Austin's newest cocktail bar, Half Step, is now open on Rainey Street. And it's awesome. Chris Bostick, native-Texan and the guy who used to manage the Varnish in LA, brings you this new bar, along with some help from his infamous friend Sasha Petraske, the Milk & Honey dude. Every aspect of this bar was meticulously planned––from the intensive bartender training regiment to the elaborate ice program to the chill interior and lively exterior. Take a look at how beautiful this interior is:
If you choose to sit inside, you'll be treated to table service and, if you're lucky, some music:
If you prefer the freedom to roam, or just want to enjoy the weather, there's an outside bar, which, unlike the inside, will never get too full:
Ok, now on to the good stuff. The cocktails are spot-freakin'-on. Take a look at the menu:
It's nothing but classics, and all of them are made to perfection. Much of that is thanks to a group of bartenders who care a lot about what they're doing, Christ Bostick and Sasha Petraske's meticulous oversight, and an overall ridiculous attention to detail. Take a look at this Negroni:
I brought it back to my table, had a few drinks, and then took this picture––and the glass is still frosty! Half Step takes their mixing seriously. First, every piece of mixing equipment is chilled, all the serving glasses are chilled and their clinebell ice machine spits out perfectly (and I mean perfectly) clear blocks of ice. I cannot stress how clear and cold this ice is. It's beautiful.. Here's Justin prepping a Remember the Maine, note the mixing glass:
The Remember the Maine itself was perhaps one of the best I've ever had. The cherry heering was noticeable but not too strong, the sweet vermouth adds depth without too much sweetness, and the absinthe adds a nice spice to the finish. I think I liked it because it was a little drier than the usual:
The Prescription Julep is a mixture of cognac and rye. It's more refreshing than your average julep, thanks to the cognac. It's almost peachy:
If I haven't made it clear, Half Step is a gem. It's definitely worth a trip to Rainey if you're a habitual avoider. If you often find yourself there, you just met your new favorite bar.
Half Step
75 1/2 Rainey Street
512.391.1877
Tuesday-Sunday, 7pm-2am.
Outdoor bar open weather permitting.
I've been using a crummy, cheap wooden muddler for awhile. The bottom is cracked, the paint is peeling, and to be honest, it's got kind of an odor:
So I tried out a different type of muddler for a change of pace. A stainless steel one with nice little bruisers on the bottom:
I took it for a test drive first on an old fashioned Instead of using simple, I decided to grind the sugar into the bitters. The little teeth worked nicely. They also work beautifully to gently bruise mint for juleps.
At 14 bucks, it's a good investment if you want to go the stainless steel route instead of wood. You can get the here
Thieves Tavern is one of the reasons I love San Francisco. When you first walk in, you think you're in a neighborhood dive bar, nothing more. There are some pool tables, a good jukebox, a photo booth, and a bunch of PBR. The crowd, even on a Saturday night, is lively but not overwhelming. As far as dives go, Thieves Tavern is perfect. But there's more to this place than meets the eye. Besides the divey goodness, Thieves Tavern also has an enormous, eclectic selection of whiskeys from around the world.
When I asked our bartender––an impossibly nice guy named Brendan––for a menu, he said, "No can do, no menus. We've got a wide selection of whiskey. Tell me what tastes you like and a price range, and I'll make some suggestions." I opted for sub-$12, peaty scotch. He brought down these guys:
Even though it was moderately busy, Brendan patiently and knowledgeably indulged my annoying questions (without being condescending) and kindly offered to let me taste a few before I committed. 10/10!
Thieves Tavern
496 14th St
San Francisco
(415) 252-9082
Mon-Sat 12pm-2am.
Sun: 10am-2am Cash Only
If you want to find iconic San Francisco, you only have to look at Tosca Cafe—a famous spot known for a comfortable seat at the bar, a bright and welcoming sign, and a hot spiked drink. For years, the North Beach haunt has been the place for locals and visitors alike, drawing high profile bar flies, like Sean Penn and Bono who would hang out in the dark, seedy back area. Unfazed, locals would while away the day sipping beer next to the towering cappuccino machine. A few months ago, the Spotted Pig Team, April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman, brought a new, updated finish to the mainstay—opening up a robust kitchen and bringing in local rising star talent Isaac Shumway (formerly of Heaven's Dog, Bourbon and Branch, and Alembic) to direct the bar program.
