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Bars where Pete has had a Drink (5,608 bars; 1,754 bars in Seattle) - Click titles below for Lists:


Bars where Pete has had a drink

Sunday, August 25, 2013

#2064 - Tommy's Joynt, San Francisco - 2/25/2013

Walking down Geary at night and coming unexpectedly upon the psycho circus exterior of Tommy's Joynt felt like stepping into the pages of "Something Wicked This Way Comes."  But that feeling changed dramatically the instant I stepped into the comfortably cluttered interior. Tommy's is the first of the "hofbraus" -- the San Francisco area cafeteria style restaurants including Lefty O'Douls, the Chick-N-Coop, and Brennan's. During the day people line up to get hand-sliced meat dishes and sandwiches from no-nonsense workers who all give the impression of having worked here since it was founded in 1947. Opposite the meat counter there is an old bar that serves what is said to be San Francisco's largest selection of inexpensive beers (over 100 choices from 30 countries, mostly in bottles), as well as dive-style cocktails.

Tommy's was established here in the Fillmore neighborhood by local crooner Tommy Harris, and is still run by his relatives. The collection of oddball items and historical photos that cram the walls appear to mostly date back to the early days of the place. The food and drinks are both pretty basic, but this is one of my favorite places I visited on this bar-crammed tour of San Francisco.


1101 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94109 - (415) 775-4216
Est. 1947
Web site: tommysjoynt.com - facebook
Reviews: divefood - sfgate - hanging with harris (video) - food network (video) - sfweekly - yelp - citysearch

Sunday, August 18, 2013

#2063 - Smuggler's Cove, San Francisco - 2/25/2013

Few people interested in cocktail bars would need a description of Smuggler's Cove -- Martin Cate's celebration of rum and tiki bars past has been cited in various publications as the best bar in San Francisco and one of the best in the world. Stepping past the nondescript exterior into the dark, Disneyesque, tri-level, pirate cave inside instantly provides the kind of escape to another world that characterizes the best tiki bars.

You must try some of the house classics, but in addition to tiki originals, classic cocktails from famous old tiki bars, Caribbean Island drinks, and prohibition-era Cuban drinks, if you would like a break from the sweetness of tiki drinks, the bartenders know their stuff and can create something delicious with a few indications of your tastes (I had a tikified Sazerac with Falernum). If you are ambitious you can join the "Rumbustion Society" and drink your way through the huge list of fine rums. The "Tiki Central" crowd meets there on Tuesdays.

Smuggler's Cove is one of my favorite 2 or 3 tiki bars in the country.

650 Gough St  San Francisco, CA 94102 -  (415) 869-1900               
Est. Dec 8, 2009
Previous bars in this location: Jade Bar
Web site: smugglerscovesf.com - facebook
Best Reviews: critiki - foodography (video) - rumdood - alcademics - eater - thetikichick - sfweekly - tikiroom - sfexaminer - sfweekly - sfist - yahglobal - thrillist - esquire - yelp

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

#2062 - The Avenue, Oakland - 2/24/2013

A nice, divey joint with touches of punk and skeleton themes, The Avenue sits nicely amidst cafes and art galleries that helped convert the grimey Temescal neighborhood in Oakland into "Oakland's answer to San Francisco's Mission District." (wsj)

4822 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609 - (510) 654-1423
Est. 2007
Previous bars in this location: Connolly’s, The Bird Kage
Web site: facebook
Reviews: oaklandnorth.net - insidebayarea - eastbayexpress - dailysecret - yelp


Sunday, August 04, 2013

#2061 - Trader Vic's, Emeryville, CA - 2/24/2013

The Emeryville Trader Vic's is considered the flagship of the chain, even though it moved here from its original location in 1972. After establishing Hinky Dink's, the "home of Frankenstein," with menus printed on cigar boxes, Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr. visited Hollywood, took in the island flotsam themes of Don the Beachcombers and the Seven Seas, and along with Don, invented the tiki bar, converting his Oakland place to "Trader Vic's" in 1937. He began his expansion in the 40s, starting with The Outrigger in Seattle.



