Cocktails

RICKHOUSE, Financial District – It’s been a rewarding Summer thus far for Rickhouse and its talented bar manager, Erick Castro. First, Castro won one of two mixologist of the year awards at StarChefs Rising Stars (see On the Town), then Rickhouse was nominated for three awards (more than any other SF bar) in an international nominees list for Tales of the Cocktail: Best American Cocktail Bar, World’s Best Cocktail Menu, World’s Best New Cocktail Bar.

So it seems as a good a time as any to re-visit Rickhouse to try their brand new Seasonal Summer Cocktail menu with eight original drinks plus one new punch, especially when they’re as good as Ginger’s Trois ($8). This was tops of the few new drinks I tried last week, effervescent with sparkling wine, smooth with Plymouth Gin, fresh lime and mint, balanced with bitters, lightly spicy with ginger. I hope this is a permanent menu fixture. A Cherry Blossom Cobbler ($8) is a sno-cone tower of ice, topped with a cherry, rich with Yamazaki 12-year whisky, organic cherry blossom jam and lemon juice.  On the spirituous side is a Paper Plane ($9), refreshingly strong with bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino and lemon juice.

AZIZA, Outer Richmond – Aziza’s one-of-a-kind cocktails are often fascinating and unlike anyone else’s. There is a section on their Mixology menu for spirits from Pisco to Brandy. My latest visit entailed these three beauties (all $10):

- Tequila, garden fresh and bright with celery, sage and agave
- Gin, intriguingly grainy and balanced with blackberry and ginger
- Bourbon highlighted with apricot, barley malt and cinnamon

PROSPECT, SoMa -  See my rundown of a return visit to Prospect in Top Tastes. Cocktails ($10-11) by the one-and-only Brooke Arthur were all high quality from a tart, bracing Mr. White (Pueblo Viejo blanco tequila, St. Germain elderflower, strawberry mint shrub, lime) to a robustly refreshing Prospector (Wild Turkey Rye 101, Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur, Drambuie, pineapple gum, lemon).

CLOCK BAR, Union Square – Clock Bar’s fairly new GM, Phillip Barcio (formerly of Ramblas), launches his first seasonal menu, one of three throughout the year (“seasons” being grouped by produce): a May-September/berry season menu ($12-14 per cocktail).

At a preview night on 6/21, it was a joy to witness farmers and producers congregated at Clock Bar who provided much of the produce or ingredients for the menu’s cocktails. The menu is ambitious, playful and farm fresh, with every drink featuring a different spirit and seasonal produce or local and house-made sodas and syrups.

An Oregon 609 is complex but bright with Bols Genever, olallieberry marmalade, Cynar, Benedictine and lemon, though maybe my least favorite of the three I tried. Carl is a lighter take on absinthe (featuring Swiss Kubler absinthe) with apricot reduction and a zippy house root beer.

Nutty, creamy dessert comes in the form of a Mission Flip with Pampero Aniversario Rum, house cane syurp, Mission fig reduction and a whole fresh egg. It seems a locally-embracing new season has dawned at Clock Bar.

SERPENTINE, Dogpatch – See my rundown of a return visit to Serpentine in Top Tastes.

I was pleased with the silky, smooth layers of a myriad of ingredients in The Acadian ($10.50): Michter’s Rye whiskey, Plymouth Sloe Gin, rosemary, absinthe, honey, lemon.

PICKLED at ABSINTHE

Yes, it’s a pop-up bar called Pickled, happening on the last Monday of every month in Absinthe’s private dining room, with ever-changing drinks created by bar manager Carlos Yturria. I stopped in inaugural night, June 28. A wide range of spirits are represented, from armagnac to mezcal ($10-12 a cocktail), and there’s also a revolving offering of bar bites to go with. Pisco showed itself beautiful in Carlos’ crushed ice presentation with figs, sage, lemon and a candied fig chip on top. Kudos for using my new local favorite, Encanto Pisco. Close the night with a little finish of Carlos’ candied strip of rhubarb.

Soda

TAYLOR’S TONICS – Almost savory, spicy, herbal, Taylor’s Tonics are local sodas available at Rancho Parnassus (see Top Tastes), Rainbow Grocery, and Berkeley Bowl. Chai Cola has elements of a traditional chai but a soda effervescence and strong, pleasant bitterness. And they are local. Check out Imbibe magazine’s story of this wonderfully unique soda and it’s creator, Taylor Peck.

