photos & Article by Virginia Miller

Back again in Bourbon Country, catching up on new restaurants and bars since my visit one year before. While visiting eight distilleries from Bardstown to Lexington, I particularly enjoyed a lunch in the historic town of Frankfort (home to Buffalo Trace Distillery) and fueled up on breakfast and coffee in Louisville before long days of spirits judging/tasting.

RICK’S WHITE LIGHT DINER
In the charming, historic town of Frankfort en route to nearby Buffalo Trace, I thankfully went with my instincts to eat at Rick’s White Light Diner. Chef Rick Paul was a CIA (Culinary Institute of America) grad back in 1975 – unusual pedigree for a small town, KY diner.

His tiny, quirky restaurant, with red counter seats and hodgepodge signage (including a glaringly large photo of Guy Fieri who featured the diner in his show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives), reflects his fun-loving personality and care for local ingredients in New Orleans-influenced food and Southern BBQ. Eating here is a bit touristy – but plenty of locals packed the place, too. Most importantly, the food is heartwarmingly vibrant.

A special of the day converted me: fried shrimp po boy ($15), not so much classic New Orleans style with its crispy flatbread, and plump, juicy shrimp doused in creamy coconut sauce. It tasted like tropical island vacation in New Orleans.

Crawfish pie ($15) is one of Rick’s specialties: a gratifying slice of crawfish and cream under flaky crust. A side of fried banana peppers crusted in cornmeal was one note – salty – but the pie is well worth ordering. Being a lifelong key lime pie fan, I had to try Rick’s ($5), a lush version with perfect texture though I prefer more tart versions (my mouth-puckering favorites experienced in South Carolina and Florida).

All in all, Rick’s is unique, special sort of place that should be a stop when one is near Frankfort. A spritz of bourbon in my mouth (Rick keeps a spray bottle behind the counter) was the ideal finish to lunch, sending me on my way to meet with the next bourbon distiller.

Breakfast (with coffee) in LOUISVILLE

SUPERCHEFS
Superchefs, a divey breakfast-only joint that shares a space with Chicago Gyros (from 11am on) on lower Brownsboro Road and worth going out of your way for. Besides Hillbilly Tea (for cozy atmos and hipster-fied Southern food), Superchefs is my favorite Louisville breakfast spot. A pretzel croissant from beloved local German baker, Klaus Riedelsheimer, is packed with brown sugar candied bacon, egg and cheddar cheese and served with hash browns (8.50).

Red velvet pancakes ($8.99) are a bit more visually stimulating (red and heart-shaped) than exciting in the flavor department.

Other highlights are fluffy “soufflé doughnuts”, or rather Beignets & Coffee (5.99), lighter than air yet crispy on the outside from generous butter and frying. Creamy, slow-cooked roasted red pepper Weisenberger grits ($5.99) are another must on the blissfully high-calorie breakfast menu.

WILD EGGS
With three locations in Louisville’s suburban surroundings, Wild Eggs is bustling every day with breakfasts made from local farms in a cheery, elevated diner setting with close up wall hangings of eggs and farm fresh ingredients. Portions are massive, as is the case with a mountain of Maria’s Chilaquiles, corn tortilla strips piled high with refried beans, salsa verde, queso blanco and a sunny side up egg. Their everything muffin, a biscuit-like muffin loaded with cracked pepper, garlic, onion, poppyseeds and the like, is justifiably popular.

SUNERGOS COFFEE
Sunergos (the Preston Street location) is a bustling, friendly locals coffee spot south of downtown Louisville serving bracing espresso and coffee.

Though not a third wave, artisan coffee shop with perfected microfoam and such, it’s an ideal neighborhood hangout and they do take their in house roasting seriously. It’s a laid back, friendly place to watch locals gather over a good book.

NORD’S BAKERY
Next door to Sunergos Coffees, Nord’s Bakery is a Louisville institution since 2002. Old school donuts are the name of the game, sugary and fluffy. The maple bacon bar is beloved, though I prefer some of the straightforward classics which dissolve, pillowy and soft in the mouth. They do a mean apple fritter or donuts like peanut coconut crunch.

CAKE FLOUR
Tiny, little Cake Flour is one of Louisville’s more artisan bakeries, a haven for daily-changing baked goods, including their popular schmuffin: nutmeg-laced “muffins” brushed with butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. It’s easy to down one (or more) with a bracing cup of coffee.

“Cultures with richer vocabularies are more fully human… individual men and women are more fully human when their memories are stocked with verses.” – Richard Rorty

In the midst of the wildest back-to-back press trip schedule yet (Denver, Breckenridge, Peru, Oaxaca, Mexico City, Brussels, Amsterdam), I catch up on many recent food and drink highlights around SF, return to Chicago and savor the world’s most expensive rum.

Latest writing news: I am now a contributor at Liquor.com and would love to have you follow along and vote for my posts, for those of you interested in the drink side of things.

Check out my Perfect Spot Facebook page for updates on restaurant openings, drink industry news, Perfect Spot articles and more.

