Lou Bustamante

Sour Beer, Barrel-Aged Cocktails, Rogue Wineries, and More in Our 2013 DRINK Issue

Hey there. Did you know that in addition to the usual restaurant review and food stories, this week's issue of SF Weekly had a special pullout section devoted to boozing? There are some great stories in it: SFoodie beer writer Jason Henry dives into the recent craze for sour beer, including some det ... More >>

Drink of the Week: The Rastafari at Lark Creek Steak

I was enjoying lunch at Lark Creek Steak recently with a cowboy and a rastafari, and while you never would think that these two would get along so swell, there we were, having the best time. Did I mention that the cowboy was a hamburger and the rastafari was a cocktail? And no, don't worry, they wer ... More >>

Drink of the Week: Puttin' on the Bix

Veering off Montgomery onto Gold Street, a little, almost nondescript alley, feels like slipping into a hidden passageway. Walking along it I get the thrill of being in on a secret, what I imagine was half the fun of prohibition era speakeasies. The tidy little street doesn't stand out for any parti ... More >>

24 Delicious Ways to Beat the Heat in S.F.

Man, it's hot right?! Now that we're closing in on Day Three of this heat wave, we've rounded up some recent SFoodie posts guaranteed to help you cool off. We've got one more addition: Walking over to Arlequin's patio in Hayes Valley where we're writing this, we passed and couldn't resist Smitten Ic ... More >>

Food Truck Bite of the Week: Green Beans with Envy at Doc's

Our weekly bite explores the city's food trucks, one at a time, highlighting our favorite mobile dishes and snacks. The Truck: Doc's of the Bay The Cuisine: American comfort food with California tweaks Specialty Items: Midwestern smash burgers Worth the Wait in Line? Yes There is something immedia ... More >>

Food Truck Bite of the Week: Bao to the Chairman

Our weekly bite explores the city's food trucks, one at a time, highlighting our favorite mobile dishes and snacks. The Truck: The Chairman The Cuisine: Asian Street Style Snacks Specialty Items: Steamed rice flour and baked wheat bun sandwiches Worth the Wait in Line? Mostly, but the lines can get ... More >>

Food Truck Bite of the Week: Going Back to Cali

Our weekly bite explores the city's food trucks, one at a time, highlighting our favorite mobile dishes and snacks. The Truck: Señor Sigsig The Cuisine: Filipino meets SoCal Mexican Signature Item: California burritos--San Diego style creation with french fries inside. Worth the Wait in Line? Yes ... More >>

The Abbot's Cellar to Open Wednesday, July 25

Stepping inside the new Abbot's Cellar on a sunny afternoon has the bewildering effect of transporting you to a monastery courtyard. Numerous skylights on the high ceiling flood the 3,000-square-foot, stone-and-reclaimed-barn-wood interior with natural light. The use of natural materials extends to ... More >>

Drink of the Week: Cucumber Collins at Goose & Gander

For most people, it takes a talented bartender to make them enjoy a complex spirit in a cocktail, especially whisky or one they might have developed a terrible aversion for (usually tequila). For me, it takes a skilled person to have me enjoy the most basic spirit: vodka. There's nothing wrong with ... More >>

Hooked on Tonics: Pricilla Young of Brasserie S&P

Brasserie S&P at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel is officially set to open on Monday the 18th with a unique gin and tonic focused cocktail program: Patrons can customize the perfect gin & tonic for themselves by selecting one of 31 different gins (most accompanied by tasting notes), choice of tonic wate ... More >>

Cocktails at Grand Café: Classics Meet French Charm

With bar superstar power in place at Jasper's, Startlight Room, and the Fifth Floor, Kimpton Hotel group seems to be determined to improve the quality of cocktails for visitors and locals alike. Now, Kristin Almy is at the Grand Café, where she's revamped the menu to serve what she describes as "co ... More >>

Drink of the Week: A Smokin' Pair at 15 Romolo

While cigarette smoke at bars may be out, smoke in cocktails continues to fill in the void left by the ban. It's almost as if the allurement between liquor and smoke is too intrinsic to divide apart. At 15 Romolo, two cocktails shine as balanced examples of how smoke can add interesting depth to a ... More >>

SF Weekly's 2012 DRINK Pits Bartender Against Bartender, So Everyone Wins

​DRINK, SF Weekly's annual celebration of all drinks boozy, returns in less than two weeks! On March 10, the paper will be bringing together local bartenders, local drinkers, and dozens of beer, wine, and spirits producers for an afternoon of what you are welcome to justify as culinary education. ... More >>

