The Lush

Now, I am hoping most of you will end up paying me a visit at Jardinière before heading out and getting blotto on pisco… But just the same, I thought you should know that this Wednesday July 28th, a couple bars around town will be celebrating Peruvian Independence Day.

~CANTINA~ will be offering an extensive and exclusively pisco cocktail menu all night, along with complimentary snacks at happy hour. There will be shots o’ the newly released Campo de Encanto for $4, and pisco punch for $1. Cuidado! 580 Sutter St. at Mason, 415-398-0195.

And ~PISCO LATIN LOUNGE~ will be serving hosted pisco sours (the official national drink of Peru) from 6pm-7pm, made with Pisco 100 acholado. For the remainder of the night, the cocktail will be $6; next door at Destino, you’ll be able to order any two cocktails for the price of one from 5pm-7pm. 1817 Market St. at Octavia, 415-874-9951.

This Thursday July 29th, ~ANZU~ is hosting their monthly sake happy hour (it’s every month on fourth Thursdays). You will be able to have all-you-can-taste sake, and all-you-can-eat appetizers by chef Philippe Striffeler. Featured sakes include Mizbasho Ginjo, Yaegaki Nigori, Katana “Extra Dry” Junmai Ginjo, and Yaegaki Kuro-Bin “Black Bottle.” $25 in advance (simply call the restaurant to make a reservation and secure your spot), $30 at the door. 5:30pm-7:30pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. at O’Farrell, 415-394-1100.

~CODA~ is hosting another Meet The Winemaker Happy Hour with Michael Martella on Thursday July 29th. There will be a complimentary tasting of select Thomas Fogarty and Martella Wines (special prices for glasses and bottles will be available). DJ Guillermo (Sweater Funk) will be playing select jazz and soul.

Looking for a few new places to get your happy hour mojo on? ~ARMANI CAFE~ hosts an “Aperitivo Milanese” every Thursday evening from 5pm-7pm. Cocktails are $9, and come with appetizers like bite-size pizzas, crostini with sun-dried tomato tapenade or salmon and dill spread, small portions of cold pasta salad, and caprese salad skewers. 1 Grant Ave. at O’Farrell, 415-677-9010.

Every Friday, ~THE WINE CLUB~ does a $5 happy hour from 5pm-7pm. They open up all the new wine they get in the store that week and share it with customers (so sometimes customers can taste as many as 15 wines). They also serve food, like sushi from Ozumo, or Indian, Mediterranean, or Mexican bites. 953 Harrison St. at 6th St., 415-512-9086.

Starting Monday August 2nd, ~MIJITA AT THE FERRY BUILDING~ will be launching a special ‘Mijita Hour’ (AKA happy hour), featuring $5 margaritas and free chips and salsa with a margarita purchase. Every Mon-Fri 5pm-7pm. (Mijita at AT&T Park will continue the same happy hour special on non-game weekdays from 5pm-7pm.) 1 Ferry Building, 415-399-0814; 24 Willie Mays Plaza, 415-644-0240.

This could prove to be dangerous, but at a baseline, really fun: I’ll be guest bartending at the J-Lounge at ~JARDINIÈRE~ next Wednesday July 28th from 5:30pm-8pm. No, I won’t be making complicated and multi-layered drinks, but I will be schooled enough to serve up The Enchantress (a bourbon-based drink, natch), priced at a wallet-friendly $9. Which means you can save money for my book (which I’ll be selling for $17.50 and can sign for you—and perhaps shake some bitters on it, no additional charge). This will be the first session in a guest bartender series in the J-Lounge—I guess they’ll have to see how much damage I do. Fortunately I’ll have barman Brian MacGregor there to keep me in line. So come on by for a bourbon bevvie, my book, and I’ll try my best bartender jokes on you.