Luckily, the space maintained all the best parts of a true bar—a majestic back bar, the handsome, original cappuccino machine, and comfortable booths—with some updated elements (new upholstery for the seats, gorgeous glassware, and some added mood lighting that highlights the original paintings on the wall). It makes for a beautiful interior. It's one of those bars that transports you to a kind of San Francisco twilight zone where you can't tell if it's 1920 or 1990 or what.
The revamp has led to one of the most robust cocktail programs of the year. Led by bar director Isaac Shumway, the menu showcases the best of what we hope for in a cocktail lineup—delightful sippers bolstered by rich, strong, complex drinks. In particular, the menu not only draws on the original house cappuccino. The heart of the menu lies in strong classics and twists on classics, including a whole bedrock of classic drinks not listed on the menu. That is to say, if you come in and order a classic drink not listed, you can expect a damn good cocktail, no foibles.
^Bar Director Isaac Shumway
Isaac has brought a venerable ice program to Tosca, freezing and cutting crystal-clear ice cubes. They are beautiful and slow melting, creating a pristine experience for straight spirits on the rocks or strong stirred drinks.
What's more, if you're looking for the best whiskey in the city, Tosca is a must. It may not be the widest selection of brown spirits (please see: Hard Water), but it is some of the most carefully and excellently curated. Hardcore fans will notice the Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, the Pappy Van Winkle, the Elijah Craig 21, the Michter's 20, and the Four Roses Special Reserve just hanging out on the shelf like it's nothin'. If you don't know what those things are, then now's the time to learn.
Now meet the cocktails!
The Polo Cup: Gin or Vodka, cucumber, mint, basil, elderflower, lemon, soda. This is a drink you can order for your cocktail-phobic friends. It's light, easy drinking, but still packs some serious flavor. It's just sweet enough to please the club crowd, but it won't leave you with a sugar headache.
Suffering Bastard: Armagnac, St. George Terroir Gin, fresh pressed ginger, lime, bitters, soda. A variation on Trader Vic's classic cocktail, the Suffering Bastard is everything I love in a tiki drink. It's just sweet enough to hold the spiciness of the ginger, which matches the terroir gin perfectly. The lemon and soda add a nice, dry finish that keeps you coming back for more.
Bennet: three ingredient drinks are often the best, but it's hard to find a place that does them justice. Tosca has the ratios perfect. No matter who you order a Bennet from, you'll enjoy three perfectly matched ingredients: Miller's Gin, lime, aromatic bitters (house made).
Trouble in Paradise: Bourbon, Campari, lemon, basil, grapefruit, black pepper tincture. Perhaps my favorite on the menu because it hits all my favorite notes. It's bitter, spicy, tart, and herbaceous. This drink is also the most culinary on the menu, insofar as its got layers of complex flavors. Don't be put off by the basil and black pepper, they blend with the other ingredients perfectly. Though it's a rich cocktail for sure, it doesn't taste like you're drinking a soup or anything.
The Zamboanga Cocktail: Marie Duffau Bas Armagnac, pineapple gum, maraschino, lime, aromatic bitters. For whatever reason, this drink is a rare sighting on a classic cocktail on their menus. It's a shame, though, because it's one of the most interesting. The pineapple gum pulls together the other ingredients perfectly. The olive and lime garnish provide that extra bit of salt and acid to round out the flavors in this one. So good.
Rosita: Gin, calvados, Dolin Blanc, grenadine, lemon peel. The Rosita is a delicate drink, perfect when you want something a little slower and lighter without sacrificing flavor.
House Cappuccino: Marie Duffau Bas Armagnac, bourbon, Dandelion chocolate ganache, organic milk. This is Tosca's most famous drink right now. It's a delicious drink on a cold afternoon when you want a happy hour warmup. The chocolate ganache (locally sourced!) is incredible.
Cap Haitian Apple Toddy: Haitian rum cider, roasted apple, spiced butter. All the food press in the city is obsessed with the House Cap, but in my opinion this Apple Toddy is at least as good as the House Cap, if not better. It's warm, spicy, and smooth—what I hope for on a foggy San Francisco night. The perfectly roasted apple in this sucker is as soft as pudding (did we mention that Isaac used to cook at French Laundry and Gary Danko?).