This issue:

Imbiber – Eat/Drink: Four notable food and drink pairings… edible and quaffable dessert, fennel intensity, squid ink with spicy rum, grilled cheese and spiced cocktails.

Wandering Traveler – Chicago Cocktails and Wandering Traveler Chicago Dining: My fourth visit to the Windy City (and second in a year) means – no surprise – many more fine tastes in food and drink.

Imbiber – The Most Expensive Thing I Ever Drank: It’s been whisky and Cognac in the past… now add the world’s most expensive rum to a list of fascinating tastes.

The Latest – Three for Spring: The best jambalaya in the West, and two seafood dishes for spring at two new Mission restaurants.

I’d love your feedback on any spots visited from my site. As your personal concierge who tells it to you like a good friend would, I also create personalized itineraries: trips, meals, explorations (under “Services“).

Let me guide you to the perfect spot,

Virginia

Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ThePerfectSpot
“Like” on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ThePerfectSpot
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**Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Virginia Miller**

Two of the Bay’s Best Burgers Under $10

Photos and article by Virginia Miller

Burgers come in degrees: layered with expensive accoutrements, whole egg, foie gras, and the like… or simple, without pretense. I crave a burger in all degrees, whether upscale, knife and fork versions, or down and dirty. On the cheap, two burgers incite salivation in memory alone. One is at a brand new SoMa dive that also serves winning tacos, the other is Alameda’s shining jewel of burgerdom.

GARAJE, SoMa (475 Third Street between Bryant and Harrison, 415-644-0838)

Call me food snob (it’s too late to reverse the palate now) for wanting even my go-to dive to serve quality deliciousness, but brand new Garaje is my kind of dive. Sipping long excellent Old World-style California wine greats on tap in a garage with cheap burgers and tacos? A few visits in and I’m smitten.

Reluctantly I write about Garaje, dreading the day it’s overrun with crowds aware of its utter value. A  haphazard, funky setting initiates its charms. Goodyear and Ducati signs glow across a long, former garage space. Restored mini diner booths in dingy mauve line the center of the room, while vintage fast food boards list offerings. A retro red, 1950’s refrigerator door houses taps: eight beers, three impressive on tap wine options, including Au Bon Climat Chardonnay, and owner Al’s tart, sassy house Sangria Roja.

On the taco front, corn and flour tortillas arrive daily from La Palma, the best Mexicatessen in existence. It’s apparent from this detail they mean business. There’s a range of tacos: $5 for two street style tacos of skirt steak asada, mojo chicken, or carnitas ($2 at happy hour) or $4 for one generous fish taco, either grilled tilapia and guacamole or beer-battered tilapia (using sustainable fish). After trying four different tacos, my unexpected favorite is Thai prawn ($5), a corn tortilla piled with plancha-grilled Gulf prawns, cilantro, cabbage. Creamy lime mayo intermingles with salty peanuts in a delight of Thai flavors.

Behold the drive-in cheeseburger ($6), a charbroiled 1/3 lb. certified Angus patty (cooked medium) slathered in cheddar, griddled onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato, 1000 Island dressing on an Acme bun.

Straightforward and humble, the burger is like an elevated In ‘n Out – and just as gratifying. Typically, I don’t repeat dishes at a worthwhile spot until I’ve tried just about everything on a menu. Yet every visit to Garaje, I must reorder this burger. The only slight misstep has been beer battered fish & chips ($11), though still good, served with classic, creamy slaw: the tilapia tasted slightly fishy one visit, though fresher-tasting on tacos. ­­

How they manage to source local ingredients “whenever possible”, fry in rice bran oil, and use quality ingredients like Acme Bread yet keep prices so low, I’m wonder. But I’m grateful. The owner remembered my face from one visit to the next, welcoming me back. Each staff member has been friendly and attentive.

Big score for SoMa.

SCOLARI’S, Alameda (1303 Park St., 510-521-2400)

Now an Alameda staple, it is worth detouring for non-Alameda residents to pick up one of the best burgers I’ve ever had at Scolari’s. Drawing me like a beacon as I pass by on the 880 freeway, their $9 cheeseburger elicits sighs of contentment, nearly melting with onions and cheese. Again, direct and unfussy, it’s what a burger should be.

Scolari’s does plenty of things well – from sandwiches to strombolis – in a closet-sized space, using quality ingredients. Even fries ($5) are no afterthought, served with aioli of the week, or available in special form like garlic scampi fries doused in lemon and chilies ($6.50), or Buffalo fries laden with crumbled bleu, shaved carrot, celery ($7).

Eat/Drink: Quaffable Dessert, Fennel Intensity, Squid Ink & Spicy Rum, Grilled Cheese & Spiced Cocktails

Photos and article by Virginia Miller

Cocktails and food: each of these four locations – one brand new, three established – boast noteworthy cocktails – and most are excellent restaurants. Here’s what’s making an impression in recent weeks…

ALCHEMIST, SoMa/South Beach (679 3rd St. between Brannan & Townsend; 415-746-9968)

Opened by Kinson Lau (Gitane) and Phil Chen, Alchemist, upstairs in a wood-floored, roomy space, recalls LA mixology bars like Next Door Lounge (but with better drinks) and The Edison (not near as over the top or pretentious). Similar to both those bars, black & white films flicker on Alchemist’s brick walls, while couches and chairs form sections and nooks in which to linger. It can get noisy but the space is still a SoMa respite, unlike other bars nearby.

