The Lush

You ready to get your drink on? Good. This Wednesday May 23rd is the Spring Cocktails of the Farmers Market event, the latest installment of the Farmers Market Cocktail Happy Hour series. There will be 12 bartenders serving two full-sized cocktails from Herradura Tequila and 10 smaller sample-sized drinks, along with bites from 15 Romolo, Fifth Floor, and Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen. $40, tickets here. 5:30pm-8pm. CUESA Kitchen at the Ferry Building.

~IZAKAYA YUZUKI~ in the Mission has hired Yoshi Sako from Corkage Sake and Wine Shop on Fulton to work for the restaurant. He’s one of the city’s best educators on sake and is hosting an introductory sake class at Izakaya Yuzuki on Saturday May 26th. You will taste five sakes in this one-hour class. 4:30pm. $35. RSVP here.

Starting tonight, if you feel like some live jazz and punch, swing by ~BURRITT TAVERN~ in Union Square for Jazz and Genever Tuesday. You can order Bols Genever basil peach punch on special at $5 per glass, and there will be additional Bols Genever cocktail specials as well (and the jazz is free!). Tonight for the kickoff, light appetizers will be served for the first hour. Tuesdays through June 12th, 5pm-8pm.

Fans of Iberian wines, here’s your chance to attend the most extensive annual tasting of domestically produced Spanish and Portuguese varietal wines in North America at the ~TAPAS GRAND WINE TASTING~, which takes place in the Festival Pavilion at Fort Mason Saturday June 9th, 2pm-5pm. Hosted by the Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society, the grand tasting showcases more than 40 participating wineries and growers, including limited-production, family-owned wineries pouring small-lot wines that are not widely available. Chat with the growers and producers, then buy some wine to take home ‘cause it will be available for sale at this event. There’s a silent auction too. Tickets are $65.

~PINOT DAYS~ are yours and mine come Saturday June 16th, when the eighth annual pinot grand tasting event is back in SF, incidentally, also at the Festival Pavilion. More than 170 domestic pinot producers will be on hand at the largest wine festival dedicated to pinot noir so you can taste stylistically diverse pinots from all different regions, side by side. The producers hail from the Sonoma Coast to the Willamette Valley, Anderson Valley to the Santa Rita Hills, Santa Cruz Mountains to the Russian River Valley. The public event starts at 2pm; sip and sample ‘til 5pm. Tickets are $50; take note of the related events too. (Trade, click here.) Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, enter at Marina Blvd. and Buchanan St.

Opening this Thursday May 17th is ~THE HANCOCK ROOM~, a reservations-only sidebar adjacent to Sip Bar & Lounge in Chinatown. The private room has been converted into a bar with four seating areas outfitted with antique sofas, armchairs, and coffee tables, along with satirical artwork on the walls (owner John Eric Sanchez is a big history buff). You can reserve a table Sun-Thu 5pm-2am by calling or emailing, and Fri-Sat the space is reserved for private parties with 40 or more guests (and there’s no room fee!).

The cocktail list (which will also give you a history lesson) is focused on classic and reinvented cocktails featuring brandy, bourbon, gin, rum, rye, and Scotch, like the Betsy Ross, the Colonial Cocktail, and the Hudson, as well as local beers. 1350 Powell St. at Broadway, 415-699-6545.

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned ~PLAYLAND~ was opening in the former Kimo’s on Polk. According to a detailed post on Yelp, the two-level cocktail bar is now open.

Urban Daddy mentions the décor has an amusement park theme, with “a smoke-breathing bull’s head from Guadalajara mounted on the wall. And colorful marquee lights overhead. And tchotchkes like a dancing, tambourine-playing monkey sprinkled around.” And that’s before you started drinking. On tap: Fernet, tequila, and whiskey, along with some beers, and there’s a cocktail menu that will play with the carnival theme even further (think cotton candy cosmo—I’ll just stick with my whiskey, thanks).

Live acts (including a burlesque accordion band) are mentioned on Yelp, keeping the venue’s history as a live performance venue going. Hours are Mon-Fri 4pm-2am, Sat-Sun 2pm-2am. 1351 Polk St. at Pine, 415-440-7529.

Wine lovers may want to swing by the back patio at ~EL RIO~ on Friday May 18th, since a pop-up wine bar called Mugsy’ will be happening from 5pm-8pm.

Wines will be poured from four urban wineries in Oakland, San Francisco, Berkeley, and Alameda, with a focus on women winemakers: blanc de blancs sparkling produced by Rock Wall Wines, sauvignon blanc from Urban Legend Cellars, pinot noir from Stomping Girl Wines, and a Sonoma cabernet from Gratta Wines. Wines will be about $7 a glass.

