Downtown isn’t just for tourists these days, or at least that what the hotels want us to believe with all of the recent action taking place just off the Cable Car tracks.

Michael Mina seems like the last person in San Francisco with time on his hands, but apparently being a household name in the restaurant industry isn’t enough so he’s decided that what he really wants to do is be a bar owner.

Clock Bar opened in the Westin St. Francis hotel last week and to be sure that everyone appreciates the classic cocktail drink menu (because no one is serving Sidecars these days, right?) Mina also created a couple of menus with the help of chef Christian L’Hommedieu that feature small plates and pairing options. What do we think looks most interesting? The Lamb Tenderloin Panini with sweet peppers and sylvetta and the Black Truffle Popcorn.

A few blocks down the hill, Bar Norcini opened in the Villa Florence Hotel lobby next to Kuleto’s. If Clock Bar’s big draw is Michael Mina, then Bar Norcini’s big draw is the fact that it’s a salumi, cheese and wine bar to which we say, “Well, will you look at that?” Flights of wine are so 2007, but flights of salumi? Count us in. In fact, we’ve never seen flights of any meat on a menu before and while we know it just means a plate of variety, we can’t help be seduced by the concept.

We’ve got company in town this week and since we’ll undoubtedly be in the area, you can bet we’ll want to stop in for a drink before hoping on the cable car in route to a more traditional (and traditionally dreaded) tourist destination.

Clock Bar [Official Site]

[Photo via iandeth/Flickr]

The Divisadero drag in NOPA (or the Western Addition for those who haven’t subscribed to the new nickname) has long since been making a public appeal to be part of the “in crowd," with Bar 821 and sushi hipspot Tsunami continually getting strong support from patrons including ourselves. Not too long ago the owners of this bourgeoning empire, The Dajani Group, added Nihon Whisky Lounge and Japanese Cuisine to their impressive collection of go-to spots.

Nihon is on the corner of Folsom and 14th and not at all what we expected to find when we went out in search of whisky this past weekend with Sweetie. It’s a SOMA loft-style experience—exposed brick, catwalk, burgundy couches lining the walls and low-ish birch wooden chairs complimenting the plush seating, DJs spinning world, funk and recognizable soul. The crowd is on the upper end of early 30s and ethnicity reigns supreme. Everyone seemed to be fashion forward, but of course, not trying too hard.

You will spend money here. That’s all there is to it. Sweetie ordered the Yomato House Roll—spicy crab, avocado and gobo topped with white fish, jalapeño, aioli, tobiko, green onion and ponzu sauce--and some important-looking whisky (he had seconds), while we had a couple of bites of his roll and two champagne cocktails. We didn’t pick up the tab, but we know that with each of the champagne cocktails being around $11 a pop and bottle service for even low-shelf spirits starting at $150, this is a place you may go to impress or celebrate rather than just simply hang out on a Saturday night.

The Yomato roll was okay, but we actually like what we’ve had at Tsunami better. Overall we think that Nihon was a bit to sceney for us or least too sceney for the neighborhood, but we dug the gin and champagne cocktail that had us floating on air and we’ll continue supporting the Diajani Group’s other anchor establishments.

Nihon Whisky Lounge [MenuPages]
Tsunami [MenuPages]
Diajani Group [Official Site]

[Photo of Nihon via magerleagues/Flickr]

Due to the countless droves of bartenders and cocktail waitresses dying from second- hand smoke related illness, California yeas ago made it quite difficult to light up and enjoy a little of our own noxious fumes over a drink. There are havens for the smokers though, both illegal (don't worry guys, I'd never give you up) and legal. Here's a few of the legal:

The Cigar Bar on Montgomery Street prides themselves on the extensive and exclusive selection of their humidor. This is probably the highest end smoking establishment. The atmosphere lounge will get so crowded on weekends nights the line out front has been known to take over an hour.

Don't be fooled by the divey look of Whiskey Thieves at 839 Geary St. These guys have made sure the smoking laws are all squared away by making the bartenders part owners, and those bartenders take their roles seriously. They really know their whiskeys. It can get crowded, but it's one of our favorite places for a late afternoon cocktail over a pool game and an ashtray.

