NIGHTLIFE
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Dogwood
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Owner Alexeis Filipello slings cocktails and dishes charcuterie by the pound at Dogwood, a tiny
space located right on the edge of Oakland's Uptown neighborhood. Step up to the reclaimed-wood
bar and warm up with a Stone's Throw (Johnny Drum Bourbon, ginger syrup, ginger beer, lemon and
orange bitters), then hit the meat counter for a plate of cured, hand-cut meats and cheeses before
exploring the other liquid offerings. Warning: the Tequila-based Zona Rosa, which has a nice Cynar
bite, goes too well with the duck salami to stop at just one.
—Lou Bustamente
Dogwood, 1644 Telegraph Ave. (at 17th St.), Oakland; 510-444-6669,
bardogwood.com (reviewed W&S 10/11)
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Hudson
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Bar manager Alex Conde has constructed one of the most exciting cocktail lists around at Hudson. He's
arranged the drinks by musical tone, which makes sense when you taste a Soprano like the Obituario
(silver Tequila, green Chartreuse, elderflower and lemon), which fills the mouth with high notes.
Tenor choices like Lunatics in the Garden (gin, green Chartreuse, Maraschino, lime, egg white and
absinthe) register in the mid-palate, while Bass entries translate into drinks so dense and complex
you can practically chew them. With the full dinner menu available at the bar—including crisp wood-fired
pizzas and an exemplary half-pound burger—you might never make it to the dining room.
—Lou Bustamente
Hudson, 5356 College Ave. (at Hudson St.), Oakland; 510-595-4000,
hudsonoakland.com (reviewed W&S 10/11)
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Bar Terra
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Photo by Hiro Sone
As part of a quick refresh of their iconic restaurant Terra, chef-owners Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani
converted the larger of their two dining rooms into Bar Terra. Here, the zinc-topped bar serves as
focus, with seasonal cocktails by Andrew Salazar. He specializes in lesser-known classics like the
Brooklyn (High West Rye Whiskey, sweet vermouth, Maraschino liqueur and orange bitters) as well as
originals like the Mami Gato (El Tesoro Reposado Tequila, Campari, Lillet Blanc and yuzu juice). These
are the sort of drinks that encourage eating, and the bar menu obliges with small dishes of fragrant,
plump kibbe balls and creamy duck liver mousse. Snack here before moving into the dining room, or simply
loosen your tie and linger: the full dining room menu, including Terra's signature tripe and bean stew,
is also available at the bar.
—Lou Bustamente
Bar Terra, 1345 Railroad Ave. (at Hunt Ave.), St. Helena; 707-963-8931,
terrarestaurant.com (reviewed W&S 10/11)
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Jasper's Corner Tap
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Brave the tourist crowds to check out Jasper's Corner Tap & Kitchen, a gastropub on hotel row in downtown
San Francisco. The menu both comforts and dazzles, but it's Kevin Diedrich's cocktail program that really
astounds. His 18-drink list covers everything from beer and whiskey cocktails to seasonal concoctions,
all of which serve as lush, delicate counterpoints to the food. Baked-to-order, chewy, sea salt-crusted
pretzels almost pair better with the Cloudkicker (Beefeater Gin, Cynar, green Chartreuse and Campari) than
with their side of smoked gouda and cheddar fondue; the dark effervescence of the Velvet 75 (Guinness, gin
and Champagne) and one of chef Adam Carpenter's beer sausages will lift the fog off any San Francisco day.
—Lou Bustamente
Jasper's Corner Tap & Kitchen, 401 Taylor St. (at O'Farrell St.); 415-775-7979,
jasperscornertap.com (reviewed W&S 10/11)
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Dosa
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When Dosa, San Francisco's first south Indian restaurant, opened in 2006, it made waves not just for
its upscale design but for its sophisticated wine and soju list. This summer, following an extensive
renovation and the acquisition of a new bar and full liquor license, its Mission District location
has upped the ante with some of the most intriguing—and delicious—cocktails around. Under the direction
of bar manager Lenny Gumm, the bar crew crafts intricately spiced cocktails like the Gunpowder
(Antiguo Reposado Tequila, gunpowder syrup, lemon, elderflower and grilled pineapple pieces marinated
in San Juan Del Rio Mezcal), a flawless foil for a masala dosa. Also check out the custom-made gin from
Old World Spirits in Belmont, south of the city. Flavored with fresh curry leaves, cilantro, black pepper
and star anise, it's at its best in the South Indian Gin & Tonic, served with house-made tonic water.
