Bar Manager Joel Teitelbaum squeezes lime for a Pisco Crusta

On September 6th, Harry Denton’s legendary Starlight Room will reopen, revamped, with brand new menus and look. Though the space wasn’t quite ready for a sneak peek, I did sample a few of the cocktails that will be on offer from bar manager Joel Teitelbaum’s winning menu.

Grouped together by time periods, the menu starts with the 1600′s and punch, ending with Starlight Room classics from great bartenders who have launched from here over the years (like Tony Abou-Ganim, Marco Dionysos, Jacques Bezuidenhout). Other sections include The Jerry Thomas Years (1860′s), The Dry Years – Prohibition (1920-1933), and Dark Times (1980′s – this one with updated versions of ’80′s hits like the Fuzzy Navel).

Humos Locos delights w/ Del Maguey's Mezcal Vida, lightly slatey, creamy & smoky, balanced by lime & agave nectar, with a spicy finish from jalapeno-infused Green Chartreuse

Peppered with colorful quotes from W.C. Fields to Homer Simpson, the cocktail and bar food menus are playful and wide-ranging. They walk the fine, thin line of pleasing a steady stream of out-of-towners (due to the bar’s legendary status, location in the Sir Francis Drake hotel and on Union Square), but also giving locals and drink geeks strong reasons to stop in.

I sampled five drinks utilizing everything from pisco to calvados. Each was elegant and interesting, yet gentle and subtle enough to introduce (and hook?) the uninitiated on the likes of Scotch, mezcal, genever.

In my photo captions, I describe the cocktails sampled. I encourage you to head out to celebrate the re-opening of a legendary spot I suspect will not only be better than ever, but will finally offer what shouldn’t be a rarity in our fair city: well-crafted, artisanal drink and bites… with a stunning view.

In honor of 1800's bartending legend, Jerry Thomas, the Right Turn converts the non-whiskey drinker with Wild Turkey Rye balanced by a dry but gently sweet Amontillado sherry, Benedictine, raspberries & orange

Pisco Crusta comes on the stem, subtle with red lychee tea and lime, sweet with sugar rim (traditional to a Crusta cocktail); using Encanto Pisco, it's an easy transition for Lemon Drop fans but with more elegance

Teitelbaum's Smokey Local could be a modern-day classic as the cleanest, brightest peaty Scotch cocktail I've tasted (they tend towards the musky, heavy side); Merely 1/4 oz. of Ardbeg 10yr Scotch is mixed w/ Russel's Reserve Rye, Manzanilla sherry, Luxardo Maraschino - it's surprisingly light, not heavy-handed on any ingredient; could convert to non-peaty Scotch

Dutch Vice goes down all too easy: this one is so light & elegant, it could be sipped all day long; Bols Genever, Le Compt Calvados & Mathilde Pear Liqueur meld gently w/ lemon & egg white for a silky, soft texture

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Chef Adam Carpenter's fresh-baked pretzels dotted with Maldon sea salt, dipped in smoked gouda/chedder fondue

Early Favorites at new Union Square Tavern

Jasper’s Corner Tap and Kitchen, Downtown/Union Square  (401 Taylor at O’Farrell, 415-775-7979)

Elegant & boozy, the Grand Promenade: Templeton Rye, Benedictine, Laird's Bonded Applejack, Yellow Chartreuse

You heard it in my Guardian column a couple weeks ago: Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen is going to be a drink destination, no doubt about it. Pair its all-star bartender line-up and impeccable cocktail menu with 18 beers on draft (like Telegraph Reserve Wheat from Santa Barbara), a fine wine list with playful categories like “Flower Power” and “We’ve Got the Funk”, satisfying bar food, (eventually) open-all-day hours – and plunk the whole thing down next to Union Square, a perfect tavern space for your downtown rendezvous? The set-up is already screaming hit.