It’s a two-fer of bubbly options for you: this Wednesday July 21st, ~OTTIMISTA ENOTECA-CAFÉ~ in Cow Hollow is hosting a night of Bisol Prosecco from 6pm-9pm. Special guest Roberto Cremonese will be pouring and discussing his estate’s wines tableside—you can choose the bubbles by the glass or enjoy a tasting flight of all the wines. 

To accompany the wines, the à la carte menu for the evening will feature dishes inspired by the Veneto region.

And then starting this Thursday July 22nd, Veuve Clicquot is starting Full Moon Thursdays. Every month, Downtown’s ~BELDEN PLACE~ will be hosting a Full Moon Clicquot party in the alley’s restaurants, featuring Veuve Clicquot discounts, food pairings, and free entertainment. Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label will be featured by the glass for $18 (approximately $24 per glass is the usual price) all day and night. To kick off the series, the Fou Fou Ha dance troupe will be performing from 6:30pm-9:30pm. Upcoming dates include August 26th, September 23rd, October 21st, November 21st, and December 23rd.

2010 continues to prove itself to be the year of beer, because here’s another addition to the local sudsy scene: ~OLD OAK BEER CO.~ The partners in the project are Jesse Friedman, home brewer and publisher behind the Beer and Nosh blog, and Damian Fagan, a designer and fellow home brewer. Now, I wasn’t able to get many details out of Friedman, who is getting ready for his wedding this weekend (congrats!), but the gents are going to be offering a farm-to-bottle approach to brewing, one that is sustainably minded, with limited seasonal quantities. They are going to be gearing their product for the San Francisco restaurant and food scene (more on what that means soon), and will feature a unique look (it helps to partner with a designer). I wasn’t able to get any details (yet) on where they’re brewing their beer, or what ales they’re brewing, but they already have a batch in production which should be released in late fall. Expect more on this project in a month or so. Hic.

Starting this Wednesday July 21st, ~SOCIAL KITCHEN & BREWERY~ begins its monthly Brewmaster’s Dinner Series. This month’s menu will be omnivore- and vegetarian-friendly and will include an appetizer reception, salad course, main course, and dessert. Each course will be paired with a Social Kitchen & Brewery beer, and the reception will include three appetizers paired with two beers and a beer cocktail.

Brewmaster Rich Higgins and chef Dante Simoncini came up with the theme of comfort food for this inaugural dinner; selections from the menu will include: Bavarian cheese Obaster paired with Social Kölsch; chicken wings paired with a Rapscallion Belgian ale-cilantro-jalapeño cocktail; braised beef stroganoff or ratatouille served family style with egg noodles, horseradish sour cream sauce, trio of peas, and seared oyster mushrooms paired with Old Time Alt; and a mystery mocha paired with L’Enfant Terrible. Upcoming dinners will include a pasta dinner, vegan dinner, spicy-picante dinner, garlic dinner, and pickled dinner. And here’s the best part: it’s only $30, and includes the beer pairings.

On Thursday July 22nd, ~SHOW DOGS~ is hosting Beer & Bites in partnership with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. $20 gets you some Speakeasy Prohibition Ale, Black Butte Porter, Scrimshaw Pilsner, 21st Amendment’s Hell, or High Watermelon Wheat, as well as bar bites, including mini Field Roast vegetarian dogs, homemade lamb merguez sausages, 49’er corn dogs, barbecue fries, onion rings (the best in the city, IMHO), and more.

The goal is to raise awareness of the organization’s “Great Streets Project,” which is improving Market Street. Guests are encouraged to ride their bikes and will be offered complimentary valet bike parking in front of Show Dogs. Proceeds will help support the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.

~RIESLING WEEK~ is coming to San Francisco July 26th-August 1st, when restaurants and retailers in San Francisco will offer specials on rieslings from Germany, Austria, and Alsace—look for by-the-glass selections, discounted bottles, and food-pairing menus. Confirmed restaurants include Fifth Floor, Ana Mandara, Orson, COCO500, and more. For a complete list of participants, click here.