Seth Laufman (Gitane, Burritt Room, Comstock Saloon) created the cocktails ($11), a list of catchy names – like a spicy, Scotch-ginger-habanero concoction and nod to Mr. T, B.A. Baracus – representing straightforward (read: unfussy) but well-made drinks. The Baracus is topped by Martinelli’s cider, a trend I am noticing popping up around town, recalling childhood holidays.

Stop Fenneling Me may be my top pick. Though it borders precariously on thick sweetness, it’s savory fennel bitters that save this clean imbibement of Right Gin, velvet falernum (lime, almond, vanilla, ginger, clove-tinged liqueur), and a touch of Manzanilla sherry.

Campfire Fizz goes the smoky-refreshing route with Del Maguey Vida mezcal, Cherry Heering (cherry liqueur) and lemon, frothy with egg white and IPA beer.

Sweet/bracing notes come into balance in a twist on the classic Vieux Carré cocktail, Room with a Vieux: rye whiskey and Pueblo Vieja blanco blend with bittersweet Amaro Nonino, with dashes of Angostura and orange bitters.

COTOGNA, Jackson Square/Financial District (490 Pacific Ave. at Montgomery, 415-775-8508)

As the more casual, affordable (but quite different) sister restaurant to neighboring Quince, Cotogna remains a haven for pasta and wood-fired pizzas. Since former bar manager Jason “Buffalo” LoGrasso left for Rich Table (below) at the beginning of the year, I’m pleased to say cocktails remain subtle and refreshing, with bartenders like Gitane’s Ramon Garcia ensuring talent behind the bar.

My recent favorite was Voodoo Child, a Tiki tribute combining Barbancourt white rum and SF’s rum of the year (at most noteworthy bars, it seems): Smith & Cross dark rum, lending its musty beauties to  Cointreau, a splash of St. Germain elderflower liquor and grapefruit juice, with a kick from house chili tincture.

EAT WITH: Cotogna’s impeccable sformato, a dreamy, savory pudding ($12), changes base vegetable (currently, it’s carrot). No matter the base, it’s a menu highlight.

Also a pleasure: wood-fired pizza ($17) topped with nettles, ricotta dura (aged ricotta from Puglia, Italy), Fior di Latte mozzarella, or thick, spaghetti-like black noodles – bigoli neri ($16) – tossed with octopus, oregano and hot pepper.

Finish with a cool dessert of stracciatella (chocolate chip) gelato formed into a cake, salted hazelnuts adding crunch.

RICH TABLE, Hayes Valley (199 Gough St. at Oak, 415-355-9085)

Returning yet again, Rich Table affirms its status as Best New Restaurant in the US nominee at the James Beard Awards. As he settles in, Bar Manager Jason “Buffalo” LoGrasso continues to create winning cocktails ($10 each), some highlights being from the dessert menu… one reason to save room for post-dinner imbibing.

Recent dessert cocktail beauties? An Orange Julius-like Hook Shot combining vodka, orange juice, cream, vanilla and honey meringue, or an herbaceous, chocolate-y twist on the Brandy Alexander… the Dandy Alexander, mixing Armagnac, Cardamaro (cardoon/thistle-based amaro), cream, mint, cocoa. A house flip (meaning there’s a whole egg in there), the 1Up, infuses porcini mushrooms in woody-fresh St. George Terroir Gin with a touch of Pedro Ximenez sherry for sweetness and cream for texture.

EAT WITH: While you can drink your dessert, Evan and Sarah Rich’s dessert menu ($9 each) is likewise a lesson in pastry chef excellence. Buttermilk panna cotta is sweetened by dried apricots, textured with honey oatmeal crumble and shreds of basil – I wanted it for breakfast. Sourdough bread pudding wowed, tart with pomelo curd and fresh wedges, crispy pistachio tuile standing in the pudding. Mint chocolate cream is dotted around a “sandwich” of milk mint ice cream, cool between earthy chocolate sable.

TWO SISTERS BAR & BOOKS, Hayes Valley (579 Hayes St. between Octavia & Laguna, 415-863-3655)

Tiny and perpetually crowded, the warm glow, jazz, and embracing welcome of Two Sisters Bar & Books feels like an idyllic European bar, with the added romance of book-lined walls, a window seat and vintage wallpaper. A bite and a drink from the small but thoughtful cocktail ($10 each) and spirits selection immediately soothes.

While a Harvest Manhattan strikes a tough-to-come-by balance of house pumpkin liqueur mixed with rye whiskey, vermouth and bitters without being too musky or heavy, The Dark Knight illuminates the bright side of winter combining gin and two Italian apéritifs, Campari and Aperol, with a tart-sweet, robust cherry balsamic vermouth. Dark nights immediately become brighter.