Drink of the Week: Suck the Monkey

​Watching Mike Moran, co-owner and bartender at Hobson's Choice in the Upper Haight, make a Suck the Monkey ($10, coconut water, a blend of six rums, lime juice) by carefully using a drill and squeeze bottles on a coconut is both impressive and fascinating--besides the professor on Gilligan's Isla ... More >>

San Francisco's Top Ten Cocktail Bars

Lou BustamanteBar Agricole's moonraker: Now that's a beaut.​In the last few years, finding a bad drink in San Francisco has become harder than finding a good one. In nearly every neighborhood you'll find a bar filled with fresh juices, high-quality spirits, and a talented bartender conducting ... More >>

Brooke Arthur, Wo Hing's Cocktail Creator, on the Mission's Cocktail Culture

Lou Bustamante​Few in the bar industry have been on such a consistent and stellar climb as Brooke Arthur. With a rare combination of remarkable talent, humility, and good nature, it's no surprise Arthur has been tapped to lead such high profile bar programs such as Range, Prospect, and now Charles ... More >>

Wo Hing Cocktail Creator Brooke Arthur on Balancing the New and the Familiar

Lou Bustamante​Few in the bar industry have been on such a consistent and stellar climb as Brooke Arthur. With a rare combination of remarkable talent, humility, and good nature, it's no surprise Arthur has been tapped to lead such high profile bar programs such as Range, Prospect, and now Charles ... More >>

Park Tavern's McLaren Cocktail

Often, a great drink's greatness derives not just from a bartender's cleverness, exacting techniques, or intriguing recipes, but from the full experience of having that cocktail at the bar is terrific. The "Parks & Recreational Drinking" section at Park Tavern, where four tipples are designed and n ... More >>

Burritt Room's Winning Pair

Lou BustamanteDrink Without a Name #2​Bar manger Joel Baker's just released fall cocktail list at the Burritt Room impressed us so much that we had to make this week's choice a rare selection of two cocktails--inspired perhaps by urgency of the news that Charlie Palmer is taking over the hotel ... More >>

Carlo Splendorini Mixes Up Gin Magic

Lou BustamanteCarlo Splendorini behind the bar at Michael Mina​It's hard to say Carlo Splendorini's last name and not conjure up images of a magician, dazzling an audience with feats of the impossible--especially when he's behind the bar summoning up enchantments in liquid form. Hyperbole asid ... More >>

Bar Bambino, Sisig Surprises, & Pinkie-Wavers: This Week in Food Bloggery

CT Young/SF Weekly's Flickr stream​ Highlights from SFoodie this week: 1. Alanna Hale interviews Bar Bambino's Lizzie Binder (here's part 1 and part 2) about the Mission restaurant's switch from all-around-the-boot to Northeast Italian food, how she California-izes heavy traditional recipes, an ... More >>

Newly Renovated Dosa on Valencia Will Offer Spicy New Cocktails

Lou BustamanteDosa bar manager Lenny Gumm.When Dosa on Valencia reopens on Friday, July , the new 12-seat bar will sport more than a new design: it'll have a full bar, a new cocktail menu, and its own gin. "The cocktail list will have a few drinks from our current menu at Fillmore and a number of n ... More >>

Just How Good Is Comstock Saloon's Daily Free Lunch?

Lou BustamanteThe Cherry Bounce ($10) alone makes it worth a visit.​We reported last week that Comstock Saloon's offering a meal on the house with the purchase of two full-price drinks Monday through Friday (11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.). SFoodie has a hard time resisting the allure of a free lunch, ... More >>

Triumvirate Rum: Rumbustion Society Class Project Goes on Sale at Cask

​When Martin Cate opened Smuggler's Cove in December 2009, he initiated the Rumbustion Society, a master class in rum. Rumbustion is to rum what Julio Bermejo's Blue Agave Club at Tommy's Mexican is to tequila. Finishing the third level (200 different rums, quite a feat!) brings not only glory, bu ... More >>

Truck Backlash, Buffet Busting, & Rum School: This Week in Food Bloggery

Lou BustamanteStudy hall at Smuggler's Cove. ​Highlights from the blog this week: 1. When Martin Cate first announced his 200-rum tasting program at Smugglers' Cove, it seemed almost inconceivable that three people would make it through the full list, let alone so quickly. Lou Bustamante intervie ... More >>