Casino Bar Negroni: Campari, Carpano Antica, Beefeater Gin. It's a perfect negroni, what else is there to say?
Pro tip: Ask for the ToscaMartini. It's hand mixed every day then stored in the freezer till it's ice cold. When ordered, it's poured over a big, cold ice cube so clear, you can peer right through the glass and not know it's there. It's delightfully viscous, smooth, and still packs a perfect punch. Let it sit for a few minutes, give it a spin, and then let it warm you up.
Or, if you're feeling dangerous, ask for a Cafe Brulot. It's coffee, brandy, orange, and clove all set on freakin' fire.
Naturally, one of the highlights of Tosca Cafe is the food (and not nearly enough San Francisco bars serve food with their drinks!). With April Bloomfield in the kitchen, you can expect more than your typical bar food.
In fact, for a long time, we've contemplated the idea of starting a bar bites series. Among them, would have been former Bar Agricole chef Brandon Jew's uni deviled eggs and duck liver toast (which we have affectionately begun to pine after to the tune of "Duck Tales"—Duck Toast! Woo hoo!).
But those dishes being in memorandium since Jew left Agricole, we are super excited to welcome PIG TAILS from Tosca onto the short list (capitalization added for exuberance). Don't be put off by the thought of eating pig tails. Though cute in story books, pig tails are delicious at Tosca! They satisfyingly crunchy on the outside with rich, soft bits of fat that you can suck off the small bones. It comes with a sauce of Agrodolce reduction, vinegar, herbs and sugar, which is bright and satisfyingly acidic. If you thought wings were fun to eat, these will blow your minds.
And the pigs tails make a perfect complement to the drinks.
For vegetarians (like Josh), the cauliflower gratin provides a rich and hearty dish. Our favorite part of it is the whole half lemon, which gives a generous squeeze over the whole plate and brings the bold, cheesy flavors all together.
Here's all the photos:
- Josh + Noelle
Tosca Cafe
242 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 986-9651
Opened 5 p.m. - 2 a.m. Kitchen closes at 1 a.m. Closed Monday.
The folks who brought us Range (and its excellent sherry program) opened a new bar last week in the Dogpatch called The Third Rail. With simple decor that will remind you of a modern living room, the new spot is sure to draw bar-goers looking for an easy going night and some bright, culinary inspired cocktails—not to mention some satisfyingly rich and salty jerky snacks (pork rind, anyone?).
For places like the Dogpatch that typically embrace a neighborhood feel, Third Rail strikes a great balance between carefully crafted cocktails and an unpretentious place where you can kick back. Third Rail will fit right in.
We tried a few cocktails here, and they were exceptional. This is the Mt. Tam cocktail: St. George's terroir, Dolin sweet, Gran Classico. For a stirred drink, it wasn't too heavy. It was deliciously earthy from the terroir. I love drinks with St. George's terroir gin:
The Harvest Moon is similar to a margarita: tequila, pear, absinthe, lime. Bright and refreshing with a healthy tequila kick. The absinthe is a great touch that brings it all together.
Finally, the Double Date cocktail. This was Noelle's favorite. Old Fashioned lovers will love this riff on that classic cocktail. The date added to the richness of the cocktail and gave it a holiday feel.
Check out the full set of pictures on our Flickr album:
Third Rail
628 20th St.
San Francisco, CA 94107
Every day 3 p.m. to 2 a.m.
You might have seen my article earlier this week with Eater. Here's more of what Isaac and I talked about. No more looking into dark windows! Here are some excerpts.
Joy: So what is the new Tosca going to be like?
Isaac: The whole goal of the place is to keep it simple but done right—with an emphasis on doing everything, well, perfectly. We’re going to take things old school. Like, when’s the last time you saw an after dinner drink that’s old school?
I think there was a backlash on sickly sweet after dinner drinks during last nine years. There was a dark period in cocktail history during the 70's and 80's when products like Kahlua, Baileys, and things like Crème de Noyaux were popular in after dinner drinks. They’re not great products. They’re very manipulated and very sickly sweet. Now we have brands like Tempus Fugit going back and looking at these old recipes. Their Creme de Cacao is amazing. Or St George does a Firelit Coffee liquor using local coffee in it. You can come to Tosca and expect us to go back in time and do it right. It’s kind of like what you see now with 3D movies. Now we have the means to do it right.