Wine

Slow Food’s GOLDEN GLASS – At the June 12 wine and food event at Fort Mason featuring sustainable worldwide wines, highlights included:

- Breggo Cellars in Boonville, CA – 2009 Anderson Valley Pinot Gris with key lime and honey accents, contrasted by bright, white pepper acidity;I’m impressed by their small production, old world mix with sustainable technique; eager to try more of their wines
- Paul Dolan 2006 Deep Red and 2007 Cabernet in Ukiah, CA – organic and biodynamic wines; the first is earthy and round with red fruit; the latter ripe but aided by notes of spice and anise
- Raina in Montefalco, Umbria: 2006 Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG is rich with blackberry, spice, dry balsamic notes
- Bodegas Abanico Eternum Viti 2007 in Spain – Imported by Grapes of Spain, toasty oak hints, blackberry, leather
- Tenuta San Rocco 2008/09 Poggio Marcigliano Grechetto di Todi DOC in Central Italy – a white surprisingly sweet on the nose but dry to the taste

PERSIAN PUB GRUB at ZARE at FLY TRAP – 6/3-5

www.zareflytrap.com

It is a joy when our city’s food/drink greats team up to form something unique. Such was Zare at Fly Trap’s three nights of Persian Pub Grub, as envisioned by Zare’s chef/owner, Hoss Zare, and Monk’s Kettle’s Sayre Piotrkowski and Ryan Corbett.

The exuberant, hospitable Hoss created a menu lovingly melding traditional elements of his home country of Iran with creative expressions. Though Hoss admits that “Pub Grub doesn’t really exist in Iran” (nor would the alcohol pairings), he dreams up a Persian dinner as it might look in a modern, hypothetical Iranian Gastropub. Each course was happily far from typical, and most were downright heartwarming. My two favorites ended up being Caspian Seafood Stew, a smoky, saffron-heavy broth (enhanced by black garlic aioli and sour, pickled grapes) loaded with plump calamari, octopus, mussels and smoked sturgeon with a dollop of caviar. The other? A brilliant take on traditional Ghormeh Sabzi, an Iranian herb stew and national dish, one Hoss says would win your sweetheart’s affection if you perfect in Iran. This Persian Chili was redolent of herbs, paprika, harissa, and a spicy, crumbled lamb sausage mixed with organic kidney beans. I could not get enough.

Certified Cicerone, Piotrkowski, and his equally passionate-about-beer co-worker, Corbett, paired a stellar list of beers with Hoss‘ food, facing off directly with wine pairings from Zare’s Wine Director, Mario Nocifera. At two convivial communal tables, we debated which paired best with any given course, and I can honestly say there no afterthoughts on either side. But the final score? In my book, it’s two for two. 

My two favorite wines were the impressively elegant, layered acidity of Niepoort Codega’s 2006 “Tiara” white from Branco, Portugal, and an earthy, dark berry/pepper, mineral, but balanced, 2008 Borsao Garnacha, “Tres Picos”, from Campo de Borja, Spain (quite a value at $14.99 a bottle at K&L ).

On the beer front, though I was delighted to see Hitachino’s “XH” and Midas Touch for dessert, I was blown away by grapefruit brightness in Stone Brewing Co.’s dark, bitter Sublimely Self-Righteous, and the Belgian-style, caramel-y but bone dry Goose Island “Pere Jacques”.

Hoss has hosted other special Persian dinners and I hope will throw plenty more. Bookmark their website’s event page to be prepared for the next one. Or go for dinner or lunch to sample Hoss‘ heartwarming cooking paired with Reza Esmali’s Middle Eastern-influenced cocktail menu (there’s a classic cocktail list, too) or Nocifera’s wine list. Monk’s Kettle is thankfully always ready to pour one of these fine or other equally exciting, and often, rare, beers.