Jasper's sign at O'Farrell & Taylor

If a sneak taste before opening is any indication, it’s the type of place to bring friends for casual comfort food – house-made sausages, fish and chips, and lamb shepherd’s pie — with well-crafted yet un-fussy cocktails or craft beers in a space that manages to be industrial and warm at the same time.

Light-frothy Shibuya Shake: Beefeater 24, St. Germain, lemon, grapefruit, house orange bitters, egg white, Squirt, shiso leaves

Bar service bodes well with a  talented staff that includes not only Kevin Diedrich (formerly of Burritt Room and NYC’s PDT), but also Brian MacGregor (Jardiniere), Francis Kelly (Ponzu, Presidio Social Club), and Allison Webber (Portland’s Irving Street Kitchen and The Gilt Club).

End of the Affair, an Allison Webber creation: dry sherry, Hennessey cognac, Rocky's Bitters, honey & cream

As bar manager Kevin Diedrich told me, the menu is meant to be “approachable and not too geeky,” yet in signature Diedrich style, perfectly balanced and nuanced (for a delicious example of Diedrich balance, try his Soda Jerk, in which blanco tequila and Campari get tart with hits of lime and passion fruit, then fizzy and gently sweet with cream soda and egg white).

Dreamiest way to drink Guinness: on the stem with champagne & Plymouth Gin in Jacques Bezuidenhout's Velvet 75

Upping the game, Jasper’s will be the first known bar to have Bols Genever on draft! Starting next week, get your fill of a beloved Dutch spirit, flowing fresh and lush. Stay tuned for future unusual draft and barrel-aged offerings.

Enjoying Adam bar bites (Berkshire pork riblettes, anyone?), I tasted through a wide range of the cocktail menu.

Brian MacGregor's lovely Empress Bianca: Martini & Rossi Rosato Vermouth, Yellow Chartreuse with lemon & grapefruit bitters

With playful descriptions under each drink and plenty of house bitters and syrups, it satisfies the cocktail aficionado but, as Diedrich mentions, keeps bartenders and customers happy by not being painstaking or pretentious. Some drinks only have a handful of ingredients, others require a simple mix and stir and they’re ready. Elegant but straightforward.

With location, talent and hip casualness on its side, I can bet this will be destination for locals and tourists downtown.

** Cocktail recipes are Kevin Diedrich’s unless otherwise noted.

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Kettle Whistle 'pop-up' tea at Burritt Room

TIME FOR TEA

Ever a fan of a civilized (and delicious) respite for afternoon tea, here are two wildly divergent new options:

Gourmands Pop-up Tea: KETTLE WHISTLE at Burritt Room through October, 417 Stockton Street (at Sutter), 415-400-0500

Werner's varied dessert course

On the last Saturday of every month through October (other dates and locations may happen beyond), Kettle Whistle launched its inaugural tea this past Saturday in the spacious back room of Burritt Room’s, a turn-of-the-century-style bar tucked upstairs in the Crescent Hotel.

The brainchild of pastry chef par excellence, William Werner, of Tell Tale Preserve Co. (http://telltalepreserveco.com/), and tea mavens, Lawrence Lai and Ann Lee, of Naivetea, Kettle Whistle is essentially a pop-up high tea, one where ladies (and men) meet over crumpets and scones. But this is no typical tea.

Set up for tea in the Burritt Room

At a pricey $55 per head, it’s even more costly than high tea at the stunning Palace Hotel… but with vastly superior food and tea. Though dishes and tea pairings will rotate, you can be assured of three themed courses: a savory bites course followed by a scones and crumpet tray (the passion fruit olive oil curd will blow your mind – lemon curd will never quite satisfy after that), ending with dessert. There’s even a take-home bag of tea and a snack (mine was ‘damn good granola’, a savory/sweet granola).