EAT WITH: Two Sisters’ short-but-oh-so-sweet food menu is as comforting as the cocktails (all under $15), no item more so than grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Their version ($12) uses St. George cheddar griddled with garlic butter (sigh), dunked in pimenton-scented tomato soup.

WINTER DINING in CHICAGO

Article & Photos by Virginia Mille

My second return to Chicago in 6 months (and 4^th trip overall) was a freezing journey, warmed by fantastic friends and family, food and drink. Here are more Chicago standouts and newcomers from late February.

OWEN & ENGINE, Logan Square

Perhaps my favorite find this visit is Owen and Engine, a gastropub-esque restaurant/bar marked by Old World British elegance (black leather seating, 18-19th century paintings). Cicerone Elliot Beier (who is working on his master cicerone certification) was one the early cicerones in the world so his beer knowledge and selection (on tap, bottled and hand-pulled – “Real ales on the engine”) is impeccable.

But he’s also handy with the cocktails ($9-10), serving refreshers like Sage Advice (St. George Terroir Gin, lemon, ginger sage syrup, orange flower water, and a couple variations on a classic Pimm’s Cup (a lively one with Pimm’s No.1 Cup, Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade, lemon, pink peppercorn tincture, cucumber, mint, rose water). I was drawn most to the deeply spiced smokiness of The Shrubbery: Monkey Shoulder Scotch, five spice shrub, lemon, Old Fashioned Bitters; and fascinated with the bitter, bright layers of Wounded Swede: Bols Genever, Bonal Quina, Malort (which some call the “most disgusting liquor of all time“), Cherry Heering (cherry liqueur), orange bitters.

While I’d return for a full meal, bar food is above-average, whether crispy mole pork rinds ($5) or Virginia peanuts ($3) tossed in Sriracha, Worcestershire and brown sugar. Fondness for the UK treat, Welsh rarebit means whenever I see it on a menu, I order it. Plus it’s divine with beer. O&E’s Welsh rarebit is rich blend of aged cheddar, Worcestershire, horseradish, and Young’s Chocolate Stout. There’s a soft pretzel glazed in mustard and Young’s Chocolate Stout ($6) to dip. I’d be hard pressed not to order this fantastic bar dish every visit. Desserts intrigue with savory notes, like parsnip pot de creme ($8), accented by blood orange sorbet, pistachio financier and parsnip chips.

TABLE, DONKEY & STICK, Logan Square

Understated and minimalist, Table, Donkey & Stick was brand new in my February visit, a modern Germanic-influenced restaurant. The name is derived from a Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale, emphasized by Grimm’s books, vintage hatchet, and bottles of eaux de vie lining the entrance behind a tree stump host stand. The space is intimate, with a glass-walled, back room illuminated by fireplace and a back garden for warm weather dining.

Service is sincere and thorough, while food encapsulates rustic elegance, still establishing its identity.  House buckwheat bread arrives with a mound of whipped, soft pork butter, while a charcuterie spread, wanderteller ($6 each, 3/$15) offers intriguing bites of schweinekopf (pheasant galantine thinly sliced and smoked with coffee and hazelnut), a savory/sweet bowl of caramel corn chicarrons tossed with sunflower seed oatmeal, and a lovely rabbit terrine accented by caraway and nutmeg with celery seed marmalade.

House pork sausage ($13), served with pork fat pretzel and mustard butter, was a tad dry, but a
celery root salad ($7) made of sunflower and mustard granola in celery mustard vinaigrette, is lively and refreshing. A cheese platter ($5 each, 3/$12) comes with sunflower-oat bread, local honey, candied walnuts, and cheeses like Swiss Heublumen (semi-firm, raw cow with an herb-covered rind), French Tomme de Savoie (cow semi-soft in an aged natural rind, which I’ve often ordered in SF at The Alembic), and a German Chiriboga (raw cow blue, creamy, intense).

Pan-roasted salmon ($21) over brussels sprouts and turnips may not enthrall but is well-prepared, enlivened by one-year preserved grapefruit and lomo (thinly sliced beef tenderloin). Chocolate pave ($7), cacao nib brittle and tarragon pudding exceeds expectations with tart/sweet cherry preserve ice cream. Finish with a pour of eaux de vie, by the glass or flight, like a Golles flight ($18) of apricot, aged plum, and aged apple brandies. There’s also a solid list of Germanic wines and beers.

Consider Table, Donkey & Stick one to watch.

FRANKS ‘N DAWGS, Lincoln Park

One wouldn’t expect the justifiably revered Hot Doug’s to have competition, but they just might in Franks ‘N Dawgs. A similar ethos exists here as at Doug’s: quality sausages and hot dogs ($5.45-11.50) in wacky, decadent combos. Franks ‘N Dawgs walks its own path, serving sausages in buttery, Maine lobster roll-style buns.