Here is the Persian Pub Grub menu ($75 per person, including all pairings):

Sumac Couscous Salad with Dungeness Crab

Victory, “Prima” Pilsner, US| Yarden, Brut Traditional, Galilee Israel

Caspian Seafood Stew with Mussels, Cod, Sturgeon and Black Garlic aioli

Hitachino “XH” Ibaraki Japan | Niepoort Codega “Tiara”, Blanco, Portugal

Chicken Wings “Fessenjoon” with Pomegranate Walnut Sauce

Stone, “Sublimely self-righteous” Ale, US | Coroa Godello, Valdeorras, Spain

Persian Chili “Ghormeh Sabzi” with Spicy Lamb Sausage

Goose Island, “Pere Jacques” Belgian Style Ale, US | Borsao Garnacha “Tres Picos”, Campo de Borja, Spain

“Faloodeh” Lime Sorbet with Rice Noodles and Pistachios

Dog Fish Head, “Midas Touch” Ancient Ale, Milton US

B3 … and The WINEMAKER’S SPEAKEASY
1152 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Tue-Sun, 3pm-2am (wine happy hours: 3-6pm; 10pm-12am)

I had the privilege weeks back of a sneak preview test dinner with friends at B3, a new project set to soft launch June 15 in the former Senses space on Valencia, which they are currently repainting and decorating in warm, neutral tones [as of early June, the owners have to postpone opening. The new date should be end of June but I will update this page with actual date once it is confirmed.]

I’m excited to give you the preview scoop as I have been following this concept since inception. Once they are fully up and running, you won’t see a similar wine list elsewhere.

Wine guys, Johnny Gato and Ron Elder, invested personal passion into a hand-selected list of affordable local bottles difficult to procure (much less taste), from such small production winemakers, most do not even have a wine tasting facility at their wineries. Many are influenced by Old World technique with modern interpretations.

In the soft opening phase, selection will be limited, but I have seen (and tasted) what’s coming down the pike and it is good. Be patient with the initial launch as these wine lovers plan long term to offer a range of options from tasting pours to bottles and cases for consumption or take home, sold at un-inflated, retail prices. Just start talking to Gato and Elder and you’ll begin to discover all kinds of Wine Country gems you had no idea were there… these are not your typical California wines.

Through Gato, who has worked at Moussy’s and Bouchon in Napa, I have discovered such incredible wineries as Napa’s Forlorn Hope, bittersweetly named after the term used to describe the front line of soldiers in a high-risk military operation. I’m smitten with their floral, bright ‘08 La Gitana Torrontes, fabulously layered ‘07 Nacre Semillion, and ‘05 Gascony Cadets Petit Verdot. Then there’s Poem Cellars in Yountville, who’s wines are often sold out completely, particularly their light and spicy 2006 Tastevin Napa Valley Red (only 140 cases produced). Or Beaucanon’s ‘07 Cabernet Franc, Y. Rousseau’s ‘08 Russian River Valley Colombard and ‘08 ‘Milady’ Mount Veeder Chardonnay, Peripolli’s ‘06 Sauvignon Blanc. These are the kind of wines you’ll find here. Just ask Gato, who has followed these wineries closely in his years up in Napa, and he can tell you not only about the wine itself but stories behind the winemaker and winery, making each glass personal, fascinating.

Though they’ll start off small with 10-15 bottles (under $25), the selection will continue to expand, evolving into what they call a Winemaker’s Speakeasy, with a wide range of under-the-radar tastes and bottles to take home at minimal mark-up.

Chef Kevin Ahajahnian is keeping it real and straightforward with cheese and charcuterie platters and burger and dog-themed menu. Wine will be the star, but if the test dinner I tried is any indication, you won’t suffer on the food front. The menu is developing since I was there, but I filled up on juicy, gourmet burgers, crispy, addictive fries, fresh, lush salads, overall hearty deliciousness.

It all bodes well for Valencia Street… and with a twice nightly happy hour, it’s going to be a casual wine bar where you can discover and fall in love with what you never knew was there.

A fine spread with bubbly at Bubble Lounge

CHAMPAGNE

I hadn’t been to Bubble Lounge in awhile, recalling former pleasant weeknights sipping bubbly while live jazz played, but not as into sceney crowds there for DJ sets on weekends. I returned to meet with Wine Director, Sabawun Kakar, who’s passion for bubbly shows in his thoughtful selections and sabrage skills.