In '72, the original location moved a few miles north to the current location on the San Francisco Bay waterfront in Emeryville. It is large, seating nearly 400, with various dining rooms, and a patio bar area. Trader Vic's tends to get the most credit, among various disputants, for inventing the Mai Tai, and after a five-month remodel and menu revamp in 2010, the menu now includes their made-from-scratch 1944 version. I had never been to the pre-remodel version, but apparently it includes a few more tikis now (Bergeron is credited with introducing actual tikis to the common decor of polynesian restaurants).

The food and drinks are fairly good, but of course the reason to eat at Trader Vic's is to be at Trader Vic's. This one lives up to the expectations.





9 Anchor Dr, Emeryville, CA 94608 - (510) 653-3400         
Est. 1972
Web site: tradervicsemeryville.com - facebook
Reviews: critiki - alcademics - ronniedelcarman - sfgate - coastalliving - eastbayexpress - mercurynews - yelp

Friday, August 02, 2013

#2060 - Heinold's First and Last Chance, Oakland - 2/24/2013

"All nations welcome except Carrie," reads a sign behind the bar. It's not common for the witticisms that pepper the walls of bars to include puns at the expense of people who died over a century ago, but Heinold's has been here since 1883. That's when Johnny Heinold purchased the building of old whaling ship timbers that had provided bunks for men working the oyster beds, and turned it into the J.M. Heinold Saloon. It survived both prohibition and the great earthquake of 1906, though the latter left damage to the pilings below that give the mahogany bar and wood floor a sharp tilt, and to a clock famously stopped at 5:18am, ever since that April morning.

The surname was eventually appended with "First and Last Chance" based not only on the navy men and other seafarers catching a last drink before going to sea, but also for the workers riding the old ferry between Oakland and the dry city of Alameda. The bar has hosted President Taft, Ambrose Bierce, Erskine Caldwell, and, most famously, Jack London, who once sat reading the dictionary at the table by the door, before featuring the bar in his novel John Barleycorn, and compiling notes used for The Sea Wolf and Call of the Wild. Now London's Klondike cabin sits nearby the old wood bar, both surrounded by the bright, neat, and touristy Jack London Square, like two neanderthal scenes in a modern museum.

Despite the preciousness of the setting, Heinold's feels reasonably intimate and relaxed inside on this day, aware of its history certainly, but feeling enough like a neighborhood bar that one doesn't feel like you're taking your turn in a Disney exhibit. The drinks are limited to a small but reasonable selection of beers and standard spirits -- you wouldn't want anything more at a classic like this. The limited ceiling and wall spaces are crammed with memorabilia, along with the stove-blackened dollar bills and business cards of various generations of men heading off to sea and/or to military service. The original potbellied stove remains the only source of heat, and it is the last commercial building in California retaining original gas lighting. It would, of course, be a grave sin to move the bar from its historic location and cherished uneven pilings, but it is pleasing for me to imagine trundling into this place some dark evening through several inches of snow.





Jack London Square, 48 Webster St, Oakland, CA 94607 - (510) 839-6761
Est. 1883 - Building constructed: 1880
Previous bars in this location: None
Web site: heinolds.com - facebook
Best articles: johnny heinhold - wikipedia - atlasobscura - thepioneeronline - beeradvocate - palladiumboots - cocktailia - yelp

Thursday, August 01, 2013

#2059 - The Pub, Albany, CA - 2/24/2013

Formerly Schmidt's Pub, now just "The Pub," this place is both super quiet and conducive to discussion. It can be like that thanks to the various rooms and outdoor spaces, as there appears to have been minimal remodeling from when this was someone's home. They have a few nice beers but the vibe is much more that of a coffee house than a bar, with customers buried in books, laptops, and chess games.