Where can you see a rock 'n roll show, get served drinks by sexy bartenders in leather pants and be able to smoke indoors? The Hemlock Tavern, in Polk Gulch. The smoking room is separate and missing part of a wall to allow for ventilation, but it's heated and you can bring your drink with you.

Cigar Bar And Grill [menupages]
Cigar Bar And Grill [Offical Site]
Whiskey Theives [myspace site]
The Hemlock Tavern [offical site]

Photo by ~Jeanne~ from Flickr

Alcademics' Camper English reminds us that this is the week of the big bartender exchange program with New York's Death & Co. and our very own The Alembic.

Death and Co. head bartender Phillip Ward will man the taps and glasses at the Alembic this week, while local cocktail pro Thomas Waugh heads to New York to swap places and trade tips with the locals.

So if you're interested in seeing how a top-shelf New York bartender does his job, or if you'd like to give him some drunken pointers after several hours on the stool, head on down to the Alembic this week and check out what's what.

The Alembic [MenuPages]
The Alembic [Official Site]
Death & Co. [MenuPages]
Death & Co. [Official Site]
Bar Swapping [Alcademics]
Image Credit: [7x7]

Bit of a shakeup at Bourbon and Branch: Word comes from Alcademics that master mixologist Todd Smith is leaving the building. Camper English writes:

He told me he plans to take some time off and work on some consulting gigs he's firming up now, as well as potentially opening his own space with some other bartenders down the road. And though the details are still being hammered out, he plans to remain with the Beverage Academy teaching classes there.

Beyond the Branch [Alcademics]

Once again, get ready for happy hour with the San Francisco Chronicle wine section.

Our lead story looks at Syrah and Pinot varietals sharing similar climates. [When Syrah met Pinot]

Selections checks out Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc [Selections]

And Pairings suggests eggs to go with that. [Pairings]

On the beer side of things, we get a bit of background on porter. [All the president's porters]

The Sipping News brings word of a wine-specific search engine. [The Sipping News

As well as couple new North Bay tasting rooms. [The Sipping News

Here's your roundup of the Chronicle's Friday wine section, just in time for happy hour.

The big story features six local bartenders who have made a splash in the local cocktail scene. [Bar Stars]

The sipping news brings word that Alameda's Rosenblum Cellars has been acquired by Diageo. [Rosenblum hands off to Diageo]

Selections checks out the bubbly. Twenty-nine bottles of it! [The Chronicle Wine Selections: Brut rosé Champagne and domestic sparkling wine

And to go with all that bubbly, Pairings suggests surf and turf. [Pairings: Surf and Turf for two marries brut rosé for Valentine's Day]

Finally, the Cheese Course shines a light on some Italian goat cheese. [Cheese course: Fromage lovers adore Italian Brunet

Okay, now for the regularly scheduled San Francisco Chronicle wine section roundup.

The main story is a big profile of grape-grower Larry Hyde and his vineyards. [King of Carneros: Grape grower sets the standard for the region's wines]

Selections takes a look at Australian Riesling. [The Chronicle Wine Selections: Austrian Riesling]

And Pairings gives us a recipe for crab spring rolls. [Pairings: Crab goes under wraps for racy Riesling]

In the Sipping News we get word of a rum tasting program that sounds a lot like Tommy's Tequila degree but for rum fans. [The Sipping News: A reward for rum lovers]

TSN also brings news of a gimmick for transporting wine on airplanes. [The Sipping News: Padding for flying wine]

And Spirits tells the tale of a couple who have successfully launched their own artisanal bitters company [Spirits: Couple take small-batch bitters in new directions]

Yes, yes, we normally wait a while before dishing up the Chronicle Over Cocktails on Fridays, and this Friday is the same, but cocktail news happens elsewhere in the local blogosphere, people, and there's enough of interest that we thought we'd do an early-afternoon roundup just to get you thinking about happy hour. During these dreary winter days, it's on everybody's mind.