You are full after three courses because savory and dessert courses offer 4-5 different bites each from Werner’s creative hand. An heirloom tomato sable on a homemade cracker with lemon and a strip of lardo Iberico de Bellota was revelatory. Spheres of tomato and pig fat dissolved in my mouth like a dream I wish I could have over again. On the dessert platter, a chocolate-salted caramel fondant was silky but for a crispy strip of chocolate on top, enlivened with avocado and lime layers. I’d go back just to see what Werner will serve next.

Savory course at Kettle Whistle tea

Naivetea‘s Taiwanese teas (a local, Bay Area company from Taiwan natives) are elegant, worthy companions, not overpowering nor overshadowed by any of the courses. My favorite was their award-winning (recently won 1st place in North American Tea Championship) Dong Ding Oolong, a gentle beauty with backbone, where toasted rice and caramel shine.

The July 23 date (two seatings) is already filling up so I’d look into reserving a spot now. Wear a hat, dress up, and come hungry.

Casual Tea Cafe: ROSE TEA, Inner Sunset (549 Irving Street, between 6th & 7th, 415-592-8174)

Rose Tea's inviting cafe

Rose Tea, an open, airy new shop, is a peaceful respite off Irving Street that doubles as take-out cafe and flower shop. Only open a few weeks, two visits have rewarded with herbal teas (I like Fire on Ice, ginger and lime steeping with fresh mint leaves) served in one (bottomless) pot with a mini-French almond cake and jam for $6.50.

Sandwiches ($5.95-7.50) are made with care on rye bread with sides of fruit and nuts. I liked Chicken, Apple, Cream Cheese & Raisins, and Feta, Avocado & Walnut with tomato and basil. Finish with house macarons or baklava.

With what appears to be Armenian and Greek roots (if the jams for sale are any indication), there’s also Turkish coffee, an espresso bar, and spiced rose chai. It’s a welcome neighborhood cafe for a pot of tea and a bite.

Sweets abound at Rose Tea

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Talking SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD with GASTON ACURIO

Causas and all manner of sustainable, Peruvian goodness at La Mar Cebicheria

There’s not enough knowledge around sustainable fish… just ask anyone who knows anything about it. The majority of Americans eat whatever is on a menu with little to regard to where it’s sourced, its health properties (or lack thereof), unaware if the creature they are eating is endangered.

Artwork at SoMa's new Ki, one of the only all sustainable seafood restaurants

I was privileged to attend a recent intimate round-table discussion with Peru’s leading chef Gaston Acurio and management from Monterey Bay Aquarium, the number one seafood source in the nation for what is or isn’t safe to eat at any given time.

Naturally, we met in the offices of La Mar Cebicheria, Acurio’s first stateside restaurant and my tops in SF for Peruvian (New York is about to get their first La Mar outpost). As San Francisco’s breezy, Bay-side location of La Mar just went fully sustainable with its seafood, it was an ideal time to discuss the necessity of sustainability.

Acurio says chefs, cooks, kitchen staff in general, are “the best weapons” to bring about change. While many say the consumer should educate themselves, Acurio rightly assesses the need for education from restaurant staff. He shared a story of a Peruvian restaurant relaying to diners that their children would not know what their beloved local river shrimp tasted like as the shrimp would soon be extinct from over-fishing. With this kind of schooling, consumers themselves began asking every restaurant they dined at not to serve the shrimp. Locals changed habits and potentially saved the shrimp based on what they learned from a restaurant.

Acurio’s commitment to sustainability is apparent. He’s working to spread the message worldwide, just as he has done with his native Peruvian cuisine. “Restaurants are instruments for sharing our culture with the world,” he says. He prefers to train his staff by inspiration, getting them involved and behind a mission, not just performing roles.

He says restaurant staff and individual consumers can do three things to support sustainable seafood consumption, thus preserving the over-fished seafood we are at risk of losing (like ever-popular tuna or mahi mahi – download guides of what to eat or avoid and alternatives at Monterey Aquarium site):

1. Support local fisherman (locally, buy sustainable fish at places like Royal Hawaiian in Potrero Hill or in the Ferry Plaza Building at San Francisco Fish Co.)