1492 Solano Ave Albany, CA 94706 - (510) 525-1900
Est. 1980 (as Schmidt's)
Previous bars in this location: Schmidt's Pub
Web site: schmidtspub.comfacebook
Reviews: patch - janabouc - yelp

Sunday, July 21, 2013

#2058 - Johnny Foley's Irish House, San Francisco - 2/23/2013

I don't know if there are two words in the English language that could make me less enthusiastic about a bar than "dueling pianos." Thankfully, we were spared that this evening, and the cover bands as well, and left to have a peaceful cocktail in this paradigmatic Irish pub setting.


243 O'Farrell St, San Francisco, CA 94102 - (415) 954-0777
Est. 1998
Web site: johnnyfoleys.com
Reviews: link - examiner - blackbookmag - sanfranciscotravel - yelp

#2057 - John's Grill, San Francisco - 2/23/2013

John's Grill is a classic old (105 years) steakhouse and, as the signage, menus, glasses, and decor are continually reminding you, was a haunt of Dashiell Hammett and a setting for "The Maltese Falcon." Indeed, a copy of prop from the Bogart movie was obtained by the owner, stolen from the restaurant, and then replaced by a copy of the copy (of the copy). You know what you're getting at John's -- essentially what you would get in any good, old-fashioned, formal steakhouse -- and the staff are friendly and efficient. I also has a pleasant time chatting with Carla, whom I met at the bar, and it did indeed rather seem like Sam Spade could have slipped onto an adjacent barstool at any time.



63 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94102 - (415) 986-3274             
Est. 1908
Web site: johnsgrill.com (sound) - facebook
Reviews: expatgourmand - sfweeklyeater - sanfrancisco.com - urbanspoon - yelp

#2056 - Tempest, San Francisco - 2/23/2013

I saw many references to what a dive the Tempest is, but it's the sort of dive that has fairly deftly executed artwork -- not the sort of old stuff that could have come from Goodwill -- and the old regulars appear to bike messengers. It also serves food that seems pretty un-dive-like; e.g. they serve corndogs, but they're jalapeno corndogs with aioli. I dropped by in the middle of a sunny afternoon, which may have made in seem all the less divey, and it seems like the new owners may have modernized a bit since acquiring it in 2010.


In any case, it's still a cool bar and somewhat hidden in a somewhat divey part of town.




431 Natoma St, San Francisco, CA 94103 - (415) 495-1863
Est. 1991
Web site: facebook
Best reviews: sfgate - spottedbylocals - unlike - yelp - do415 - toiletsoftheworld

#2055 - Farmerbrown, San Francisco - 2/23/2013

"farmerbrown is about supporting local and african-american farmers, using organic, biodynamic, and/or sustainably raised foods, and beverages whenever possible." -- farmerbrownsf.com

"'Soul food as interpreted for SF hipsters" -- Zagat commenter

Those two comments pretty much capture the place. It's a nice stop for brunch, and the cocktails, while not delicately crafted, create some interesting spins with juices.




25 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94102 - (415) 409-3276
Est. June 2006
Web site: farmerbrownsf.com
Reviews:  sfgate sfweekly - chowhound - gayot - yelp

#2054 - Summer Place, San Francisco - 2/22/2013

A pleasant little dive just above the Tenderloin decorated with a jangle of miscellaneous items that seem to represent every theme except Summer. This includes a fireplace, where apparently you can sit and smoke for some reason.

801 Bush St, San Francisco, CA 94108 - (415) 441-2263
Reviews: examiner -  everybarinsf - sfsuyelp - tripadvisor

Saturday, July 20, 2013

#2053 - Rye, San Francisco - 2/22/2013


Good cocktails.

688 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102 - (415) 474-4448
Web site: www.ryesf.com - facebook
Reviews: sfbediffords - rebeccawilkowskiyelp - tripadvisor

#2052 - Swig, San Francisco - 2/22/2013

A pretty bar with pretty people and good cocktails (it's run by the owners of Bourbon & Branch and Rickhouse) -- and crowded on weekend nights like this one.

561 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102 - (415) 931-7292
Web site: swigbar.com

#2051 #S1117 - Von Trapp's, Seattle - 2/20/2013



Von Trapp's is a capacious, Bavarian wonderland of a bar -- 11,000 square feet on two floors in a former candy factory and, most recently, a furniture store. It has two large, lodge-like fireplaces, five bocce courts ("boules" if you prefer not to use the more common Italian name in a German-themed bar) and a sizable collection of German and Belgian beers which it serves in various containers including 2-liter boots.