Don’t forget El Rio offers a finite batch of free oysters at 5:30pm, and homemade piadina (Italian flatbread sandwiches) are available. Mugsy’s will be happening twice a month, on alternating Fridays.

A couple wine events doubling as benefits for your consideration. First, on Wednesday May 16th, is Wine Spectacular, a wine benefit and tasting for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at ~E&O TRADING COMPANY~ from 5:30pm-8:30pm. There will be at least eight wineries, including Arcadian, Gundlach Bundschu, Mill Station, One Hope, Seghesio, Pisoni, Vine Hill, and Alexander Valley Vineyards. There will also be passed apps and 100% of the $35 admission goes to LLS. Tickets.

And this Saturday May 12th is the third Divine Wine Extravaganza in Mill Valley, a meet, greet, and tasting with premier winemakers from Northern California, like Orin Swift, Etude, and more. Held at the Maserati/Ferrari dealership, there will also be a live auction and paired hors d’oeuvres provided by Nourish, plus live music. 7pm-10pm, $95. Tickets. Proceeds will benefit Marin School of the Arts Foundation and the Narada Michael Walden Foundation.

From Thursday May 17th-Sunday May 20th, ~JASPER’S CORNER TAP & KITCHEN~ is hosting a bourbon dinner by chef Adam Carpenter; the cocktail pairings by bartender Kevin Diedrich will feature Jasper’s hand-selected Evan Williams bourbon. $50 for the prix-fixe menu with pairings; cocktails available à la carte for $10 each. Check out the full menu here.

I think you’ll like the sound of this: for the month of May, ~GRAND CAFÉ~ is going to offer half off all bottles of wine. Yup, even sparkling. The only limitation is a cap of two bottles of wine per table. Have fun! And don’t miss chef Alicia Jenish’s asparagus salad with goat cheese vinaigrette—it’s deeeelicious.

Starting this evening, ~RISTOBAR~ is offering a special wine list on Tuesdays that they’re calling 15/30, which means the restaurant is offering 15 select wines at $30 per bottle. Tonight’s list includes selections like 2009 Castello di Luzzano, “Carlino” Oltrepó Pavese Bonarda; 2010 Cantine di Dolianova, Vermentino di Sardegna; 2006 Malvira, Langhe Nebbiolo; and 2008 Poliziano, Rosso di Montepulciano.

The next time you head to ~MICHAEL MINA~ for dinner (or a drink at the bar), take a look at sommelier Josiah Baldivino’s new monthly wine feature, Hometown Heroes, which will spotlight notable wineries that have done something exceptional to define the wine industry in California. You’ll be able to access highly sought-after old and rare vintages from the cellars of wineries like Copain Wines in May, Corison Winery in June, and Peay Vineyards in July. There will be a white and red wine-by-the-glass offering from each winery, along with a vertical series of coveted library wines.

After Kimo’s, the two-level dive bar and live music spot on Polk Street, closed on New Year’s Eve, it looks like the new incarnation will be ~PLAYLAND BAR~. The owners haven’t returned our calls, so that’s all we’ve got right now: a sign. And a veiled reference to San Francisco’s Playland at the Beach. In the meantime, you can read some of Kimo’s back story in this piece by the SF Weekly from last year. 1351 Polk St. at Pine.

And the next time you swing by ~SPRUCE~, be sure to congratulate their new lead sommelier Chris Gaither on his recent accomplishment: he passed the Court of Master Sommelier’s Level III: Advanced Examination. Considering fewer than 400 people in the world have passed the exam, it’s very cheers-worthy.

Jupiter Olympus and friends are bringing ~THE TOURING POP-UP SIDESHOW SALOON~ to San Francisco on Sunday May 6th. Enjoy the saloon-inspired party and sideshow attractions (à la the 1850s) for free with RSVP. You’ll still wanna hit the ATM for the cash bar ‘cause the Jupiter Olympus mixologists will create a cocktail menu with spirits provided by Anchor Distilling Company, including vintage cocktails made with a hand-cranked Imperial cocktail shaker.

The Sideshow Saloon party is bringing a P.T. Barnum theme: look for trapeze artists performing overhead, oddities, curious mechanisms, maybe even a mermaid, plus photographic projections and live piano music. The event also celebrates the launch of The Peerless Prodigies of P.T. Barnum, a graphic novel by media historian Jillian Lerner, who will be signing. Proceeds will be donated to Reading With Pictures, a not-for-profit organization that gets comics into schools and schools into comics.

8pm-12am. 21+ only. Victorian costumes encouraged. RSVP online. General Beverage Co., 2413 Harrison St. at 20th St.

Fellow winos, take note: there are a few opportunities coming up to experience special wine dinners that don’t come around too often. Sign up soon if you wanna get a seat (maybe in a Ferrari).