Joy: Wait, so when you’re talking old school, are you talking like Prohibition or Pre-Prohibition? There are a lot of those bars. I think you used to work for one.
Isaac: Yeah, so for instance, I'm attempting the famous Cafe Brulot from the 1890's a lost and forgotten iconic drink of it's time and the Keoke Coffee, a drink that probably our grandparents were drinking. But I’m interpreting these drinks in a current and playful way. I think it's about taping into our memories or ideas of generations before us.
Joy: So those are like 70s drinks. But you’re thinking of redoing those drinks with other techniques from like Prohibition and today.
Isaac: Tosca was started in 1919, so there’s a lot of history—we’re going to be wearing the classic white jackets that we have always had. This makes me think back to the showmanship days of (19th century pioneering bartender) Jerry Thomas and the famous Blue Blazer. So for Tosca, we are trying to reinterpret and be playful. For instance, I'm really excited about attempting the Cafe Brulot. I’m thinking of a spice- and citrus-peel-infused brandy, using chicory-infused Sightglass coffee. And I’m hoping to involve a show of fire. Sightglass is a great local coffee company, and they’re helping us make us our own coffee blend—because when I think of Tosca, coffee definitely comes to my mind.
Joy: Do you feel pressured at all? Tosca is a historic place.
Isaac: I mean, yeah, I obviously want to make everyone happy. But we’re changing it. It’s going to be a different beast. It was always a simple dive bar and now I want to make it a simple neighborhood bar where you could come nerd out on cocktails—though that’s not what’s going to be the focus.
Joy: So you have a background in food. You went to the CIA and cooked at French Laundry and places like that. We’re all wondering, how does that play into your cocktails?
Isaac: We’re definitely going to try to incorporate ideas behind the philosophy of Italian dining. We are going to have a lot of Amaro. I am trying to get my hands on a lot of Fernets out there. Maybe offer different flights. The details are still being worked out.
Working in kitchens, the one thing I really took away was whoever has the best products will have the best restaurant. If you have two equal chefs and one is using the best ingredients and the other is not, it makes the world of difference. I learned it's about creating those relationships with people doing what they love to do and doing it right. For instance, we contacted a local Chocolate company called Dandelion for our famous house Cappuccino. This chocolate is amazing. We went out and formed a relationship with a small brewery called Mill Valley Beer Works—soon to be called Fort Point—here in the city. They will be brewing a house Tosca beer for us.
I'm also a huge believer in consistency. My whole team and I will be getting together to workshop classic cocktails. We will all be on the same page when it comes to classics.
Joy: That’s cool you’re workshopping classics. It feels like a lot of people in San Francisco are more into workshopping new drinks and seasonal ingredients.
Isaac: I don’t want to get stereotyped into one thing. I have a huge back bar, and we are going to do everything. I think San Francisco is a place where when I say a “neighborhood bar,” to the people who live here it’s a place you always want to come to and get a good drink—strong, basic classics. I want it to be the best Old Fashioned. The best Negroni. The best Manhattans. The best Daiquiris. Classic drinks. I’m old school.
Joy: How is that different from other people doing classics?
Isaac: I just feel like people are more focused on barrel-aged cocktails and shrubs and tobacco tinctures, and I feel like people forget how good a gimlet can be. I’m not saying I want to put a gimlet on the menu necessarily. But we will make great classics by using the best products—the best gin, the best fresh mint, organic citrus, the best ice available using the best glassware—and really taking the time to make sure we’re accurate when we measure and that we don’t skip steps that would make it perfect. We are talking bar spoon accuracy. Doing it right and doing it quickly.
And that’s again where I bring in that French cooking philosophy. That’s where I bring in the best ingredients and but don’t touch them too much. It’s about that simplicity, those three or four ingredients. And I think there is going to be a trend going back to it. Right now we’re in the middle of crazy conceptual cocktails and ideas. I think at the end of the day people want to come back from that.
Joy: In a way, that’s very San Francisco. Like a hearkening back to some history and at the same time going with the small batch, going with the local.