Speaking of dreary winter days, Jessica Battilana has a nice piece up on 7x7's Bits and Bites on hot cocktails. She provides a recipe for a hot toddy that includes star anise. Ha, hoity toddy is more like it! No, actually, hot is better. [Trend: Hot Cocktails]

Elsewhere at 7x7, Jordan Mackay blogs about his recent trip to Nopa. Sounsd great, but we're amazed he was able to find the keyboard after the description of his little sampler. [The Beauty Of Nopa]

Alcademics brings news of a new, ceremonial wedding cocktail [A new tradition: the unity cocktail]

And while it's not exactly a cocktail post, per se, we thought it would be worth mentioning the exhaustive Bay Area Bites report on Russia House, that looming restaurant that overlooks the 101 at Bayshore, promising good times and vodka for all. [Russia House]

Photo: One of Jordan Mackay's many, many tastes at Nopa

Supervisor Aaron Peskin's move to ban new liquor licenses in North Beach may end up loosening considerably after today's San Francisco Planning Commission hearing, but at least one critic says the suggested concessions aren't enough.

The ordinance up for review today would ban all new on and off-sales of alcohol in the North Beach Commercial District. That means that no new bars, liquor stores or restaurants that sell alcohol would be able to open for at least five years. It would also prohibit the transfer of licenses within the neighborhood and would automatically revoke the license of any business that closed for more than 30 days.

However, Peskin's office indicated today that the supervisor would accept recommendations by the San Francisco Planning Department to loosen the restrictions. In a report, the department made three major recommendations to change the ordinance:

Instead of an outright ban, planners recommended a cap on the number of licenses. That means no additional alcohol-selling establishments could be opened, but that if one closed, another could open. The planning department also recommended that licenses be transferable within the neighborhood, and that the 30-day clause on considering a business abandoned be lengthened to 18 months.

A source within Peskin's office indicated the supervisor was open to those suggestions. The concern, according to Peskin's office, is not necessarily controlling drunken behavior in the neighborhood, but controlling the types of businesses that open there, affecting the character of the neighborhood. The supervisor is seeking a way to make the neighborhood more friendly to service-oriented businesses like hardware stores and other retail.

But North Beach Chamber of Commerce head Marsha Garland said that even if the proposed changes to the ordinance go into effect, she would still oppose it.

"With the impact of online shopping, retail’s never going to be the same again. You cannot force a shoe store into a shop when the landlords are charging restaurant prices. It doesn’t work that way," Garland said today. "They’re not paying any attention to the reality. You’ve got to let the market determine what goes into the space."

You can watch the Planning Commission meeting on SFGTV, starting at 1:30 this afternoon.

Limiting booze in North Beach? Are you drunk? [Fault Lines]
Full text of ordinance PDF [SF Board of Supervisors]
CurbedWire: Peskin to Ban Alcohol, Screw With Zoning Map [Curbed SF]
Planning Commission Agenda, Jan. 24, 2008 [SF Planning]
San Francisco Zoning Map [SFgov]

The story about the 3,200 bottles of "Calfiornia Champagne" that were seized and destroyed by EU authorities in Belgium seems like a run-of-the-mill customs bust, which it pretty much was. Only this one has an extremely graphic video attached, showing the systematic pulverizing of the poor, poor beverages, who were only trying to pass through nasty old Europe on their way to a cruise ship.

But justice is blind, and in Europe, justice means not selling any beverage as "Champagne" that wasn't actually produced in the Champagne region of France. Fair enough, but couldn't you have given the contraband away or something? Here's the video [Via Buzzed]:

Sparkling Wine Snuff Film [Buzzed]
California Wine Seized in Belgium [Wines and Vines]

Sorry about the lateness of this post. We were sick on Friday and fell asleep in front of LOST before we got a chance to round up the SF Chronicle's Friday wine section. Just for the record, and in case you missed it without our help last week, here's a belated edition of the Chronicle Over Cocktails.