Food is surprisingly tasty, and welcome to settle that bubbly buzz. A “Korhogo 126″ Mini-Cheeseburger is cooked with brie, Swiss, American cheeses ($11). Favorite sandwich: Brie/Smoked Duck Breast/Fig Jam ($14). Finishing with strawberries and a mini-dark chocolate fondue (with cinnamon notes) was an obviously ideal pairing.

I was delighted to discover that in June, they will launch a new dessert menu from none other than Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake (call beforehand – currently, it looks like mid-June as a launch of the menu). I’m returning for desserts like Lemon Verrine: lemon curd, yogurt, blueberry sauce, maple crunch, champagne granita. Or Upside-Down Cherry Cheesecake with Amarena cherries and buttery graham crust.

Here were Kakar’s lovely selections. The prices reflect Bubble Lounge’s by-the-glass costs:

• 

  Sabawun Kakar & a saber

  Dampierre Cuvee des Ambassadeurs ($16 a glass) – light, earthy, a pleasant aperitif

• Henri Billiot Brut Reserve ($17) – 80% Pinot/20% Chard, structured, refined, complex – possibly my favorite out of all seven champagnes, but difficult to choose
• Jean Vesselle Millesime 1999 ($22) – 70% Pinot/30% Chard, smooth but robust, buttery, toasty, golden-hued
• Gaston Chiquet Blanc de Blancs (by the bottle only) – small producer, clean, with notes of herbal tea, tangy apple
• Pierre Gimonnet Fils 2004 Premier Cru (by the bottle only) – another small producer, vibrant, floral, mineral
• Laurent Perrier Brut Rose ($23) – 100% Pinot Noir, full-bodied, bright, berries
• Champagne Aubry Brut Jouy-les-Reims Premier Cru – toasty, dry, apples

COCKTAILS

Heaven’s Dog – I always leave happy here with exquisite drinks from Charles H. Baker’s Gentleman’s Companion of 1930’s cocktail beauties. For perfected balance with rum, try Will P. Taylor’s Hotel Nacional Special ($10), a Havana classic with Barbancourt 8 year Rhum, Small Hands Foods pineapple gum syrup, apricot brandy, lime and Angostura bitters. Bright and sweet enough, yet never too much. Giving bartender free reign with a “Freedom from Choice” and bourbon as the chosen spirit, I was served a gorgeous Whiskey Smash with lemon, mint, simple syrup and hand cut ice that barely melted throughout the time I lingered with friends.

WINES

5/3 AUSTRIA UNCORKED at Fort Mason’s Officers Club – Another of those radiant, only-in-SF days enveloped by pristine blue Bay and sky, I sipped Austrian wines in the intimate Officers Club at Fort Mason during a leisurely trade afternoon. Fairly unschooled on Austrian wines, this event was a pleasure, with more high quality tastes than not. Due to weather calamities, recent years yielded small quantity but high quality in Austrian grapes. The range is well beyond the Rieslings or Gruner Veltliners one might expect. I found myself particularly taken with Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch red varieties, loving an array of refreshing whites and the food-friendly nature of most.

• Loved the story behind Martin Arndorfer, a 27-year old winemaker who only makes around 10,000 bottles a year of all his exquisite wines – each a pleasure, from a spicy, acidic 2006 Gruner Veltliner Strasser Weinburg to a floral, mineral ‘05 Riesling Die Leidenschaft (meaning “the passion”), with hints of spice and fruit
• JURIS – family-owned and operated winery for generations, I met the winemaker for these hand-harvested grapes; highlight was a complex ‘07 Zweigelt
• Another delightful line is Jurtschitsch-Sonnhof, particularly a crisp, spicy ‘07 Schenkenbichl Gruner Veltliner and a smoky, berry ‘06 Reserve Reid Tanzer Zweigelt
  
• Rosenhof – appreciated a refreshing, just bottled 2009 ORION Eiswein (ice wine)
• Heidi Schrock – using traditional methods to make her dessert wines that no one else in the country does, these are unique; I took to an ‘ 07 Ruster Ausbruch – On the Wings of the Dawn, which manages to be both sweet and acidic, or a 2006 Shrock & Kracher Greiner Welschriesling (a white grape not related to the Riesling grape) that is fermented dry, is complex and to me tastes surprisingly of tea
• Erich Sattler – another pleasing Zweigelt, the ‘07 Reserve is dense, herbal, plum-like