Whisk(e)y 101 at CUESA

Lou Bustamante​Whisk(e)y 101 at CUESAWhere: CUESA Kitchen at the Ferry Building (in front near Gott's formerly Taylor's Refresher)When: Sat., Apr. 23, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.Cost: $50, tickets available onlineThe rundown: To the uninitiated (aka sober), whisk(e)y can feel like a daunting spirits category. B ... More >>

No. 21: Blacksmith Cellars' Chenin Blanc

Lou BustamanteBlacksmith Cellars' chenin blanc: Drink local.​SFoodie's countdown of our 92 favorite things to eat and drink in San Francisco, 2011 edition.Even with the success of Dashe Cellars in industrial Oakland and Sutton Cellars in Dogpatch, it's challenging to hear the words "urban winery" ... More >>

TomKat Asian Street-Food Preview at Sutton Cellars' Jug Sundays

Lou Bustamante​Jug Sundays/TomKat Preview at Sutton Cellars Where: Sutton Cellars, 601 22nd St. (at Illinois) When: Sun., April 17, 2-5 p.m. Cost: $5 tasting fee, refundable with any wine purchase The rundown: This weekend, Sutton Cellars continues Jug Sundays, the wine equivalent of a keg ... More >>

This Weekend: Cocktail Robots in SOMA

maubrowncow/Flickr​BarBot 2011 Where: pariSoma, 69 11th St. (at Natoma) When: Fri., Apr. 1 and Sat., Apr 2, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the door (21 and over only) The rundown: We might be generations away from having a HAL 9000 or genuine service droids, but closer than you ... More >>

Starbelly Fires Up the Patio Heaters for Family-Style Picnics

Lou Bustamante​Starbelly Patio Picnic Series Where: Starbelly, 3583 16th St. (at Market), 252-7500 When: Tue., Mar. 29-Tue., Sep. 20; 5-8 p.m. Cost: $39 per person, wine and beer beverage specials available separately. The rundown: With the weather finally acknowledging the start of sprin ... More >>

Rum 101 at the Ferry Building

Lou BustamanteMai Tai at Spoonbar.​Rum, Rum History, and Rum Cocktails Where: Ferry Building, North Arcade When: Sat., Mar. 26, 2-4 p.m. Cost: $50 The rundown: In the U.S., rum has been like soccer and the metric system ― something the rest of the world did. All that is changing, thanks ... More >>

Bar Bambino's Spinning Off Pronto, Mister Lew's Taking Time to Find Himself

Today in gossip, innuendo, and cold hard facts about the San Francisco restaurant scene. Lou BustamanteBacon and a shot at KoKo's: On the endangered species list?​Spinoff zone: Tablehopper pounces on news of the Bar Bambino spinoff planned for the renovated ODC theater at 17th Street and Shot ... More >>

The Most Americanized Sushi San Francisco Has to Offer

Lou BustamanteIs it a maki roll? A burrito? The sushirrito is ― well ― both.​This week's review was born out of a desperate curiosity to try the sushirrito. The day Sushirrito opened, offering a simple premise ― sushi burritos ― it was overwhelmed by swarms of FiDi diners. Was the sushir ... More >>

Tap That

Lou BustamanteCarl Sutton.​Jug Sundays at Sutton Cellars Where: Sutton Cellars, 601 22nd St. (at Illinois) When: Sun., Mar. 13, 2-5 p.m. Cost: Free The rundown: Things are always better by the barrel: monkeys, fun. Also wine. This Sunday, Carl Sutton of Sutton Cellars hosts the first in a ... More >>

Saturday: Cocktail Gladiators Do Battle at Drink

Lou BustamanteRachel Ford.​Tomorrow night at SF Weekly's Drink party at the Fairmont, there'll be an epic battle between bartenders, live on stage, with Combier liqueur as the main ingredient. Tastes of the competitors' cocktails will be provided to attendees, along with all the spirits being ... More >>

Getting Meat into Cocktails is Tricky but Doable

There have been a few constants in humanity's aspirations: finding out if we're all alone in the universe, immortality, and successfully getting meat to work in a cocktail. The latter is remarkably delicate work. Go too far in the meat direction and it can get gross (and yes, for vegans and vegeta ... More >>

SFoodie Writers Get Inked in Drink, the Weekly's Annual Bar Guide

​Maybe you shook your print copy of SF Weekly today and something fell out? No, it wasn't a handbill for some, um, CEO massage from a backroom advertiser, or a half-off coupon for Tila Tequila Uncorked! No doubt it was Drink, the Weekly's annual bar and nightlife guide, which you can read onli ... More >>