It came as news to us, as it likely did to a lot of U.S. readers that wine making is a huge business in Lebanon. Even despite occasional interruptions of violence, vintners in the country produce more than 4 million bottles a year, some of them highly regarded--though not so much here in the U.S. [Make Wine Not War]

A Chronicle Selections tasting explores Chardonnays of Sonoma County, finding that this year has produced fewer "oak bombs." [The Chronicle Wine Selections: Sonoma Chardonnay]

For this week's Pairings, we get a recipe for oat and corn cakes with saffron aioli. Oak bomb or no, these golden globs are meant to go nicely with a Sonoma Chardonnay. [Let them eat cakes]

And the Cocktailian brings us a roundup of rural Bavarian "farmhouse brews," from Upper Franconia, the remote northern half of Bavaria. The small-time, hand-crafted brews evoke the U.S. micro-brew trend, only in Germany, and therefore way more heavy-duty. [Beer: A corner of rural Bavaria fosters farmhouse brews]

Just to hammer the point home: You did hear that Novato's Moylan's brewery made it into the New York Times, right? The 13-year-old brewpub is all over this articlethis article on "extreme" beers.

"If one is good, two is better," the slogan on the lable of Moylan's Moylander Double I.P.A., works as a guididng principle for American brewers today, the article contends. Impossible amounts of hops rule the day, the article contends. But the macho beer phenomenon is not making everybody its friend.

“It’s like calling a wine double Beaujolais — it’s an insult,” according to Brooklyn berewery's Garrett Oliver.

Well, that may be, but we've been to Moylan's and can attest that it's that kind of place. Big, intense beers accompany big, intense burgers, both of which, to borrow the article's terminology, "dare" diners to finish them. But you do finish them, and, even though it's hard to stand up afterward, you walk out of that restaurant nothing if not satiated.

A taste for brews that go to the extreme [NY Times]

Okay, part two of Liquid Friday is the obligatory hang-over cure roundup. Here are some oft-used tricks from our New Year's Day bag, as well as a few we pulled off the Web. Feel free to add your own.

1. Water the night before: An ounce of prevention and all that. Drinking a bunch of water after you get home and before you go to bed (and anywhere else you can during the night) will drastically reduce the sting of that fourth champagne toast. Here's a suggestion from a reader of www.hungover.net, but it only works if you're drinking bottles of beer that you open yourself, which is totally (un)likely:

Bill from Bondi, Australia says, "When I'm out on the squirt I take the top from every beer I drink and put it in my pocket. When I get home i count the caps and that's how many glasses of water I gotta get through. Works even better when you're seeing double."

2. Eggs and potatoes: Greasy, heavy food, especially eggs and carbohydrates, will sop up a lot of that nasty acid and stuff that's making your stomach die. Also, you get to eat them with friends at a diner, swapping stories of who was standing next to whom at midnight, who danced on what surface, and where that lampshade finally ended up, which should help get your mind off it. The website www.curemyhangover.com has this to say about eggs:

Eggs - Egg yolks contain large amounts of cysteine, which breaks down acetaldehyde, one of the culprits behind a hangover. Eggs are also a good choice if you don't feel like eating much due to the high amount of energy they provide. It's also believed that the high nutrient and fat content delays hunger.

3. Fluids and exercise: No, really, a bit of a workout will help. We're not just trying to be cruel. You basically sweat out the nasties. Don't kill yourself training for a marathon or anything, but a little moving around, breaking a sweat will do you good and make you drink more water. You should drink Gatorade, too. From www.health911.com:

Exercise will help get rid of your hangover by helping the body rid itself of toxins. The increased circulation gets blood and oxygen to your oxygen-starved brain. Exercise will help get rid of your hangover by helping the body rid itself of toxins. The increased circulation gets blood and oxygen to your oxygen-starved brain.

4. Take your vitamins: Overdoing it at the bar will sap your body of important vitamins, especially B vitamins. It helps to take a few in the morning to start replenishing your stores. There's a whole section on www.hungover.net about which vitamins help with what aspects of the New Year's flu.

5. Hate to say it, but, take it easy there, sport. One surefire way to cut down on that hangover is to avoid drinking too much in the first place. Try drinking a glass of water every other round. This will keep you hydrated and only half as pickled. Also, try setting your limit on drinks beforehand. Even if you don't exactly stick to it, the guilt of breaking your limit may keep you moderately in check.

Whatever you decide to do this New Year's, and whatever you must undertake to undo it, here's wishing you a fun evening, a midnight kiss and stories to last you well into 2008.

Happy New Year!