5/6 SOUTH AFRICA WINES at THE BOX

• 

  Iona Chardonnay

  Iona – Iona’s 2009 Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc ($18) are both stunners for the price from a mountain plateau east of Cape Town. The Sauvignon Blanc showcases Old and New World with ripe, crisp fruit, and a mineral dry finish. The Chardonnay is creamy, nutty and balanced with a clean finish. Both these stood out – my favorite whites of the event. Iona is served at Gary Danko and should be on its way to K&L soon. $18
  

• Stellekaya 2005 Shiraz – I love the story behind this winery run by Ntsiki Biyela, South Africa’s first black female winemaker (see a recent CNN video). The best part is her Shiraz is a true stand-out: full-bodied, lush, with pepper and ripe berry notes. $30
• Diemersfontein Pinotage – I sipped an ‘06 & ‘08 side by side, while gracious winery owner, David Sonnenberg, explained the popularity of their flagship ‘06 wine, the more refined ’sister’ of the two, while the ‘08 is the rocker sis with playful edge and cult following. Despite the negative reputation of pinotage grapes,  both were unusual, lovely and reasonably priced ($25 for ‘06, $20 for ‘08), but I took to the cult version with spicy berry and coffee notes.
• Villieria Estate – From the Stellenbosch region, I savored Villeria’s fruity, slightly woody 2008 Chenin Blanc ($14) and a vibrant 2006 Sauvignon Blanc ($21).
• Hamilton Russell 2008 Chardonnay – acidic but full, nutty, touch of fruit, gorgeous, marrying Old and New World in Burgundian style. $22

5/3 BARREL TASTING of CABERNET at Bently Reserve – One Cab blended into another at the trade/media afternoon in the Bently Reserve. I preferred to try bottled versions vs. the barrel samples,  but really just came away with two stand-outs (besides Viader, who I’m already a fan of):

• Vineyard 7 & 8’s 2007 “7″ is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, hand-picked, aged in new French oak showcasing the terroir of Napa’s Spring Mountain with mineral berries and rich tannins. I especially liked their 9, also 100% Cab, hand-picked, with hints creme de cassis, berry and smooth tannins.
• Carter Cellars stood apart with balanced cabs and Old World sensibilities, especially the 2007 Coliseum Block: floral, berry and tannin-rich.

COCKTAILS

• Neyah does it again: when I asked for a cachaca drink at Nopa, he served Sagatiba Cachaca and Dimmi, with their own house Birch Beer Bitters. Birch beer and Dimmi’s herbal/floral/grappa notes melded into a beautifully unique coctail. While you’re there, try White Whiskey as it should be imbibed in a White Manhattan or Buck with your choice of small batch white whiskeys… my Manhattan featured an as of yet unreleased white whiskey from Leopold Bros. that reigned supreme in taste compared to other worthy versions.

• Victoria D’amato-Moran’s (of Cent’Anni Cocktails) drinks often taste like vacation, and none more so than a tropical imbibement she whipped up at a recent private spirits tasting event at Tres Agaves, as well as at Taste of the Nation. Called the Yucatan Punch, it consists of Chinaco Reposado, dreamy Kalani Coconut Liquor (a 100% natural coconut liqueur that puts other coconut liqueurs to shame), D’aristi Xtabentun (a rum/honey/anise liqueur) and pineapple.

SPIRITS

Stand-outs at a recent private spirits tasting at Tres Agaves:

• Blackbull scotch – newer to the market but 30 years aged, a sherry-like whisky, certainly not a favorite but intriguing
• Briottet – surprising, ripe, elegant Creme de Cassis (blackcurrant liqueur), Creme de Banane,  Creme de Mure (blackberry)
• D’Aristi Kalani Coconut Liqueur – 100% natural, fresh, un-toasted coconut – tastes like tropical vacation – may be the best I’ve had of its kind
• English Harbor Rum – toasty, burnt sugar, complex, even at merely 5 years
• Luxardo’s Anice – clean, light anise liqueur, not syrupy or cloying
• Ypioca Cachaca – satiny Brazilian cachaca, from Crystal to smokey Gold or clean Silver

WINES

4/22 – TOAST OF THE TOWN – It was a bit surreal having the entire War Memorial Opera House filled with wine and food, live jazz, and a smartly-dressed crowd. As these tasting events so often do, it grew overly packed once two pleasant VIP hours passed and the general public entered. In those early hours, I enjoyed a number of global sips.