My initial favorite is the playfully named Tur-Doggin. Inspired by turducken, it’s a plump turkey date sausage topped with crispy duck confit, slathered in herb garlic aioli, pickled carrots and onion relish. Perfection. Slammin’ Salmon looks better than it tasted. It’s a genius idea though in execution was a bit dry and didn’t pop: a citrus cured salmon dog streaked with herb cream cheese, bagel crisps, fried capers, dill and plump salmon roe. Nonetheless, mouthwatering combos line the menu, like holiday tribute, Pork of July: pork loin-caramelized onion sausage under a mound of house-smoked pulled pork, slaw and cherry bourbon BBQ sauce.

CEMITAS PUEBLA, Humboldt Park

Trekking to Mexican neighborhood, Humboldt Park, on a bone-chilling, windy day was quite the effort, but thankfully the end result was authentically gratifying.

Raved about hole-in-the-wall, Cemitas Puebla, serves famed cemitas: sandwiches originating from Puebla, Mexico, akin to but different than a torta, served in a hefty wheel of brioche-like, sesame seed covered bread. Arabe cemitas ($6.50) is filled with spit-roasted pork, avocado, adobo chipotle peppers, chipotle sauce and Oaxacan cheese. But I gravitated toward their corn tortilla tacos ($2.15-2.75), especially carne asada (skirt steak) and arabes (spit-roasted pork).

MANA FOOD BAR, Wicker Park

Meat eater that I am, I highly value well done vegetarian food. Though intimate, relaxed Mana Food Bar was heavier on starches than the greens I was hoping for, dishes were well-executed with just enough of a twist to avoid tedium.

There’s sake cocktails, a thoughtful beer list, fresh-squeezed juices ($5) like celery, collard greens, apple, and also smoothies ($8-9), like a thick avocado and pineapple with coconut water. Shaved Brussels sprouts ($4) are perked up in miso mustard, while sharp cheddar mac & cheese ($6/11) is best when one can taste added horseradish and black pepper. Butternut squash ravioli ($8/15) in garlic, arugula, walnuts and Asiago cheese was typical, but a sweet and white potato pancake ($7.25/13.25) comforts doused in apple cranberry chutney and sour cream. Cauliflower and kale in yellow curry ($7.25/13.25) rests over black pepper lentils, brightened by pickled apple, and I always enjoy a classic panzanella/Italian bread salad ($6/11), here it’s cubes of ciabatta tossed with shallots, cherry tomato, cucumber and basil in a red wine garlic vinaigrette.

MITAD DEL MUNDO, Logan Square

Old school and dated in look, it’s the warm welcome of servers and manager Fermin Romero, a historic figure in Chicago’s Mexican nightlife and karaoke scene, that draws you in to Mitad Del Mundo. Decent margaritas ($8 top shelf) are shaken tableside while queso flameado ($7.50), a mound of panela cheese flamed dramatically table side in a splash of alcohol, scooped up with fresh corn tortillas.

Chef Geno Bahena, who worked with Rick Bayless for years, is known for mole, one of my great loves. Though I’ve had better in LA and Oaxaca, dishes like enchiladas de mole rojo ($13.95), a Oaxacan red mole over chicken, or maple leaf duck breast ($14.25) marinated in red-chile adobo mole, are heartwarming.

BUTCHER & THE BURGER, Lincoln Park

With vintage butcher theme in a smoky, narrow space, Butcher & the Burger’s burger ($9.50) sounded divine, wisely made of Q7 Farms grass-fed beef cooked in “umami spice” (garlic, ginger, scallions, sweet soy glaze). Though smothered in wasabi mayo, cheddar and topped with Benton’s Tennessee Mountain smoked bacon on a butter egg bun, the end result was suprisingly bland – and the medium rare I requested was overcooked at medium well. Thereal hit was a shrimp burger ($11), a juicy shrimp patty in black sesame seeds on a pretzel bun, vivid with coconut curry and wasabi mayo. Finish with beignets ($1 each) and Cafe Du Monde chicory coffee.

RoSAL’S, University Village

After extensive research narrowing down old school “red sauce”/American Italian joints to assuage my NJ/NY homesickness, the biggest letdown of this visit was RoSal’s. Entering this neighborhood joint strewn with white lights, ‘80’s artwork and a soundtrack of Martin, Sinatra and Prima, I was ecstatic in its glow. But excitement quickly turned to disappointment with mediocre dishes and sloppy service (case in point: our server sloshed a bunch of sauce on our table when setting down a pasta dish but never cleaned it up).

Their “famous fried ravioli” ($10.95) didn’t seem fried at all, merely boiled and bland. Beloved classics like lasagne al forno tasted as if made with grocery store pasta, not fresh. Only an overpriced $25 “special” of spaghetti with shrimp exhibited qualities of freshly made noodles. Another one of my American-Italian favorites, veal saltimbocca ($22), layered in prosciutto, melted provolone cheese and marinara sauce, was dry and diminshed. I’m shocked RoSal’s gets a 29 rating for food in Zagat. I’ve certainly had far better in hole-in-the-walls from NJ to SF. With Chicago’s long-standing Italian community, I know they do “red sauce” Italian well. I just hope I find it next time.