Wine retailers will also host European riesling tastings throughout the week. On July 24th, the folks at Dee Vine Wine (direct importers of German rieslings) will be hosting a tasting event to kick off San Francisco’s Riesling Week 2010. There will be a dozen rieslings of different styles, paired with a variety of sampler plates from six food stations. 12pm-5pm. $44 in advance, $54 at the door. Price includes a logo glass, program notes, and a collection of riesling-friendly recipes. Pier 19, on the Embarcadero. For a complete list of participants, click here.

It’s time for another fun food and wine pairing with Broc Cellars winery on Sunday July 11th. Three new wines will be released: a white blend, a red blend, and a 120-year-old vine carbonic maceration carignan. Chef Ian Begg of ~NAKED LUNCH~ will be preparing very specific food pairings for each wine.

Coming to Spruce on Monday July 19th is Radio Coteau’s winemaker, Eric Sussman, for a winemaker dinner. Here’s more: “Radio-Coteau works closely with select cool-climate coastal vineyard sites in Western Sonoma County and Anderson Valley to produce wines with vibrant, balanced fruit and a distinct sense of place. They focus on detailed and sustainable viticulture in conjunction with a natural, non-interventionalist approach in the cellar to more accurately reflect the unique character of each site and season. Their pinot noirs are elegant and perfumed, syrahs are bold and balanced, and chardonnays are rich with lingering acidity.” You can check out the menu here, which includes lardo-wapped squab. Uh huh.

On Monday July 19th, Bi-Rite wine expert Trac Le will pour and discuss unexpected and lesser-known wines and winemakers from Italy during this tasting: ~CHE SORPRESA! OFF-BEAT WINES OF ITALY~. You’ll taste both reds and whites that offer refreshing and intriguing experiences beyond Sangiovese and Chianti. (Snacks provided.)

(Little-known) fact: beer pairs beautifully with pastry! Come see and taste for yourself at the third beer and pastry pairing event at ~THOROUGH BREAD AND PASTRY~ on Saturday July 24th. The event features around six beers and six (small) pastries for a total of 12 pairings. Just have a light dinner before arriving at the event at the 8pm start time—and obviously save room for dessert! This event will be led by certified sommelier, Raj Dev. 21 and over, limited to 30 ticket holders (no refunds).

The East Bay Vintner’s Alliance (EBVA) will host the fifth annual ~URBAN WINE XPERIENCE~ on Saturday July 31st in the Jack London Pavilion. There will be 19 urban wineries pouring a variety of sparkling wines, whites, rosés, and reds (over 60 wines in all), with food from 19 local restaurants and food purveyors.

Participating wineries from the EBVA will include Adams Point Winery, Andrew Lane Wines, Aubin Cellars, Blacksmith Cellars, Cerruti Cellars, Dashe Cellars, Ehrenberg Cellars, Eno Wines, Irish Monkey, JC Cellars, Periscope Cellars, Prospect 772 Wine Company, R&B Cellars, Rock Wall Wine Company, Rosenblum Cellars, Stage Left Cellars, Tayerle Wines, Urban Legend Cellars, and Urbano Cellars.

Participating restaurants and food purveyors will include Adagia, Angela’s Bistro, Asena, B Restaurant, Bellanico, Bocanova, Brown Sugar Kitchen, C’Era Una Volta, Chef Cynthia, Chop Bar, Fra’Mani and Ethan’s Culinary Service, Italian Colors, KIND Healthy Snacks, Little House Café, Paradise, Pappo, Savory Events of Oakland, Shay’s Café, Wood Tavern, and Yoshi’s Oakland. There will also be live music provided by Yoshi’s Oakland; attendees can take home their signature wine glass. ($15 tickets for non-drinking guests are available at the door only.)