A stand-out was Winemonger’s German Rieslings, particularly a snappy, mineral ‘08 Neumayer Zwirch Gruner Veltliner and a fruity/floral ‘07 Johann Donabaum Riesling Offenberg Smaragd.

French highlights: 2007 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is a full-bodied white, alternately dry, fruity and floral.  And on the more affordable end, Mouton Cadet’s 2008 Bordeaux Blanc is a smooth, citrusy Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc/Muscadet blend.

Schramsberg has long been a local favorite for their sparkling wines in particular: it was delightful to sip their 2001 Reserve Brut with cherry notes, and their ‘06 J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon, with Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot blended in.

A Cabernet Sauvignon highlight was Louis M. Martini’s velvety, rich 2005 Monte Rosso Vineyard Cab, available during the VIP tasting only.

4/29 – WINES OF CHILE - On a weekday afternoon, I visited a trade tasting held here and in Chicago. It was an education on the range in Chilean wines, which I certainly have been drinking more of in recent years. Similar to Portugal, which I wrote about last issue, the quality to affordability ratio is strong. Many wines I tried were $6-13 a bottle, ideal in these tight times. In tasting (and spitting) dozens, a few that rose to the forefront initially:

• Terra Andina – loved the whole line, from fruity, vanilla (with hint of smoke) Chardonnay, to berry, tobacco, tannin-rich ‘08 Carmenere; Andina isn’t readily available but they just got distribution in So. Cal. K&L Wines so should make their way here soon
• Lapostolle – French owners (who also own Grand Marnier) but Chilean-grown; floral/citrus ‘09 Casa Sauvignon Blanc may have been my favorite, but appreciated ‘07 Cuvee Alexandre Chardonnay and ‘08 Carmenere
•  ‘06 Carmen Reserva Carmenere/Cabernet Sauvignon – berry, earth, hint of spice
• Aliwen ‘09 Sauvignon Blanc – Affordable ($10 or less), crisp, Summery

PASSPORT to DRY CREEK – April 24-25

It was my first time attending this annual event, Passport to Dry Creek, where locals come out en masse for themed parties, music, wine and food at each participating winery, closed to event attendees (here’s details about the event: $70 one day/$120 for two).

In a brief summary of the weekend, it’s not so much about the wine. Yes, I sipped some good wines, though I prefer to go straight for pours from the bottle/finished product rather than some of the barrel samples available. Whether it was wine, themes, crowds or friendliness of staff, some wineries fared way better than others, but the ones that worked, felt like sheer vacation. And unlike other event weekends I’ve been to in Sonoma County (Russian River barrel-tasting weekends, for one), crowds were well regulated and, for the most part, minus awful drunken party groups that show up at some of those ‘all-you-can-taste’ weekends.

Food was served at every winery (snack/appetizer-sized), in as wide array as some sad-looking fried chicken to a gourmet spread. I’ve long enjoyed Mauritson’s cool wine cave and solid wines, but for this event, none other than chef Charlie Palmer prepared the bites: tender Zinfandel-braised Short Rib Sliders, Panko/Sesame-Crusted Wild Shrimp and Buttered Chocolate Caramel Tartlets.

Another highlight was Truett Hurst, where Santa Rosa’s Zazu restaurant prepared simple but satisfying food: Pulled Pork Sliders (you can see sliders were a common theme) which stood out because of a tart cherry mostarda on top of the pork, and an ideal, warm-day-offering of Zinfandel/Blackberry Sorbet. The real pleasure was lingering on the sunny patio in lounge chairs and couches, as a country-tinged band played everything from Johnny Cash to Van Morrison. Renaissance Man and I wandered across farm fields to say hello to goats obliviously chewing grass, then to the riverside where we sat in Adirondack chairs sipping wine, as cotton-like fluffs lazily floated through the air. See? Vacation.