Owners Deming Maclise and James Weimann had already recently created ornate, Seattle bars in period themes of France (Bastille), Mexico (Poquito's), and Scotland (Macleod's), before pouring a million and a half dollars and 11 months of remodeling into this, their most ambitious effort yet. The staff at Von Trapp's seem unusually friendly and patient in working with you on what to eat and drink. It was instantly popular, just like their other places in Ballard and Capitol Hill (they subsequently opened "Stoneburner" in Ballard as well). Despite the size, you will find a line on most evenings and on Friday and Saturday evenings they will serve 2,000 people.

Even if you are not a fan of brats and Belgian beer, the decor and atmosphere make it well worth a visit.

912 12th Ave Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 325-5409
Est. Feb 12, 2013 - Building constructed: 1930
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: vontrapps.com - facebook
Best articles: seattletimes - eater - bizjournals - seattlepi - seattlemet - seattlemet - thestranger - seattleweekly - yelp

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

#2050 #S1116 - Von's 1000Spirits GustoBistro, Seattle - 2/18/2013

Von's 1,000 Spirits on the Harbor Steps is new, and everything about it is very different from its previous incarnation as Von's Roasthouse on Pine. But through various moves, and starting under the name Rippes, this has been a continuously operating restaurant for 109 years.

After opening as Rippes in 1904, the restaurant moved to 4th Avenue in 1923. In 1940 it was sold and renamed Von's, and moved to 619 Pine in 1987. They now take over a space at the top of the Harbor Steps leading from 1st Avenue down to the Elliot Bay waterfront, previously occupied by Wolfgang Puck's and Ipanema. The new version is led by Merrisa Firnstahl-Claridge, daughter of  long-time owner Tim Firnstahl, and great granddaughter of Germanus Firnstahl who founded Sunny Jim Peanut Butter.

While the previous location was known for affordable after-work martinis, the new location lies in a more touristy area just up from Pike Place Market and provides a sort of circus of food and drinks. They claim to have the largest selection of spirits in Seattle (over 1,000, as the name implies), including Louis XIII cognoc for $608 per shot as well as a number they brew themselves in oak casks above the bar. They call the bar "Alchemy" and play up the mad scientist theme, with chemistry lab style filters and flasks and referring to their mixologist as both "alchemist" and "bar scientist." From there they serve circus drinks like a "French Open" (cotton candy melted at your table with Lillet, lemeon lime soda, and "boozey berry gelee") and the "Big Apple Gelee (their in-house, ultra-filtered "Sanctified Vodka", apple pucker, lemon lime soda, and boozey berry gelee). The bartender at my first visit was not well versed in craft cocktails, but was friendly and game for suggestions.

The food too takes some exotic spins on standard pub fare. They don't serve "burgers" and "pizzas," they serve "hamburgs" and "frics." I had their "Classic" hamburg and it is one of the better burgers in the city, using  prime-grade marbled beef, chopped daily in-house, with housemade sourdough brioche bun, shaved iceberg lettuce, red onions, tomatoes, packer dills, candied bacon, aged Columbia Valley cheddar, and "Jim's Drive-In sauce."

Clearly this is the establishment of someone who very much wants to be adventurous, and is not interested in sticking to any theme or period. They have a vinyl station which supplies all house music from vinyl, and an iPad bar across from the cocktail bar, where patrons can browse as they drink. I'm not quite sure what to make of it it, but it is plainly not quite like any other place in town.




1225 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101                            
Est. Feb 15, 2013 (Opened as Rippes in 1904, moved to 4th in 1923, renamed Von's in 1940; moved to 619 Pine 1987, current location in 2013) - Building constructed: 1996
Previous bars in this location: Wolfgang Puck's, Ipanema
Web site: vons1000spirits.com  
Reviews: seattletimes - bizjournals - eater - thrillist - yelp - tripadvisor