As we follow the saga of St. George's absinthe through the diligent work of Camper English's Alcademics, it appears we've come to the end for this batch. Playing catch-up, it looks like, as of Saturday, the distillery was mobbed to death Saturday. It's likely any of their limited first run is left.

Stay tuned for the second batch, and check out the pictures on Alcademics.

Last minute shopping [Alcademics]

Okay, we're cutting it short today, so here's our glance at the Chronicle's Wine section a little early. Don't fret if you don't see any posts over the next few days. We're just taking some time off. Look out on Dec. 26th, when we'll have your roundups, and the rest of that week, when we'll be doing a little light holiday updating, including a pre-New Year's Eve "Liquid Friday." Happy holidays!

The big story this week is the Chron's holiday pairing guide, a multi-part feature in which the staff recommends a "glass of wine for every Christmas tradition." They also get into egg nog and other holiday cocktails. Fun! [Christmas Cheer]

Camper English brings us news of a $12,000 bottle of Scotch. Holy Moly, it's 55 years old and comes in a crystal bottle. [The sipping news]

The Cheese Course keeps it basic with a high-quality, lower-cost cheddar, Borough Market, which apparently has more expensive lines beat. [A bargain cheddar]

And we get a Camper spirit special, as English brings us a list of cocktails that leave out the booze, along with a feature on their growing popularity. [Virgin territory]

Some good investigative work by Camper English over at Alcademics:

Remember that big cover story in the Chronicle a few weeks back about Alameda's St. George, the only American distillery making absinthe? Well, today's the release date and Camper has the story. Apparently the stuff is going like hotcakes:

K&L Wine Merchants are sold out. They pre-sold all their supply.

The Jug Shop is sold out. (They were charging $69.99.)...

Wally's Wines (in LA) said they have 6 bottles left.

Want to know where you can still get it, and how quickly you have to move? Better check out Alcademics...

It'll hurt if I swallow [Alcademics]

Okay, we'll try to make this the last non-local video post for a while, but you have to see this. If you happen to have a vacuum machine hanging around the kitchen, this grown-up Jello shot would make a great party food. Otherwise, just marvel at how weird and cool (and, frankly, delicious) it looks. We imagine that if Telstar Logistics had a food section, this is what would be in it.

As it is, here's how the folks over at Telstar take their cocktails:

The Edible Martini [NY Times]

This week's San Francisco Chronicle wine section goes bubbly for the holidays. This is a good theme. If there's one thing that's more popular around the MP San Francisco offices than Pabst Blue Ribbon beer on the Fourth of July, it's Champagne during the whole month of December.

The cover story, appropriately, consists of a functional guide to sparkling wines of the world. Did you know that they make this whimsical stuff in Germany and Austria? [A field guide to sparkling wines from around the world]

Did you also know that you can drink sparkling wine throughout a whole, four-course meal? Neither did we, but here you go. [Pairing]

And you can add a cheese course if you use any of the huge number of cheeses laid out here. [Cheese course]

For a cocktail, Gary Regan suggests a Prince of Wales, made with champagne, whiskey and maraschino, among other things. [The cocktailiain]

And of course, the Chronicle wine section writers didn't seem to get tired of exploring wines to suggest for their dear readers. Would you? [The Chronicle Wine Selections]

I get no kick from champagne
Mere alcohol doesnt thrill me at all
So tell me why should it be true
That I get a kick out of you
-Cole Porter

There's not much of greater importance, beverage-wise, in San Francisco, than Anchor Steam beer. The brewery that appeared in Frank Norris's 1899 classic, McTeague, helped launch the micro-brew renaissance in the 1980s and whose beer Jarvis Cocker handed into the audience at his Fillmore appearance in April, has produced a gin that is just now being slowly released into the San Francisco cocktail world.

Local booze guru Camper English reports in his Alcademics blog that, while the company has a 700-bottle stockpile of Genevieve genever, it is releasing the beverage in small batches to only a few locations. Comments on Alcademics indicate the spirit is available at Plumpjack Wines and Bourbon and Branch.

We don't actually like gin very much, but from this venerable spirit-maker, it's worth at least a martini or two.