By far, the food pinnacle, which I’d recommend as a must any year you hit Passport, was at Frick Winery, whose wines were a pleasure (I particularly took to the Viognier, Syrah and Cotes-du-Dry Red Rhone Blend). Dynamic husband/wife chef duo, John Mitzewich and Michele Manfredi (of Food Wishes), have been serving their appetizers at Frick for years (and they’re former colleagues of mine from my California Culinary Academy days). Five gourmet eats, all creative and delicious (each year they carry one recipe on, but otherwise create new ones). If I had to choose favorites, it was Calabrian Crostini covered in Boccalone’s fab Nduja contrasted with candied fennel roo on toast, and especially Rueben Nachos, rye corn chips smothered in pastrami, cave-aged gruyere, savoy cabbage and Russian dressing. Addictive. I could have eaten a whole spread.

Elsewhere, Alderbrook Winery’s giant, roasted pig on a spit was a fun touch. Papietro Perry and Family Wineries didn’t do much for me in the way of wine and are in a cluster of otherwise non-descript tasting rooms off a parking lot, but they were transporting with their live music: Family had the California Cowboys playing beloved country classics from Merle Haggard & the Carter Family (I couldn’t stop singing along), while Papietro had a rousing Zydeco/blues band on an open-air wood porch under ceiling fans. We started dancing, completely transported to the South (minus the humidity).

The pinnacle in atmosphere was Bella Vineyards, with African safari theme, circa 1930’s (they said they usually switch themes every two years for Passport to Dry Creek). There was a Senegalese band, idyllic as we reclined under safari-style tents. In the tasting room and enchanting caves, 1930’s jazz and big band played as we sipped wines in the cool of the lantern-lit caves. Indiana Jones goes wine tasting? At day’s end, drinking a refreshing, stainless steel-fermented Grenache/Syrah Rose ($22 a bottle) in Adirondack chairs on the lawn while hawks circle above, was a piece of heaven.

Marcos Tello guest-bartends at Rickhouse, serving a "Pancho Sanchez"

COCKTAILS

• 15 Romolo really is one of the best bars in SF (drinks, atmosphere, staff). Mellow and soothing, I love to linger here with good friends. I’ve written about Track 42 ($12) before – but it bears repeating. If you want a nuanced, refreshing garden of a drink, this one is always a pleasant surprise: 42 Below Manuka Honey Vodka, basil, unfiltered apple juice, lemon and egg white for froth.

I adore the creamy smoothness of Amazona ($12): cachaca, coconut milk, ginger, lime, Angostura bitters, fresh nutmeg grated on top. Their Vieux Carre ($10) is about as fine a version of the Nola classic you’ll find… ditto their Pimm’s Cup. Finish with a Black Irish Flip ($10), a savory dessert of Jameson Irish whiskey with Picon Club, whole egg (yes, yolk, too), cacao nib tincture and Angostura  bitters.

• I missed Marcos Tello at The Edison when I was in LA a few weeks ago, but I got to try a couple of his creations at Rickhouse on 3/30 when he guest-bartended for the night. He made a nice, strong spirituous cocktail called Pancho Sanchez, but my favorite was a Dutch Kills recipe from NY, Infante: a mix of tequila, lime, orgeat and fresh-grated nutmeg. Nutty and refreshing simultaneously.

• Range is not only a favorite upscale neighborhood restaurant over the years, but some of the truly great, refined cocktails in SF  – it will be interesting to see if that stays true after Brooke Arthur moves on to helm the bar at the upcoming new restaurant from Boulevard. At Range, Evergreen welcomed Spring with gusto in the form of citrus and herbs: Plymouth Gin and St. Germain accompany fresh kumquats, sage, lemon. Go the tequila route with Malia: Pueblo Viejo blanco tequila, lime, egg white, cinnamon bitters and a winning quince/apple duo.

• The Alembic is one of the true joys in my new ‘hood when it comes to food and drink. How I wish Upper Haight would grow up and deepen its culinary offerings. Thankfully, Alembic is one block from me and one of the best in SF, especially during laid back “off” hours when Haight crowds aren’t making a place to sit impossible.