Starting Monday July 5th, you’re going to have a great way to start your week at ~SOCIAL KITCHEN & BREWERY~ in the Inner Sunset. How great? Well, how about mimicking the way they do things in Köln and Düsseldorf, with a never-empty glass? That’s right: from 6pm-10pm, servers will be circulating throughout the room with trays of freshly-poured beers, serving you a nice cold one every time your glass is dangerously empty—so you never have to flag a server down again. SKB is going to be hosting this little recreation on their mezzanine (soon to become the mess-anine?), with Monday nights designated as Köln Nights, exclusively featuring Social Kölsch (4.8% ABV), and Tuesday nights will be Düsseldorf Nights, exclusively featuring Old Time Alt (4.5% ABV). Each glass of beer is $3, and will be tallied when you tap out. German appetizers (obaster cheese spread, sausages, pretzels, housemade mustard) will be offered, compliments of the house, from 6pm-7pm, and food may be ordered from the regular menu all evening. Meanwhile, if you want to partake in SKB’s other handcrafted beers, or prefer to order your beers one at a time, just stay put in the dining room. And for this launch week, brewmaster Rich Higgins will be on hand to answer any sudsy questions.

One more thing to note: the kitchen is now open until 11pm Sun-Thu, and until midnight Fri-Sat. Nice!

Pouring its first glasses of wine for the public tonight is ~INNER FOG~, a new corner wine bar in the Inner Sunset. I mentioned it back in November; it’s from John Nettesheim, who wanted to create a comfortable space where people could hang out and enjoy quality wines. He has 75 wines on the list, with 17 by the glass—look for an international selection of small production wines. There are 32 seats in all at the bar, tables, and in a few comfortable seating areas with couches. There are five kinds of cheese on the menu for now, and look for charcuterie, desserts, and other items to be added in time. Hours are Tue-Wed 2pm-10pm, Thu 2pm-11pm, Fri 2pm-12am, Sat 12pm-12am, and Sun 12pm-9pm. 555 Irving St. at 7th Ave., 415-682-4116.

Coming up on Thursday July 8th at the W San Francisco is a Vino & Vinyasa event with lululemon athletica. The evening begins with a complimentary yoga session led by Sean Haleen, who teaches Anusara-inspired and Vinyasa flow yoga, which will be suitable for yoga newbies and veterans alike. Bring your mat for a one-hour session, followed by a goal-setting workshop with a wine tasting courtesy of Napa Valley’s organic and sustainable Long Meadow Ranch Winery (nothing like setting goals while a little tipsy). Vino & Vinyasa guests may also cool down with a post-yoga dip in W San Francisco’s pool. Complimentary; RSVP here.

Starting July 14th, you can return for complimentary one-hour yoga sessions hosted by lululemon every other Wednesday at 6:30pm through the end of the year. All participants are invited to take a dip in W San Francisco’s pool from 7:30pm-8:30pm.

It’s the eighth annual half-off wine promotion at ~LARK CREEK RESTAURANT GROUP~’s Bay Area restaurants. All wine will be offered at half price for brunch, lunch, and dinner throughout the entire month of July (there are no restrictions on the day of the week or the meal period). Yup, that 2007 Robert Sinskey pinot noir just went down to $34.50 (regularly $69). Participating restaurants of the Lark Creek Restaurant Group include The Tavern at Lark Creek in Larkspur; One Market Restaurant and LarkCreekSteak in San Francisco; Lark Creek Walnut Creek; Yankee Pier in Larkspur, Lafayette and at Santana Row in San Jose; and Parcel 104 at the Santa Clara Marriott (Friday evenings only). The half-price wine discount cannot be combined with any other offer.

Are you a fan of savory flavors in your cocktails? Then the next ~FARMERS MARKET COCKTAIL NIGHT~ will be right up your alley. The event is presented by the Center for Urban Education About Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA) and the San Francisco Chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild (USBG).

On Wednesday July 7th, you will be able to enjoy cocktails from Kate Bolton from Wexler’s, Michael Callahan from Gitane, Martin Cate from Smuggler’s Cove, Tony Devencenzi from Bourbon & Branch, Kyle Ford from The Savoy Tivoli, Rachel Ford from Cigar Bar, Robert Gonzales—USBG Nor Cal Ambassador, Daniel Hyatt from The Alembic, Shaher Misif from Cantina, and Ethan Terry from 15 Romolo.