EDZO’s BURGER SHOP, Evanston

When in Evanston, where I went to visit Chicago’s best craft distillery, Few Spirits, one should hit the town’s classic burger joint, Edzo’s. My then boyfriend, now husband, briefly lived in Evanston over a decade ago, and I noticed many of the places we dined are still there. But Edzo’s came along in recent years, fast becoming an institution. I may have had better old school burgers around the country, but theirs is pleasingly straightforward: a 4 oz. griddled burger ($4.75 single, $7 double, $9.75 triple, $3 upgrade to Q7 grass-fed beef) in ketchup, mustard, pickle and onion with cheddar cheese an extra .50 cents. Fries ($5-6) are doused in crave-worthy local nods like Taylor Street fries doused in Italian beef gravy, sweet peppers, and giardiniera (a common Chi-town condiment of vegetables in vinegar), or Buffalo fries smothered in buffalo sauce and blue cheese with celery.

The highlight, however, was an off menu milkshake savvy locals know about (thanks to a tip from Master Distiller Paul Hletko at Few Spirits): a speculoos milkshake, that buttery, graham cracker-like European shortcrust biscuit swirled in vanilla ice cream. Sheer goodness.

GULLIVER’S, West Rogers Park

The best part about local deep dish classic, Gulliver’s, is its gaudy interior, a multi-roomed lair of dark woods, excessive lamps and booths, with a 1980’s rustic-flashy glow. The pizza itself nearly dissolves – I went the stuffed route vs. deep dish for even more decadent, cheesy gratification (small – 9″ $11.95; medium – 12″ $15.95; large – 14″ $18.25 plus $1.50-2 for additional toppings). The crust and cheese don’t taste of high quality, preparation is decidedly old school rather than gourmet, but compared to the awful deep dish disappointments I’ve had at legendary pizza joints around Chicago, this was superior aided by atmosphere.

BREAKFAST/BRUNCH

LULA CAFE, Logan Square

The best breakfast/brunch I’ve ever had in Chicago is easily Lula Café. Though it is certainly hipster, service is not aloof. Despite crowds and long waits, impeccable coffee, brunch cocktails and unique dishes make it a blessedly atypical breakfast. House pastries ($4 each or $10 for all) are mouthwatering. In my recent visit, the trio was Meyer lemon upside-down cake, smoked pecan sticky bun, and a chestnut Mast Bros. chocolate scone.

Savory cravings are satiated with hot dish of white beans and Toulouse sausage ($12), braised bacon, roasted garlic, and a soft boiled egg, brightened by mustard vinaigrette and bacon fat bread crumbs. Though $9 is a crazy price for 1/2 a grapefruit, I’ve not yet seen one served like this: under a bruleed crust of candied seeds, fennel and spices, accompanied by a mini-cup of buttermilk panna cotta and paper thin rye crisps.

The winning dish was dreamy almond poppy seed griddle cakes ($10), lush with almond liqueur contrasted by tart lemon curd, fresh pear and pomegranate seeds, and an almond crumble. I’d go back just for those pancakes alone.

LITTLE GOAT, West Loop

Former Top Chef star Stephanie Izard’s newcomer accompanying her still-hot Girl and the Goat restaurant, Little Goat plays the role of all-day diner. A spacious dining room is lined with hefty booths, décor is modern-retro, a tasteful mashup of mid-century lamps and vintage wallpaper.

Our server was hilarious, providing jokes and entertainment while bringing out our Stumptown Coffee. Prices are reasonable considering the massive size of many dishes. Most fell a little short of description, reading more exciting than they tasted, but all was good, whether a giant “ooey gooey Cinnabun” or hash browns in goat cheese. In keeping with the adorable, goat logo, goat cheese and goat milk pop up in numerous dishes.

One of my greatest combo cravings (“Elvis” banana, peanut butter, bacon) shows up in Fat Elvis Waffles, which were ruined drowning in bacon maple syrup. Banana and a dreamy whipped peanut butter-butter would have been enough to make it special. Likewise, a parathas burrito of Indian flatbread exploding with sunny side eggs, avocado-bean salad and chili pepper sauce lacked the oomph it should have had from Indian spices.

Being a Reuben fanatic, how could I not order one filled with smoked corned beef, kimchi, sauerkraut, and cheese on a pretzel rye bun? Similar to the kimchi Reuben I had at Alan Wong’s Pineapple Room in Honolulu, it’s apparent kimchi won’t send a Reuben over the top if the pastrami/corned beef and other elements aren’t perfect to begin with. It’s tough to do pastrami right, as countless mediocre versions around the country attest.

Despite imperfections, the whole package is delightful enough that I’d be tempted to return to Little Goat for breakfast or lunch. Simple joys of coffee and bagels with special schmear (like peanut butter), are available in the adjoining takeout café.