Tonight, April 24th, ~MICHAEL MINA~ is hosting an exclusive SF pre-release dinner for those who want to get the first taste of the 2007 vintage of Australia’s celebrated Penfolds Grange Shiraz (Charlie Trotter did likewise in Chi-Town). Lucky guests also get exclusive tastes of the Penfolds 2009 Yattarna Chardonnay, 2009 RWT Barossa Shiraz, 2009 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2008 St. Henri Shiraz. Penfolds winemaking ambassador Matthew Lane will be in attendance, as will chief winemaker Peter Gago to share his personal back vintage favorites. By the way, Ferrari/Maserati of San Francisco will be parking a couple of their latest models out front. Advance tickets ($300) are required. Email or call Lily Lane at 707-299-3252.

On Thursday May 10th, ~PROSPECT~, alongside Radio-Coteau and Pickleweed Point Oyster Co., is presenting a Viticulture + Aquaculture dinner in celebration of California’s coastal farming communities. Pickleweed’s master shucker Luc Chamberland will start the evening with artisan-raised oysters. Prospect’s Pam Mazzola will follow with a three-course dinner, and all will be paired with Radio-Coteau wines (six total, including chardonnay, rosé, pinot noir, and syrah). 6:30pm-10pm. $185 all-inclusive. Email or call to reserve, 415-247-7767.

Monday May 21st at ~CAFÉ DES AMIS~, chef Mark Sullivan is planning a special winemaker dinner paired with the organic and biodynamic wines of Robert Sinskey. The menu includes salade verte, légumes du marché, chèvre crouton with Alsatian Blend, Robert Sinskey, Abraxas Vin de Terroir, Los Carneros 2010; smoked duck breast, spring onion, roasted cherries, sauce aux cerises with Pinot Noir, Robert Sinskey, Los Carneros 2008, and Pinot Noir, Robert Sinskey, ‘Three Amigos,’ Los Carneros 2008; grilled bavette steak, tomato confit, crispy okra, spring squash, basil with Merlot Blend, Robert Sinskey, ‘Marcien,’ Los Carneros 2006, and Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, Robert Sinskey, ‘POV,’ Los Carneros 2008; Farmstead cheese, honey, jam, nuts, walnut cranberry bread with Late Harvest Pinot Gris, Robert Sinskey, Los Carneros 2007; and strawberries, clafoutis, and canelés. 6pm. $95, exclusive of tax and gratuity. Call 415-563-7700 for resos.

After noticing some ABC license activity for the southwestern 4 Corners on Union Street, Grub Street and Eater confirm the team of Duncan Ley and Ben Bleiman (Bullitt, Tonic, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, Rebel) are taking over the space. (Side note: the team always has the funniest ownership names on their licenses; to wit: Steamed Sloth, Disgruntled Goat, and Furious Ferret.) They will be opening ~LIGHTNING~, a “hybrid of Mayhem and Bullitt,” and Michael Brennan is doing the renovation, with plans to open in early June. 1875 Union St. at Laguna.

A very charming-looking bar called ~BIG~ is now open, according to Grub Street and SFoodie. Ironically, the bar is very small, holding up to 25 guests. But it also means barman Brian Felley is going to take very customized care of you, based on your beverage likes and proclivities. Cocktails are reportedly going to run $15, but will feature very primo ingredients. Take a peek at Grub Street’s slideshow, it looks very cool. Open Thu-Sat 6pm-2am. 761 Post St. at Leavenworth.

This Thursday April 19th, Sarah Sung of UrbanDaddy is guest bartending at ~JARDINIÈRE~. She will be serving the rye-based Monte Carlo, and tequila-based Monte Carlos for $9 each (you can also get pork belly sliders for $9). All proceeds from the Monte Carlo/Carlos will go to support California Coastkeeper Alliance. 6pm-8pm.

And lastly, swing by ~TONIC~ this Thursday April 19th, and folks from the Central YMCA will be making cocktails for happy hour. All tips will go to help the YMCA provide programming and services for youth and seniors in and around the TL. 6pm-9pm. 2360 Polk St. at Union.

I’ve got some specials and info for ya, which should come in handy considering tax time has taken away a lot of surplus funds for folks this week. Let’s start with ~CREDO~ in the Financial District, which is offering happy hour specials throughout the week (2:30pm-6:30pm), through Friday April 20th. You can also get a pizza for $0.99 (or it might be $1—depends on whether you’re a 99-percenter or not) if you purchase any glass of wine or cocktail at regular price.

~RN74~ is celebrating its third birthday from April 22nd-28th. Swing by for specials like $3 takeaway treats (peanut butter mousse, vanilla bean panna cotta, French cookies), and $3 selected drinks from the happy hour menu all night.