For $33, guests will enjoy two full-sized signature cocktails made with Auchentoshan Single Malt Lowland Scotch Whisky and Russell’s Reserve Small Batch Bourbon. You will also taste eight sample-sized drinks made with summer produce in combination with Blue Coat Gin, Combier Liqueur d’Orange, FAIR Vodka, Leblon Cachaça, Neisson Rhum Agricole Blanc, Tequila Fortaleza, Tres Agaves Tequila, VeeV Açaí Spirit, and Wild Geese Irish Whiskey.

Hors d’oeuvres will be provided by local restaurants 15 Romolo, Bix, Comstock Saloon, Flour + Water, Perbacco, Tacolicious, Plum, and Kika’s Treats. All proceeds benefit CUESA & the USBG equally. Cheers!

Coming up on Wednesday July 14th, Dr. Champagne (aka Jerry Horn) is hosting one of his infamous Champagne dinners at ~PIAZZA D’ANGELO~ in Mill Valley. He will be pairing four choice French Champagnes with four savory courses from chef Massimo Covello—and they’re big pours, so you’ll have practically a bottle’s worth when all is said and done (so take a cab, hic).

Here’s the menu:
Fiori di Zucca: Capay Farm zucchini blossom filled with smoked mozzarella, Bellwether ricotta, and diced zucchini served with La Tercera Farm agretti and Capay Farm heirloom tomato, with Champagne Deutz Brut Millesime, 2002, Ay.

Branzino in Carpaccio: California white sea bass carpaccio served with Arrowsmith Farm micro salad, capers, and dressing, with Champagne Laurent Perrier Brut Rosé, multi-vintage, Tours-sur-Marne.

Risottino di Funghi Porcini: Vialone Nano rice with Champagne wine, porcini mushroom, Star Route cresta di gallo herb, and aged Parmigiano Reggiano (24 months), with Champagne Jean Vesselle Oeil de Perdrix Brut, nonvintage, Bouzy.

Filetto con Finocchi: roasted Niman Ranch beef tenderloin, with braised Star Route fennel and summer Zuckerman Farms potato, with Champagne Louis Roederer Brut Rosé Millesime, 2004, Reims.

Fantasie di Frutti di Bosco: trios of Fairfield Farm blueberry, Ortiz raspberry, and Lucero Farm strawberry dessert.

The restaurant will not be collecting your payment—please send a personal check for $120 per person no later than Saturday July 10th made out to: Jerry Horn. Mail it to: 12 Sunnyside Ave., Mill Valley, CA, 94941, or drop if off at the Woodlands Market wine department and hand it to Jerry in person. No last-minute diners at the door on the evening of the event. Email Jerry with any inquiries; please don’t call the restaurant.

At the end of June, after four years as the barman at ~NOPA~, the talented Neyah White will be leaving to be the West Coast Brand Ambassador for Yamazaki Single Malts. Yanni Kehagiaras and Kent Howard will then be assuming the management of the bar program at Nopa. Yanni was the bar manager at Bourbon and Branch before joining the Nopa team in late 2008 (he will be responsible for the creative aspect behind the bars at Nopa and now Nopalito). Kent, who has bartended at Nopa since 2007, will work jointly with Yanni in the bar operations of Nopa.

I guess the bar at ~ABSINTHE BRASSERIE & BAR~ was already busy enough, so bar manager Carlos Yturria had to open his new monthly “pop-up bar” (called Pickled) in the private dining room (PDR). The last Monday of every month, you’ll be able to go into the PDR for a special cocktail menu (there will be 7-8 cocktails, priced between $10-$12) featuring a variety of spirits. Absinthe’s sous chef Allison Harvey and pastry chef Luis Villavelazquez will be putting together a menu of 5 bar snacks, all priced at $4, including homemade salt and vinegar chips, pickled asparagus, American cheese and prosciutto biscuits, and more. It all starts on Monday June 28th.

