Email Author Lou Bustamante

2010 Stories by Lou Bustamante

• Spoonbar's Scott Beattie Talks Cocktails at Plum, Bracina

  published Aug 31, 2010

  After stopping by Spoonbar in Healdsburg earlier this month, we sat down to chat with Scott Beattie for a taste of what to expect behind the bar at Plum, the perennially delayed Bracina, and other pro... More >>

• What to Drink at This Weekend's Eat Real Festival

  published Aug 27, 2010

  SFoodie has already passed along tips for navigating this weekend's Eat Real Festival (which kicks off this afternoon across the Bay in Jack London Square), but don't think we'd forget to break down s... More >>

• The Comp Question: Should Bars Let Industry Colleagues Drink for Freer

  published Aug 26, 2010

  One of the notable things about the restaurant business is its camaraderie, even among business in direct competition with each other. It's common for folks in the trade to visit one another's establi... More >>

• What to Drink at Tomorrow's SF Street Food Festival

  published Aug 20, 2010

  Until recently, most Americans considered eating on the street a desperate act of necessity, or the result of drunkenness on a Hasselhoffian scale. On the eve of the second annual La Cocina-sponsored ... More >>

• At Spoonbar in Healdsburg, Scott Beattie Riffs on Classic Warm-Weather Cocktails

  published Aug 19, 2010

  On a recent fog-soaked day in the city, the promise of sunshine lured us north to the warmth of Healdsburg, Yountville's counterpart as a showcase of Sonoma County's best food and drink. While Yountvi... More >>

• Fresh Eats: Urban winery in Dogpatch, Farm:Table is small but beautiful

  published August 18, 2010

  An Urban Winery Grows in Dogpatch By Lou Bustamante Despite sometimes living up to the grittiness of its name, Dogpatch... More >>

• A Guide to Drinking (and Other Delights) at SFChefs This Weekend

  published Aug 13, 2010

  SFChefs, San Francisco's sprawling, second annual restaurant-driven gastro-thon kicks off tonight under the tent in Union Square. Eating and drinking will begin in earnest following the official ribbo... More >>

• Sutton Cellars: An Urban Winery Grows in Dogpatch

  published Aug 12, 2010

  Despite occasionally living up to the grittiness of its name, the Dogpatch is becoming one of the best neighborhoods in the city for food. Right off the T line, it boasts some notable residents: Recch... More >>

• Bar Agricole Sets Firm Launch Date

  published Aug 10, 2010

  Bar Agricole, the much-anticipated Northern Californian-style tavern from Thad Vogler and Eric Johnson, has set a firm launch date of next Monday, Aug. 16, and has begun taking reservations via OpenTa... More >>

• Cruising for a Boozing: Where to Drink This Weekend

  published Aug 05, 2010

  Summer may have skipped us completely this year, but that doesn't mean we can't pretend and warm up with cocktails and spirits from balmier parts of the globe. Saturday at Tres Agaves, Liquor.com has... More >>

• Smuggler's Cove Marks Black Tot Day, End of the British Navy's Rum Ration

  published Jul 30, 2010

  Smuggler's Cove is celebrating one of the most famous days in rum history tomorrow: Black Tot Day, 40th anniversary of the end of a 300-year-old British Royal Navy tradition of the sailor's rum ration... More >>

• Tales of the Cocktail Blows Into New Orleans Today. Rickhouse Represent!

  published Jul 21, 2010

  One of the world's biggest gatherings celebrating the history and culture of drinking hits New Orleans today. Tales of the Cocktail 2010 consists of 125 events ranging from seminars, demos, tastings, ... More >>

• Bar Agricole's Finally Set to Open in August. Here's What You'll Be Drinking

  published Jul 14, 2010

  Chronicle wine editor Jon "Bee in the Bonne" gets the scoop on the highly anticipated opening of Bar Agricole, now set to open August 15. The project is the brainchild of Thad Vogler and Eric Johnso... More >>

• 'Chartreuse Todd' Offering Ilegal Tastes at Beretta Tomorrow

  published Jul 12, 2010

  Brace your liver. The next in the series of Beretta guest bartender nights is happening tomorrow and features both a visiting personality along with two showcased spirits. Todd Richman from NYC will ... More >>

• Enotria iPhone App Offers Wine Pronunciation Tips

  published Jul 09, 2010

  The food world is a mispronunciation minefield, especially as dishes and ingredients from around the world become commonplace on more restaurant menus. SFoodie's "Don't Sound Like a Tool" series striv... More >>

• CUESA Summer Cocktail Night an Excuse to Eat r Er, Drink r Your Veggies

  published Jul 02, 2010

  As children, many of us came to mistrust savory drinks as con jobs to make us ingest some hated vegetable. To help us overcome our stereotypes, perhaps, CUESA and the United States Bartenders' Guild... More >>

• Gran Classico: An Ancient Liqueur Comes Back

  published Jul 01, 2010

  Maybe it's just us looking at the world through drunk-colored glasses, but it's never been a better time to have a drink. As the national interest in cocktails and the standard of quality in bars inc... More >>

• The Story Behind Comstock Saloon's Happy Hour 'Headbutt'

  published Jun 29, 2010

  Happy hours are like pizza and sex: Even when it's bad, it's still pretty good. SFoodie's weekly happy hour pick presents some of the best places to nosh and drink for cheap, but some drink specials ... More >>

• Berkeley's Tres Agaves Tequila Designed to Be Margarita Friendly

  published Jun 28, 2010

  Oh, how the Bay Area loves its tequila. Even those of us who cut our teeth on cheap "gold" rotgut have learned to appreciate the complexity and character of 100 percent blue agave. Since the margari... More >>

• Q & A with Kevin Diedrich, the Man Behind the Burritt Room

  published May 26, 2010

  With the recent addition to the city's cocktail armada of Comstock Saloon and upcoming openings of Bar Agricole and Prospect, San Francisco bartenders are making it increasingly difficult to go out an... More >>

• Prospect Cocktail Preview Tuesday at Beretta

  published May 24, 2010

  Prospect, the highly anticipated restaurant and bar project from the talented Boulevard group due for The Infinity building at 300 Spear might not be open yet, but tomorrow you'll be able to catch an ... More >>

• Comstock Saloon: Barbary Coast Redux, with Luxe Food and Liquor

  published May 20, 2010

  After a few delays, Comstock Saloon, the highly anticipated authentic Barbary Coast era project from Absinthe bar duo Jonny Raglin and Jeff Hollinger, is finally open. The centerpiece is a beautifull... More >>

• Mix Produce with Booze and What Do You Getr CUESA's Spring Cocktail Party

  published May 17, 2010

  On Wednesday, CUESA and the San Francisco branch of the United States Bartenders' Guild will be transforming the front arcade of the Ferry Building into a cocktail party with some of the city's leadin... More >>

• S.F. Bar Stars Shine at Manhattan Cocktail Classic, Ft. Mason Gala

  published May 13, 2010

  A word of warning to drinkers in the Bay Area this weekend: The Manhattan Cocktail Classic, NYC's first-ever multi-day festival celebrating the history, contemporary culture, and artful craft of the c... More >>

• Nopalito's Agave-Steeped Cocktail Program Goes Live Today

  published May 10, 2010

  Starting today, Nopalito is officially opening the bar, allowing diners to sip a margarita along with the mole poblano. The cocktail and spirits program is designed and run by Nopa bar manager Neyah ... More >>