—Lou Bustamente
Dosa, 995 Valencia St. (at 21st St.); 415-642-3672,
dosasf.com (reviewed W&S 10/11)
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Bar Drake
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Bar Drake, the new lobby bar in the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, makes for two levels of drinking–one in the clubby Starlight Room on the 21st floor, and now another
in the mellower Bar Drake closer to the ground. The small back bar holds a fine selection of old-fashioned Scotch, but the drink menu, designed by Jacques Bezuidenhout,
focuses on updated classics like the house Manhattan with Port and maple syrup. Other drinks feature chamomile and chai tea, orange marmalade and apricot jam.
—Camper English
Bar Drake, Sir Francis Drake Hotel, 450 Powell St.; 415-392-7755 x226; bardrake.com (reviewed W&S 12/07)
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Beretta
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Beretta has been garnering rave reviews for its pizza and Italianate food, but most of the focus is on the cocktails.
Thad Vogler, formerly of Jardinière and The Slanted Door, mixes serious drinks using lots of bitters and not much fruit,
and sweetens them with gomme syrup and honey instead of simple syrup. Check out the Agricole Mule (rhum agricole, lime,
ginger beer, mint) or the Añejo Sour (Tequila, lemon, agave syrup, egg white) for an example of Vogler's talent at mixing classic style cocktails with New World spirits.
—Camper English
Beretta,1199 Valencia St., San Francisco, 415-695-1199; berettasf.com
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Globe & Zuppa
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One way to deal with San Francisco's cold monochrome weather is to cozy up to the bar at Globe, where bartender Shane McKnight serves up his signature Gentian, made like a traditional Negroni. McKnight uses the warmly exotic Barolo chinato in place of sweet vermouth (gentian is one of the botanicals used to make Barolo chinato). It's a textured, almost forceful drink, not for the faint of heart, says McKnight: "It looks like a cosmo, only the joke is that it's a cosbro." McKnight bounces between Globe and Zuppa, both owned by Mary Klingbeil and Joseph Manzare. Fortunately the Gentian follows him across town.
—Wolfgang M. Weber
Globe, 290 Pacific Ave., San Francisco, CA; 415-391-4132; globesf.com
Zuppa, 564 Fourth St, San Francisco, CA; 415-777-5900; zuppa-sf.com
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Orson
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Orson is the latest from Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake: Here, she serves "edgy Californian cuisine" in a built-for-buzz two-level warehouse
space in SoMa. Cocktails, designed by Jacqueline Patterson, formerly of Le Colonial, are edgy in their own right. Served at the 30-seat bar-in-the-round,
they include innovative touches like osmanthus flower foam along with Bluecoat gin, passion fruit puree, and ruby red grapefruit juice (the "Lady From Shanghai")
and rhubarb syrup with Bulleit Bourbon, mint, lemon juice and absinthe ("Touch of Evil").
—Camper English
Orson, 508 4th St., San Francisco; 415-777-1508; orsonsf.com (reviewed W&S 6/08)
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The Ritz-Carlton
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At The Ritz-Carlton Bar in San Francisco, you won't be stumped for choice. The bar offers over 70 Scotches from more than 100 distilleries. Highlights include rarities such as Tobermory, the Murray McDavid Royal Brackla 26 Year Old and the Macallan 30 Year Old. Also check out the Scotch flights, like the Glenkinchie 19 Year Old Lowland, Cragganmore Speyside 12 Year Old and Lagavulin Islay 16 Year Old, for $39.
—Kristina Shevory
The Ritz-Carlton, 600 Stockholm St., San Francisco, CA; 415-296-7465
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The Tunnel Top
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Dives are a-dime-a-dozen in San Francisco's Tender-Nob, so what is it about The Tunnel Top? Is it the long bar, upstairs nooks and cozy couches, the customer-contributed artwork, or the riddling racks that now grab the necks of scotches and bourbons? Is it the balcony, with its table-high windows looking out onto the Stockton Tunnel, where Sam Spade once hoofed it after thugs and dames? The drinks? Now you're getting warm. Owners Harveen Khera and Ludovic Racinet have assembled some of the city's most gifted mixologists and concocted a neighborhood-inspired cocktail list. Update your Negroni with a Miles Archer. Sip on a Dashiell Hammett with Fernet, Campari and lime. Or clean out your sinuses with a Wasabi Mary, the latest in liquid sushi.
—Patrick Comiskey
The Tunnel Top, 601 Bush St., San Francisco, CA; 415-982-2307
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