This Thursday June 24th, there will be a complimentary wine tasting with Randall Grahm from Bonny Doon Vineyard at ~CODA~ from 5:30pm-7:30pm. This Meet the Winemaker Happy Hour will include a complimentary tasting of select Bonny Doon Vineyard wines, with music from DJ Jacob Pena of Colombia y Panama. Guests must be 21 or older to attend this event.

When I lived in Venezia (Italy), I knew all about grabbing a little “ombra”—it’s a term in Venetian dialect for the small glasses of wine you could get at wine bars (bacari) all over town. Starting Saturday June 26th, from 9pm until closing, ~BELLANICO RESTAURANT & WINE BAR~ is introducing Ombra Hour, offering cicchetti (small Venetian snacks) at half price, with over 25 selections of ombras (3 oz. tastes of wines); the offer will continue to run nightly for the last hour of service. To kick it off, Bellanico will be offering complimentary cicchetti with the purchase of a taste or glass of wine this Saturday. 4238 Park Blvd. at Wellington, Oakland, 510-336-1180.

This Sunday June 27th, more than 500 acclaimed pinots will be poured at the 6th annual ~PINOT DAYS GRAND FESTIVAL~ in San Francisco, and more than 220 winemakers will be present. There are also three thematic Focus Tastings, a special Producer Spotlight tasting with winemaker Adam Lee of Siduri Wines, and tastings at local wine venues, including District, MO Bar, and Ottimista Enoteca-Café. The Grand Festival entry fee is $60, but tablehopper readers get 15% off the ticket price (the discount code is tablehsf10).

Pig. Booze. Deep-fried Monte Cristo sandwiches. Yeah, you heard that right. This Wednesday June 16th, Orson is hosting another one of its infamous ~PIG AND BOOZE DINNERS~. The menu is only $40 (pairings are another $25)—here’s the lineup:

Amuse
Mini bahn mi with pork tongue, Vietnamese pickles, basil, mint, cilantro
Bubbles with absinthe or Goose Island Mathilde beer

First Course
Dandelion greens, maple and soy pork floss, quail egg
Riesling Spätlese trocken, Mosel, or Hopf Dunkel

Main Course
Porchetta, corn and broccoli raab chow chow, natural pork jus
Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley or Maker’s Mark Manhattan

Dessert Course
Monte Cristo with true Canadian bacon, Swiss cheese, strawberry jam, smoked almond ice cream
Amontillado sherry

Chef Dominique Crenn of Luce and Daniel Hyatt of The Alembic came up with this unconventional concept of ~MINUTE/MINUIT~ (as in à la minute, and minute, as in tiny). The first one is this Sunday June 20th. And here’s the twist: it starts at midnight, to celebrate the kickoff of summer. The inaugural event will feature four courses of innovative dishes with pisco-based cocktails, and Crenn will be collaborating with chef Ted Fleury of The Alembic.

Here’s the delish-sounding menu: amuse: tomato water and pisco gelée shot/sea urchin/caviar. First course: a dish to enjoy the difference of temperature: hiramasa and coconut snow/mackerel “escabeche,” and soba/arctic char “duck fat,” pisco-impregnated watermelon, and Daniel’s pairing: pisco, matcha, fennel, jalapeño. Second course: abalone/oxtail/oxtail consommé/flowers, and Daniel’s pairing: pisco, cherry, red miso, chervil. Third course: squab/texture of summer strawberries, and Daniel’s pairing: pisco, rhubarb soda, BBQ spice. For dessert: apricot/peach and pisco vacherin/peach sorbet, and Daniel’s pairing: pisco, smoked black tea, lemon, wildflower honey, soy caramel, egg white. I know, god damn. It’s $50 (not including tax and tip), and since seating is extremely limited, be sure to reserve ahead of time via email, and Daniel will get back to you.