There have been recent wonders inherent when the bartenders get their hands on beets or galangal. Earthy, aromatic, balanced experimentation flow – it’s a pleasure to sample what they might come up with. See my April 21st Guardian FEAST article about a rosy beet cocktail made with beets, Rittenhouse Rye, dry vermouth, red wine vinegar, orange zest muddled with sugar, and a splash of sparkling wine.

• It’s easy: Nopa’s bar manager, Neyah White, is one of our city’s treasures and experts on superb cocktails, sherry (which he’ll be sharing in NY at a sherry class during May’s Manhattan Cocktail Classic – I’ll be covering the event), and a pioneer’s edge showcasing small batch, rare spirits long before everyone else in the artisan cocktail world catches on. Neyah and staff mix some unique beauties, including a range of white whiskey martinis on the current menu. If you’re lucky, kumquats will still be in house for a Kumquat Caipirinha ($9), which I just had last week. I’m a lifelong fan of the puckeringly tart citrus (which has been in many a cocktail lately), but Nopa’s kumquats are the best in memory, muddled and mixed with Boca Loca Cachaca, fresh lime, soda. Broken open, the citrus’ skin and flesh are sweet, sour, juicy, and I ate ever last one out of my glass. Stay tuned for Neyah’s Spring creations in coming weeks, including cocktails utilizing a Chinese rose blossom Rose wine.

SPIRITS

• On a recent rainy afternoon, after chowing down on some satisfying crispy tacos from Nick’s, The Renaissance Man and I had a craving for tequila and the place to be (always) is Tommy’s.  A happy mid-day respite included uber-hot salsa, chips, margaritas and a shot of the sadly now defunct 100% blue agave Reposado from Porfidio, listed under their discontinued Collector’s Items (page 197). Too bad. This beauty has a golden hue and caramel, toffee notes not commonly found in reposado.

• At a private scotch tasting held by Plumpjack, Impex Beverages and JVS Imports, I took an educational walk through 9 scotches from all parts of Scotland, from smoother to more peaty as we progressed. Already a fan of Scotland’s smallest distiller, Edradour, it was a delight to sip their just released Edradour Caledonia 12 year (bottled un-chillfiltered; 92 Proof): smooth, creamy with vanilla and spice notes. Another highlight was a rare 1991 Highland Park 17 year Signatory single malt with a balanced peat, whiffs of oceanside salt air, floral and earthy. I was able to try an as of yet unavailable Smokehead, but the smoke blast of this peatiest of scotches isn’t always my top choice (I like it but prefer a more balanced scotch).

I was especially privileged to meet a surprise special guest at this event, Anthony Wills, founder of Kilchoman, the first new distillery on the Scotch island of Islay in 124 years (ultra expensive and difficult to start a distillery there). Though yet to be released in the US, we tasted this already-in-demand single malt that continues to sell out, from the only Scottish distillery growing their own barley. At a young three years of age, it has the mature profile of a much older whisky. Wills stresses the point that quality isn’t always found because something is old, as early reviews of his whisky attest to. Side by side, next to 9 others, it held up to older whiskies and surpassed some with the peat Islay is famous for but also toffee, dark fruit and caramel creaminess.

WINES

One of the better deals on reds is Vidigal Douro (the same region port hails from), a smooth red that makes for good, everyday drinking at an easy $9.99 a bottle. I had a little fun with their ‘08 “Shocking Green“, a perky Vinho Verde with tart fruit and floral notes. They’re both, along with a wide range of Portuguese wines, available from Portugal Wines.

Dao Sul’s light and breezy white, 2009 DOC Grilos, tasted of Summer. Adega makes zippy, effervescent Vinho Verde. Tasting four of their similar whites side by side, I preferred the 2009 Sec. Another nice choice? Aveleda’s 2008 Alvarinho.

On first taste, my top whites at the event were both from Casa Santos Lima: ‘09 Moscatel was creatively described by the pourer as “the Chanel No. 5 of whites”. I wouldn’t go that far but it is floral and bright. Their ‘09 Sauvignon Blanc shocked with the juicy crunch of yellow pepper skins.

I like port: ideal for an after dinner sip and one of the first spirits I got into in my younger days.  Sandeman’s 30 year Tawny Port has a golden cherry hue and tastes of silken raisins, hazelnuts and vanilla. Krohn Porto 20 year is candy-like, smooth, with chocolate tones.