FRITZ PASTRY, Lakeview

Funky, charming Fritz Pastry’s gluten free baked goods are almost as tasty as those with gluten. Records play as you down donuts with the donut hole stuck into the hole, or non-traditional macarons that are much larger and less vibrantly flavored than the best in France, but in pleasing flavors like passion fruit or whiskey. Or just make a beeline for banapple bread: banana bread dotted with Granny Smith apple chunks.

CHICAGO DRINKING, Winter 2013

Article and photos by Virginia Miller

My second return to Chicago in 6 months (and 4^th trip overall) was a freezing journey, warmed by fantastic friends and family, food and drink. A highlight was visiting funky, small Few Spirits distillery in Evanston with Master Distiller Paul Hletko. In my book, Few is the most exciting distillery to come out of Chicago, both in the gin and whiskey categories, and well worth a visit/tasting for spirits aficionados.

On the beer front, Goose Island headquarters are surprisingly commercial in a mall complex, but there are many rare pours on tap, unavailable outside the brewery. Popular Bar Deville might have been a bar I’d recommend with actual vintage bar and classic cocktails, but the screaming, body-to-body din on a weekend ensured I got out of there after one round. I’m sure it’s a far better experience on a weeknight.

Here are more Chicago standouts and newcomers in the bar world.

The AVIARY, West Loop

An evening at The Aviary is more experiential than about a certain drink or the setting. Having written about Aviary this past fall, the most forward-thinking and experimental “bar” in the country (there’s nothing like it overseas either), this time I’ll just share a few photos from my return visit to hint at the culinary and molecular influences (the Achatz touch) on Charles Joly’s ever-fascinating cocktail menu.

OWEN & ENGINE, Logan Square

Perhaps my favorite find this visit is Owen and Engine, a gastropub-esque restaurant/bar marked by Old World British elegance (dark woods, gold-framed paintings). Cicerone Elliot Beier (who is working on his master cicerone certification) was one the early cicerones in the world so his beer knowledge and selection (on tap, bottled and hand-pulled – “Real ales on the engine”) is impeccable.

But he’s also handy with the cocktails ($9-10), serving refreshers like Sage Advice (St. George Terroir Gin, lemon, ginger sage syrup, orange flower water, and a couple variations on a classic Pimm’s Cup (a lively one with Pimm’s No.1 Cup, Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade, lemon, pink peppercorn tincture, cucumber, mint, rose water). I was drawn most to the deep spiced smokiness of The Shrubbery: Monkey Shoulder Scotch, five spice shrub, lemon, Old Fashioned Bitters; and fascinated with the bitter, bright layers of Wounded Swede: Bols Genever, Bonal Quina, Malort (which some call the “most disgusting liquor of all time“), Cherry Heering (cherry liqueur), orange bitters.

While I’d return for a full meal, bar food is above-average, whether crispy mole pork rinds ($5) or Virginia peanuts ($3) tossed in Sriracha, Worcestershire and brown sugar. Fondness for the UK treat, Welsh rarebit means whenever I see it on a menu, I order it. Plus it’s divine with beer. O&E’s Welsh rarebit is rich blend of aged cheddar, Worcestershire, horseradish, and Young’s Chocolate Stout. There’s a soft pretzel glazed in mustard and Young’s Chocolate Stout ($6) to dip. I’d be hard pressed not to order this fantastic bar dish every visit. Desserts intrigue with savory notes, like parsnip pot de creme ($8), accented by blood orange sorbet, pistachio financier and parsnip chips.

THE SAVOY, Wicker Park

The newer Savoy is an ode to all things seafood and absinthe. I’d happily return to the back bar for coconut red curry mussels ($12) with ginger, lemongrass and kaffir lime or fresh Hamachi crudo ($12) with grilled pineapple in red onion marmalade and sesame chili oil.

It’s a noteworthy bar because of creative cocktails and generous, Euro-centric wine, absinthe, spirits, bottled beer, and French cider lists. Cocktails ($12) are categorized under “Savoy Classics”, like the less common Corpse Reviver # 1 (# 2 is most often seen) mixing Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac, Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, Tennyson Absinthe and Leopold’s apple cordial. A section of “Modern Cocktails” intrigues, particularly a tart, herbaceous, umami-laden In Yusho We Trust, a vibrant blend of Bols Genever, Fernet Branca, Greek liqueur Skinos Mastiha, bitter lemon, and a savory crushed nori (seafood) rim. I particularly enjoyed a refreshing Clandestine La Bleue: Clandestine Absinthe, Appel’s lemon cordial, coconut, egg white, ideally contrasted with lemon flake sea salt.

TRENCHERMEN, Wicker Park

Listening to live gypsy jazz while congregating around a massive, rectangular bar makes for a romantic date night in the historic Wicker Park building housing Trencherman. I didn’t try their food and not all cocktails ($11) enthralled, but I appreciate friendly bar staff and their classic sensibility and simplicity (like the two-ingredient Japanese cocktail of Cognac and orgeat – almond syrup).