Did you know ~BLACKBIRD~ in the Castro has been expanding their wine-by-the-glass program, offering 10 wines by the glass? There’s now a special wine flight called Blackbird Takes Flight, with three 2-oz. pours of artisanal wine and a full wine-based cocktail for $15.

Lastly, ~ANDALU~ is launching Mac and Cheese Mondays, with $2 crispy mac and cheese, $3 Trumers, and $4 Fernet all night long (5:30pm-10pm).

Opening quite a bit ahead of schedule, ~LOCAL EDITION~, the latest bar from the Destination Bars team (Brian Sheehy and Doug Dalton), is opening this Thursday. It’s located in the basement of the historic Hearst Building—some of you may remember The Manhattan Lounge from a while ago, the space’s last incarnation. It was the publishing floor for The Examiner and The Call, so you’ll see many elements like paper cutters, linotypes, historic newspapers, typewriters, and more. In fact, Dalton’s father and grandfather were both reporters, and papers with their bylines and their typewriters are both displayed. In coming months, more equipment from the archives will be revealed, like a Hearst projector that will play old Movietone newsreels. There’s a stage where you’ll also be able to listen to jazz ensembles and acoustic acts.

The space is huge—5,500 square feet—and has a seating area with room for over 100. There are banquettes, lounge chairs on rollers, and the low tables are topped with marble that was from the Hearst Castle; the bar is also made of the same marble—they found the remnants in the sub-basement and were given permission by Steve Hearst to use it (he’s been instrumental in the project). There are also high-top tables around the bar.

I spoke with Joe Alessandroni (GM, manager for Rickhouse) and Ian Scalzo (opening GM for Local Edition, GM at Bourbon & Branch, beverage director for Destination Bars) about the cocktail program, which will be inspired by mid-century (and spirit-driven) cocktails from the ’50s and ’60s. The 12 original cocktail names are based on events, people, and places of that era, with references to the newspaper business, like The Eagle (a reference to the Hearst logo) and Fidel and Che. In addition to Ian’s composed cocktails, there are “culinary highballs” (a spirit, syrup, and soda made from old-school siphons), and your table can order bottles of punch, like The Daily News, a variation on the Singapore sling with mezcal on the side. A twist on bottle service, there will also be decanter service, with a spirit served with a bucket of ice and soda.

For now, you can either make a reservation for 1 of 12 tables (you’ll be able to do so on the website), or feel free to just swing by (there are a lot of spots held for walk-ins). When it’s busy, you’ll check in with a host who will seat you when tables are available, and about 30 of the tables will have table service. Opening hours are Thu-Fri 5pm-2am, Sat 7pm-2am, and starting Monday, it will be open early-ish for happy hour (possibly 4pm) through Saturday until 2am (hours subject to change). 691 Market St. at 3rd St., 415-795-1375. (Look for the door next to the T-Mobile store.)

A couple beer dinners for your consideration: on Sunday April 15th, you can drink away your tax woes (or your refund) at this Almanac Beer Co. brewmaster’s dinner with Reform Club and chef Eric Ehler of Seoul Patch. Check out the Asian-influenced menu here. It will be your first chance to taste the new Almanac spring release of their Biere de Mars with Fennel from Heirloom Organic Gardens. $40 per person; beverage pairing $25. Reservations are available here. At Specchio, 2331 Mission St. at 19th St.

On Thursday April 26th, chef Sarah Kirnon of Miss Ollie’s is back with cicerone Sayre Piotrkowski for Beer & Soul, a night of Caribbean soul food paired with local brews from Dying Vines and Craftsman Brewing Company. You can view the menu and pairings here. The dinner will be at The Starline Social Club in Oakland, and it sounds like there will be musical performances and DJs as well. Starline’s resident mixologist, Troy Bayless (formerly of Flora) will be making Caribbean-inspired cocktails, too. $60 (tax and gratuity included). Tickets here. Guests select a half-hour block to be seated, starting every half hour from 6:30pm-9:30pm. 2232 Martin Luther King Way at W. Grand, Oakland.

On Saturday April 14th, Mauro Cirilli will be leading a class about nebbiolo where else but at ~PERBACCO~. 10:30am. $45 ($40 for NASA members).

Want to learn more about wine from some local pros? Sommelier Mark Bright of ~SAISON~ is hosting Saison Wine School on Saturdays at the restaurant, starting on Saturday April 28th. The two-hour classes will focus on wines from various regions around the world. Beginning at $125/person, it will vary depending on topic. The first class will cover sparkling wine and Champagne. Saturdays 12pm-2pm. Buy tickets through SeatMe.