Shot and a Beer ― 15 of 'Em ― at the Boothby

64MM/Flickr​1 Bourbon, 1 Scotch, and 1 Beer Where: The Boothby Center for the Beverage Arts, 1161 Mission (at Eighth St.), Ste. 120 When: Sat., Feb. 19, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Cost: $45 The rundown: As much as we love cocktails, sometimes all we want is the simplicity of a shot and a beer. Boiler ... More >>

Where to Toast Love (or Loneliness) This Weekend

Lou BustamanteProspect's Forbidden Fruit, a lush Valentine's special.​The old saying "candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker" might not always be true, but our experience shows that cupid is most effective when firing shots of booze, not arrows. With that in mind, here's SFoodie's guide for fin ... More >>

No. 74: Comstock Saloon's Pisco Punch

Lou BustamantePisco Punch at Comstock Saloon, a cocktail with a lineage.​SFoodie's countdown of the 92 best things to eat and drink in San Francisco, 2011 edition. ​The one issue all cocktail historians can agree on is this: Determining the origin of a drink is imprecise work. Like most ... More >>

Sushi Burrito = Sushirrito (and Crazy-Long Lines)

Lou BustamanteSushirrito's Three Amigos, $10.50: Tuna, salmon, and hamachi with avocado and yuzu tobiko, served with rice chips.​First things first: If something isn't wrapped in or contained by a tortilla or grain-based flatbread of some kind, you really shouldn't call it a taco or a burrito ... More >>

Saturday: Rum and Pana-Mania at Smuggler's Cove

Lou Bustamante​Abuelo Rum at Smuggler's Cove Where: Smuggler's Cove, 650 Gough (at McAllister), 869-1900 When: Sat., Jan. 22, 5 p.m. sharp Cost: Free with Facebook RSVP The rundown: Put on your finest montuno and open up your locks for Pana-mania, as rum nucleus Smuggler's Cove hosts Rica ... More >>

S.F.'s Best Hot Drinks for a Cold Season

It may be the most festive time of year, but expecting to get through the holidays on cheer alone is a challenge best left to our friends at the North Pole. The hot holiday cocktail can work wonders thawing out even the most disheartened Heat Miser. Behold the season's best warmers, and where to f ... More >>

SFoodie Advent Calendar, Day 7: Boccalone's Black Truffle Mortadella

Lou BustamanteBits of black truffle add perfume to Boccalone's holiday-issue mortadella.​The SFoodie Advent Calendar counts down the days before Christmas/Nondenominationalwinterholiday, one treat at a time.The cold and rain of December always finds us fighting a losing battle against salty-fa ... More >>

The Presidio Social Club's Tim Stookey Turns Back Time

Lou BustamanteThe Presidio Social Club's Tim Stookey.​ When I was growing up in the Bay Area, trips to San Francisco were defined by its sights and smells: the damp, cool, mineral scent that arrives with the fog; the menthol chill of the eucalyptus groves; and the sudden calm of stepping from nois ... More >>

S.F.'s New Generation of Bar Stars: Kyle and Rachel Ford

Lou BustamanteRachel and Kyle Ford.​SFoodie's series focusing on San Francisco's up-and-coming stars behind the stick, the Muppet Babies of the shaker. Who: Kyle and Rachel Ford Where to find them: Kyle at Rye and 15 Romolo, Rachel at Rickhouse Background: Although a bartending couple isn't ... More >>

Whisky, Pie, and Franken Berry: The Week in Food Bloggery

Benimoto/FlickrYou think you can bake like this?​Highlights from the blog and beyond:1. You have two days left in WhiskyWeek, another excuse to get drunk in the name of furthering your culinary education. Lou Bustamante offers a primer on whiskey/whisky (getting the spelling right is one of the ba ... More >>

SF Cocktail Week Wraps Up Tonight with Chartreuse-Fueled Karaoke

Lou BustamanteFriday's Happy Hour at Epic Roasthouse featured Camber Lay mixing it up.​Cocktail Week festivities continued full force over the weekend, made better only by the perfect weather. Friday night's Epic Happy Hour provided an ideal venue for enjoying the sun, bay view, bite-sized bur ... More >>

Learning Can Be Fun

SF Cocktail Week, May 11-18

All events are 21 and over only.