#2082 - The Nags Head, San Francisco - 3/1/2013

The Nags Head appears to be basically a dive for beginner drinkers, with candy flavored drinks named for desserts, candies, and various sexual acts ("Bubble Gum," "Chocolate Cake," "Blow Job").

5346 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121 - (415) 387-9510                  
Reviews: brokeassstuart - yelp

#2081 - Tommy's Mexican, San Francisco -3/1/2013

Well, as of this night, and my chat with Julio, I no longer order salt on my margaritas. Tommy's was opened in 1965 by Tommy Bermejo, serving Mexican and Yutatecan food in the Richmond district. But it was Tommy's son Julio, who now runs the place and tends bar, who made it an international destination and a mecca for tequila and margarita lovers.

I started with the famous Tommy's Margarita. The small bar and restaurant were packed while I was there, but Julio still made the time to give me a tequila class, setting out various samples of the largest collection of 100% agave tequilas outside of Mexico. We talked tequila, and bars, and bartenders and when I left he gave me a Tommy's shot glass. It was a very fine night out at the bar.

5929 Geary Blvd San Francisco, CA 94121 - (415) 387-4747
Est. 1965
Web site: tommysmexican.com - facebook
Reviews: sfgate - sfweekly - foodrepublic - esquire - grubstreet - yelp - partyearth

#2080 - Trad'r Sam, San Francisco - 3/1/2013

Opened by Sam Baden in 1937, Trad'r Sam is the oldest tiki bar in the world. The old "bamboo bar" pre-dates the Don The Beachcombers and Trader Vic's, which started the tiki trend. It remains as a comfortable neighborhood dive, retaining the tiki decor and serving tropical drinks and scorpion bowls to a mostly younger crowd. The sign outside no longer lights up, which was partly disappointing, and but also satisfyingly apropos for such a genuine, old dive.

6150 Geary Blvd San Francisco, CA 94121 - (415) 221-0773
Est. 1937
Reviews: critiki - sfexaminer - tikicentral - sfweekly - yelp - foggedinlounge

#2079 - Jamber Wine Pub, San Francisco - 3/1/2013

A nice, woody, casual spot on Folsom that serves updated comfort food, craft beers and several wines on tap (no bottles).

858 Folsom St San Francisco, CA 94107 - (415) 273-9192
Est. year - Sep 28, 2012
Web site: jambersf.com - facebook
Reviews: grubstreet - grubstreet - eater - yelp

#2078 - Pied Piper, San Francisco - 2/28/2013

Parrish's "Pied Piper of Hamelin," shortly before 2013 restoration

The Pied Piper was established in 1909 in the reconstructed Palace Hotel (after the great quake). The original Palace Hotel, built in 1875, hosted presidents Grant, Harrison, McKinley, and Teddy Roosevelt. The new hotel has hosted presidents Taft, Harding, FDR, and Clinton -- with Warren Harding passing away there. It's also hosted Oscar Wilde and Sarah Bernhardt, who arrived with her pet baby tiger.

For the opening of the Pied Piper Bar in the newly constructed Palace, Maxfield Parrish was commissioned to create a 16 foot long by 6 foot tall painting, which has resided behind the bar with limited interruptions every since. One of those interruptions came shortly after my visit, as the hotel concluded that it did not make sense to keep an artwork worth millions of dollars sitting behind a bar. But a public outcry ensued, thousands of signatures were gathered protesting the move, and the owners subsequently changed their minds and returned the painting after some restoration work.

A bar tender in the old version of the hotel wrote one of the definitive books on cocktails in 1891, William T. Boothby's "Cocktail Boothby's American Bartender: The Only Practical Treatise on the Art of Mixology Published."  (Yes, the term "mixology" dates back to the 19th century.) The current bar maintains a focus on the classics, and provides one of the more elegant settings in the city to sip a drink.


2 New Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94105 - (415) 512-1111
Est. December 19, 1909 - Building constructed: 1909 (previous building 1875)
Previous bars in this location:
Web site: sfpalace.com
Reviews: sfgate - examiner - wikipedia - sfheritage - blackbook - yelp

#2077 - Zero Zero, San Francisco - 2/28/2013

Upscale ‘Calipolitan’ pizzas, various small plates, and some nice, barrel-aged cocktails.

826 Folsom St San Francisco, CA 94107 - (415) 348-8800
Est. July 7, 2010
Web site: www.zerozerosf.com - facebook
Reviews: sfgate - chow - yelp - tripadvisor

#2076 - ThirstyBear Brewing Co, San Francisco - 2/28/2013

Just a couple blocks from the Moscone Center, the decor and vibe of ThirstyBear Brewing is fairly typical of a contemporary craft brew pub, with warm woods and exposed brick. However, in addition to their nine beers (including two rotating seasonals), they feature a cocktail program (I didn't try them) and Spanish tapas. It's a nice stop for a good beer.

661 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94105 - (415) 974-0905
Est. Sep 1996
Web site: thirstybear.com - facebook - vimeo
Reviews: bythepint - sfexaminer - gayot - beerbybart - beeradvocate  - cityseeker - urbanspoon - yelp - sfgate