Isaac: It’s the revolt against Walmart. Handcrafted things of quality have died because you can’t compete with cheap pricing. And we have to support paying a little bit more sometimes to get something amazing. We have to support that small distillation on a farm that’s not producing very much, but it’s going to cost more. Or at least we find a balance between the two. And that’s huge. That’s also why San Francisco is so exciting. It’s like people are reaching out and embracing those smaller businesses. So when we say we’re a neighborhood bar, we’re also a reflection of the community.
- Noelle
Tosca Cafe
Anticipated to re-open October 2013
242 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA 94133
I remember the first time we sat down with Russell Davis to talk though the possibility of doing a video profile on him (like we did with Victoria and Tony).
“What is one word that you would use to describe yourself?” asked our resident producer Kerry.
Russell smiled. “Dangerous.”
And it’s true—though not in the cowboy-gun-blazing sense. Rather, Russell is a person who knows how to keep folks surprised—whether it’s gracing Rickhouse with cowboy hats and flair mixing, blowing fireballs in Rio Grande, or captivating audiences on Spike TV's "Bar Rescue," where he is now featured as a bar expert.
Now his latest bar project, Bergerac, opened in San Francisco’s SOMA district Saturday, and it has a little bit of that dangerous charm as well. As bar director, Russell is collaborating with Chef Randy Lewis (Food and Wine's best new chef in 2001), Speed Rack 2012 champ Yael Vengroff, and owners Bruce McDonald (Foreign Cinema), David Brinkley (Vessel), and Anderson Pugash (Crossroads Nightlife Group). Fun-seekers will find what the bar is calling a "Bohemian setting"—an eclectic, elaborate interior with playful, unpretentious cocktails, making it a relaxed environment for evening drinks. (Those feeling a progression can even hop upstairs to the sister dance lounge, Audio Discotech).
Bergerac's decoration makes the atmosphere especially fun. The bar itself is handsome but simple with deep wood tones and classic accent lamps. But the rest of the bar features a delightful mish-mash: half a globe juts out of the table, cow-skin rugs spread across the floor, glass chandeliers hang alongside '60s lamps, and the chairs are plush but don't match. It's fun and makes you feel like you fit right in, no matter how you're dressed or what mood you're in. “I want it to be like your grandma’s house, where you can’t really figure out what time period you’re in,” said Russell.
Ice Nerds Alert: Russell combines hand-cut pieces of ice from a crystal-clear block with a cutting-edge Hoshizaki machine that supposedly creates even colder, purer, slightly smaller ice than Kold-Draft.
The cocktails draw on Russell's crossbreed of club bartender meets inspired mixologist.
Here are just a few of them:
One of the most creative cocktails from the new menu is Live and Let Die—a disorienting blend that includes coconut oil-washed Pisco, sweet Vermouth, Froot Loops foam (yes, you read that right), and orange zest. The scent of Froot Loops will take you right back, though the Campari adds a nice grown up twist. It tastes like childhood in a glass.
Dirty Work is a bright, airy, and sparkling mix of Reposado Tequila, Lime, Pineapple Gomme syrup (fancy simple syrup), Cardamom tincture, and champagne. Perfect for a hot Indian Summer's day in San Francisco.
The Midnight Hour is another bright, herbaceous cocktail. It is made with Tomintoul, Maurin Quina, Yellow Chartreuse, Lime, Sage, and smoked salt.
With the Croquet Rouge, Bergerac nods to an elegant modern classic, borrowing a cocktail from the famous Milk and Honey bar in New York. The cocktail—a twist on the Manhattan variation called Red Hook—mixes rye, Punt e Mes, Vadouvan-infused Maraschino, and Angostura bitters. The menu calls it "an Indian-inspired, French take on one of America's best cocktails."
The Red Medicine was a spicy twist on sangria—easy drinking on a hot day.
Lastly, Russell makes the Fireball Inside Her—a celebratory, old-fashioned bomb of Fireball (yup, that's cinnamon whiskey) in Magners Cider. See video below to see how to properly make enough for a large, soft opening party. And let Russell welcome you there himself. (Shot on a Moto X!)
Bergerac
316 11th St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 255-9440 Bergeracsf.com