2. Eat down the food chain as that is seafood in large supply (clams, anchovies, sardines, mussels, etc…)

3. Avoid aquaculture seafood (farmed fish raised in controlled conditions)

Sustainable sushi at Ki

Acurio believes more creativity happens when cooking with what is fresh and available daily. Rather than being limited by the diner who’s going to be upset you didn’t serve tuna tartare, he challenges chefs to “dream big” to create dishes that could win over consumers with sustainable fish.

A few local restaurants serving only sustainable seafood:

1. Tataki and Tataki South, Pacific Heights and Noe Valley – The first sustainable sushi restaurant in the US was Tataki, right here in our own backyard.

2. Ki, SoMa – Part of the funky, spacious “Zen Compound” including Temple Nightclub, and a rooftop garden, Ki is an artsy, new izakaya/sushi/drinks lounge.

3. Hecho, FiDi - Sustainable sushi sources named – and tequila to go with.

4. Pacific Catch deems June Sustainable Shrimp Month, serving shrimp from various parts of the world.

Further Reading: Don’t miss local resident Casson Trenor’s book, Sustainable Sushi (Trenor helped launch both Tataki and Ki).

Upcoming Event: The fabulous 18 Reasons throws a “Good Fish” event (cooking demo and lecture, $25-35) Sunday afternoon, June 12, navigating the confusing terms of sustainable fish.

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VEGETARIAN DELIGHTS

SOURCE, Potrero Hill (11 Division Street near DeHaro, daily for lunch and dinner, weekend brunch, 415-864-9000)

House elixirs

Yes, I’m a meat eater. I want animals treated humanely, with loving care and long lives. But I personally don’t feel I could possibly be a full-fledged food writer and not eat virtually everything. Food prejudices are not allowed. My motto is: if any culture of the world eats it, I can, too (which is quickly followed by: if I don’t like something, I keep eating it until I do).

Leave it to two New York brothers to make a vegetarian meal surprisingly hearty, satisfying, and inventive. In Potrero Hill’s Design District, a non-descript warehouse houses Source (with parking out front – take note!). A brand new vegetarian restaurant, the space is modern and peaceful (though not Zen or hippie) with a wall of running water and filtered air circulating through the dining room and open kitchen. A dramatic, gas-fired Mugnaini brick oven is a gaping dragon’s mouth. It certainly stands out, another one-of-a-kind feature that leaves you wondering what this place is really about.

Water comes to your table  triple filtered, ionized and energized ($3.55 a carafe). Executive Chef Mitchell Fox and his brother and co-owner, Andrew Fox, have thought through every detail of the atmosphere, menu and experience. As Andrew says: “Source is more than an eating establishment. It is a place for people to be nurtured – their body, their mind, their soul.”

The awesome pita burger

I dive into the vegetarian/vegan menu of sandwiches, salads, dosas and pizzas prepared to eat fresh ingredients but wondering what the level of flavor and satisfaction will be. They had me at Avocado Oink Bits Mozzarella Burger ($8.95). Ok, let’s say it’s not really a burger but a veggie patty made of black beans, beets, celery, carrots, wild rice and onions inside a pita. I’m a burger fanatic and nothing can replace a perfect beef burger. But this is something entirely its own. The patty retains a smoky, grilled essence, black beans give it heft, and each ingredient adds nuance. It’s fresh yet savory – an exciting vegetarian offering that even a meat-eater could love.

Da Bronx - a brilliant pizza

Moving on to pizzas. The Fox bros. grew up in the Bronx and my old high school stomping grounds of New Jersey and thus know pizza. But I was shocked at how good these pies actually are. The dough, a special recipe 25 years in the making, is actually reminiscent of Una Pizza Napoletana. Yes, I said it. It’s warm, doughy texture is addictive. Pizzas like the Taco ($13.95) come loaded with salad, cheddar, salsa, guacamole and soy sour cream. But I’d go straight for Da Bronx ($9.95) to savor the purity of the dough, sweet/savory tomato sauce, EVOO and homemade mozzarella. Who knew you could find excellent pizza at a vegetarian restaurant?