Tona Palomino heads up the bar, known in its 10 month existence for their pine needle-infused Dickel whisky, mixed in a Pioneer cocktail with Campari and citrus. They go the carbonated route with cocktails like Mull It Over (spiced Dolin Blanc vermouth, apple cider, red wine), which came off a bit muddled in flavor. A straightfoward Italian Buck fares better (refreshing, bitter, balanced) with Cynar, lime and ginger beer.

The most interesting was a Valentine’s drink special (as I was there that night), Ay, Caramba! Infusing Angostura 1919 rum with banana, mixed with almond liqueur and fresh nutmeg, it was the ideal dessert: not too sweet, textured, creamy.

BILLY SUNDAY, Logan Square

Named after the itinerant American baseball player turned preacher, Billy Sunday was the hot (read: mobbed) new Chicago cocktail bar in my recent visit, having just opened one week before. Though still working out kinks, it showed the most promise in its tonics ($10) section with drinks like Kent: navy strength gin holding up nicely to house tonic, lemongrass, allspice and citrus. Against the Bliss is another refresher of Damrack gin, maraschino liqueur, lemon, and rose bitters, delightful with a melting scoop of tart rhubarb sherbet.

White dog often bores in a cocktail but works in In Word & Deed, foamy with egg white, sweet with quince, the dry tart of Ransom dry vermouth and finger lime tincture. More delicate than I would have liked, Son of the Crusta maintains a soft bitter from Cocchi Americano, though I wished for more lushness from Armagnac and Welsh nectar, balanced by lemon, rare Palo Cortado sherry, and Tempus Fugit’s fine Abbott’s Bitters. It feels first and foremost like a communal watering hole with the likes of Pisco Punch and snacks such as pigs ears ($7) and an SF trend in recent years (at places like Hog & Rocks, Blackbird): “things in jars” ($5-11), like smoked trout, rye and creme fraiche or duck confit, orange marmalade and oatmeal granola.

SABLE KITCHEN & BAR, Near North Side

Though properly tasting through Sable Kitchen and Bar cocktails ($13 each) in my last visit to Chicago a few months ago, I did the rarity for me: returned for drinks from one Chicago’s best bartenders, Mike Ryan, in Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar.

This visit, a couple notable cocktails were Long Road Home (Sutton Brown Label vermouth from SF, Mezcal Vida, agave, lemon), a smoky, bitter refresher, and Eli Wallach (Pueblo Viejo Reposado tequila, Angostura bitters, Green Chartreuse), a spirituous, herbal, clean cocktail. A treat this time around was starters like oozing Wisconsin fried cheese curds ($7/12) in spicy ketchup glaze, and bacon jam and brie cheese on toasted baguettes ($14). I’ve had many a bacon jam, but this one shines, served in a hot, mini-skillet with brie, then slathered over toasted, thick bread.

ACADIA, Near South

On a spaced out block of Chicago’s Near South neighborhood is the fine dining restaurant Acadia. The dining menu intrigues though pricey, while its sleek, white bar was a mellow respite on a Saturday night for cocktails from a thoughtful selection of small batch, artisanal spirits from around the globe. Cocktails ($13-14) are grouped in Forager’s and Hunter’s sections, the latter including classics like Whiskey Sours and Pimm’s Cups.

Cocktail ingredients fascinated but in a number of cases, didn’t quite coalesce into a standout whole. The style reminded me of the elegance and ingenuity of Carlo Splendorini’s cocktails at Michael Mina in SF, but not as seamless or memorable. One example is Rouge (meant to imitate a Napa Cabernet, served in a wine glass as Splendorini has often done over the years), it mixes Calvados Chateau du Breuil with essence (whether from tinctures, syrups or the like) of black currant, beet powder, eucalyptus, dill, coconut. I wish I could taste all those notes. Similarly with the smoky Maine Campfire mixes High West Rye, Los Nahuales mezcal, Cocchi Americano, a cedar, juniper, honey elixir and tobacco, juniper, cocoa nib tincture. The creative vision is striking, though I wish for less muted notes.

Acadia cocktails did shine in a lively twist on a classic Paloma: the Posh Paloma of Tequila Ocho Blanco, Combier Pamplemousse Rose and citrus intermingle with achiote, hibiscus, chipotle bitters. The star of the menu is Gins/Tonics/Limes, bringing dynamic flavor and a layered profile of complex Scottish gin, The Botanist, and house lemongrass tonic over kaffir lime and cucumber ice cubes.

BIG STAR, Bucktown

Big Star needs no introduction in Chicago, with rowdy, packed crowds, late night hours and white light strewn front patio. The now common combo of American whiskey and tequila with simple cocktails ($7) like palomas, margaritas and bucks is not rare and noisy throngs are a turn off for those of us who like to savor their drinks with friends and conversation. But Big Star won me over with friendly, tattooed, mustachioed staff, consistently checking in to see how we were doing despite the mobs lining the bar. That alone deserves mention. Plus, a simple whiskey and root beer tastes pretty great at 2am with a greasy bowl of melting hot queso fundido ($8), dotted with chorizo and rajas poblano peppers.