Though the pizza and ‘burger’ are reason enough to cross town, there are many pleasures here. Fries ($3.95) are fun, particularly with a range of salt choices and delightful dipping sauces like Caribbean banana ketchup, jalapeno jam, and Gilroy garlic aioli. Meat substitute entrees are surprisingly tasty, like Jamaican Jerk Cluck (instead of chicken – $13.95), though in most cases, I’ll stick to actual meat.  Baked goods are another house specialty (vegan and gluten free options), from Whoopie Pies to raw food Rocky Road cheesecake.

Fresh Taco pizza

Another pleasure is the Source elixir bar, created in consultation with an herbalist and alternative doctor. Non-alcoholic sips include fermented elixirs, house sodas, teas, herbal blends, or smoothies with cashew milk. They even do their versions of a New York Egg Cream or Creamsicle. Again, the three drinks I tried were all worthwhile, even elegant.

With an order at the counter set-up and uber friendly staff, this is a welcoming, casual place to eat in or take-out. I’d also venture to say it’s already among the best vegetarian food in San Francisco.

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WHAT’S for LUNCH?

Here are two of the best new lunch spots in town. SoMa residents/workers are lucky to have both, but they are worth a trek from anywhere in the city.

Zare at Fly Trap

ZARE’S GRILL & GRAIN - SoMa, 606 Folsom Street (at 2nd  St.), 415-243-0580, lunch is weekdays only, 11am-2pm

Pomegranate Soup

There’s no chef quite like Hoss Zare. All heart, skill and love, Hoss’ hugs are famous, as is his warm, inclusive greeting that makes dining at his restaurant, Zare at Fly Trap, such a pleasure.

There’s is also no one quite doing what he’s doing with Persian, Iranian and Mediterranean foods. His creative vision keeps his menus as interesting as Zare’s environment is welcoming.

I visited during opening week of his just-launched, casual, weekday lunches. Lucky are those who work nearby and can grab to-go meals. But it’s worth going out of your way for lunch here (just as it is for a more formal dinner or cocktails at the bar).

Salmon Lentil Salad

In keeping with his recent health scare (he’s doing wonderfully and looks great, post-heart attack), Hoss made the lunch menu as healthy as it is flavorful. You’ll find lots of whole grains, fish, lean meats and wraps. As one who sacrifices ‘healthy’ if it means flavorless or uninteresting, I find a couple items downright exciting.

I give you two words: Sardine Wrap. There are many wraps here, from crispy bulgur to lamb ($10-12), all on lavash bread or whole wheat pita. But the Sardine Wrap ($10) has no equal. It’s hands down one of the best things I’ve eaten this year. Loaded with grilled Monterey sardines and white anchovies, the wrap is meaty and not too fishy. It’s fresh and bright with grilled cherry tomato, broccoli rabe, walnuts and spicy bread crumbs for a bit of crunch, and the winning piece that ties it altogether: creamy black garlic spread. Reminding me of days on the Mediterranean coast, this is elevated, elegant ‘fast’ food…  a genius menu addition.

One-of-a-kind Sardine Wrap

You won’t go wrong with generous grain plates either, like Salmon Lentil Salad ($12), a heaping black pearl lentil salad dotted with fennel, braised endive, roasted bell peppers. Lemon, thyme and tumeric imbue dimension, while balsamic vinaigrette ties it together. Salmon is tender, even buttery, with a gentle crisp on the outside, topped with a dollop of salsa verde. It feels good eating such a balanced plate, thankfully with no lack in the flavor department.

Hoss has long done soups and stews right (I still recall his Persian Chili at last year’s Persian Pub Grub dinners). He continues the tradition with Pomegranate Soup ($9), a beauty of tart, savory balance with green split peas, French lentils, basmati rice, and mini duck meatball in the middle. This is another unique dish you won’t find peers to.

Rarely is a lunch this affordable and unusual. Order at the counter and eat-in with self serve utensil and condiments station, or take it to go.

JUHU BEACH CLUB inside the Garage Cafe – SoMa, 320 11th Street (between Folsom & Harrison), weekdays only 11:30am-8pm

Juhu Beach Club

Top Chef fans will remember Preeti Mistry from season six, which will surely be a draw for some. But the food lovers among us go for her creative Indian street food and home-style cooking.

I ever long for more unusual or regional Indian dishes beyond the curry houses I love so, so was delighted to hear of her concept. I’ve not been disappointed after a couple visits.

Juhu Beach Club resides inside a humble liquor store, Garage Cafe, where you can chat with Preeti as she cooks up your meal (hours are 11am-8pm).

Start with seasonal chaat ($4), Indian snacks like puri in tamarind sauce. Portions are generous for the price and ingredients fresh.

Preeti has fun with sandwiches like Sloppy Lil’ P ($7), a vegetarian, Sloppy Joe twist. On a buttery ACME bun, the patty is made of potato, onion, cauliflower, peas and carrots. It’s a comforting, warm mash laced with spices.

Sloppy Lil' P

BOM Egg Salad Sandwich via LHR to SFO ($6) may be too long a moniker, but it’s a fine Straus yogurt-based egg salad laced with garam masala, topped with watercress and English cucumber. For meat lovers, there’s Holy Slow Braised Cow ($9): tender, smoky black cardamom short ribs in a bun with cucumber raita. Pickled sides of chilies, beets and garlic cloves are worthy sandwich accents.

Seasonal Chaat

Sassy Lassi ($3) is thankfully a salty (but refreshing) lassi, reminiscent of more traditional versions I’ve had. The drink is balanced with mango, lime and toasted cumin, pleasing to the savory tooth like myself.

Best of all, Preeti just returned from a food and booze-filled trip to New Orleans for inspiration. She is adding Nola influences into the Indian mix, offering specials with a Big Easy stamp. Her Shrimp Po’Bhai (‘Po Boy) is BBQ shrimp laced with curry leaves and ginger.

I suggest you go sooner rather than later to what is already one of the more gratifying take-out and creative Indian spots in all of SF.

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BETELNUT’S Secret Malaysian Menu
March 8-May 8

Tender inside, slightly crispy outside: chicken livers in black pepper sauce

Cured Lamb Tongue

Foodies, take note. If you like offal, Malaysian food, or adventurous eating, there’s a “secret” offal menu through Blackboard Eats (the offer was available on March 8th only) that runs until May 8th.

Veal Sweetbreads

Start with crispy chicken livers in black pepper sauce ($9.88). A street food snack, Chef Ong says he’d get these on skewers in a plastic bag they’d eat at the movies in Malaysia. Served here in a bowl, lightly fried livers are tender and slightly crisp, lush with oyster sauce and roasted onions.

Fish Head Curry

My favorite may be the 3-lb. fish head in tamarind curry ($15.88). Served in a giant pot, the fish head holds fall-off-the-bone, flaky fish meat (beware the eyeballs! Eat up the tender cheek meat!) It rests in a bold, coconut milk, shrimp paste, spice-heavy curry that is creamy, textured. Okra dots the dish, as do Fresno chilies. Pickled in vinegar & sugar, these chilies were so good, adding a needed contrast to the rich sauce, that I asked for a side of more. With South Indian roots, this dish is an example of Nonya cuisine (a mix of Malaysian, Indian, Chinese foods), and is served at celebratory meals in Malaysia.

P.S. For more fun, Betelnut roasts whole pigs on Tuesday nights… get there early as they will stop serving this off-menu special once pigs run out.

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