I've got good booze and bad news... [Alcademics]

It's Friday, and time for another installment of the Chronicle over Cocktails, in which we peruse the Wine section, ostensibly while sipping a cold one right around noon. Aaahhhh, refreshing!

The lead story isn't really about wine at all. It's about architecture. Okay, architecture near grapes, often housing wine-making apparatus, so it's still topical. [Sonoma's laid-back look]

In cocktails, we meet the offspring of a Margarita and a Negroni: The Rosita [Tired of Margarita? It's time to meet Rosita]

And in pairings, a number of suggestions for, what else? Thanksgiving turkey [Plucky Partners for Turkey and Pinot Noir]

Like you need a good reason to drink too many beers on a Friday night...

Well, you have one anyway. That Mission District stalwart Doc's Clock is putting on a fund-raiser for the birds, with 100 percent of Radeberger, Chimay Blue, Anchor Liberty and some others to be announced, going to Baykeepers, one of the groups spearheading the Bay and beach cleanup.

And remember, Doc's Clock is one of those legendary hangouts that features shuffleboard instead of pool, and well-thought-out iPod playlists instead of a jukebox. Good for some, not good for others. But charitable beer is good for everyone, especially oily birds. Drink up!

Ha, just after posting that last, celebratory rant, we found this 2002 Slate article decrying the Beaujolais frenzy as a marketing scheme of the first rate, perpetrated by Georges Duboeuf, whose Beaujolais winery apparently makes out better than any of the rest on the annual Beaujolais bash. Pretty interesting stuff.

Red Scare [Slate]

This is it, obsessive wine fans! Today's the day the insanely popular and fleeting Beaujolais Nouveau hits town. While the annual celebration for the wine characterized by it's quick fermentation and liberal annual production has taken on a slightly more upscale course than the original bacchanalian bash, many restaurants celebrating its arrival are putting on a more lighthearted show than usual.

Zagat's has a pretty good roundup of Prix Fixe meals and other nods to the seasonal red throughout San Francisco's, um, "French Quarter" and beyond. The biggest soiree takes place Sunday at the Hyatt Regency, put on by, who else? The French Chamber of Commerce.

People go crazy for this young, not-too fancy wine, mostly, it seems, because of its well-choreographed annual release. Each year's vintage, which is only good for a few months, cannot be released until 12:01 a.m. on the third Thursday in November. At that time, the trucks fire up their engines and race from the Beaujolais region to Paris, where the wine is flown all over the world. According to Zagat's some estimate that half the entire production is distributed and drunk in one day.

The wine is light, for a red, and fruity, described by oenophile Brad Prescott, of IntoWine, as, "about as close to white wine as a red wine can get." Doesn't seem to square with the weather in most of the Northern Hemisphere at this time, but here in California, we get special treatment. With highs in the 60s predicted for today and tomorrow, you might just be able to enjoy an afternoon on the patio with this cult classic.

Beaujolais Nouveau Arrives Tomorrow! [Zagat's]

Ha, if we play our cards right today, every post might be in the category, "Drinks Menu." It is Friday, after all. In keeping with our "over coffee" theme for restaurant reviews, we'll be digesting the Chron's Friday wine section over cocktails. What time is it, 11 a.m.? Well, just move the yard-arm over a bit, there we are...

Here's a pretty danged useful resource: A list of child-friendly wineries, with coloring books, toys and so on. [Not Your Parents' Tasting Room]

In keeping with the trend toward the classic among higher-end bars, Camper English takes a look at sought-after cocktail guides of yore. [Bartenders Shake and Stir Their Way Through Cocktail History]

And for the cheese course, we have a local raw-milk Fleur de la Terre. [From Mt. Tam to Indiana]

Now, if we could just find a pre-noon happy hour...

Places like Bourbon and Branch confuse us. There's this whole thing about keeping the buzz (ostensibly) quiet, the sign low-profile and tightly controlling the door, to avoid too many crowds. It's a good idea. And the strict adherence to the rules of prohibition days makes it fun.
But because of the strong period-piece vibe of the place, it's confusing that they insist on such 21st-century trappings as a blog. It's even more confusing, based on the pretend-secrecy, that they offer cocktail classes. But that's not to say we're not interested.
According to said blog, the first classes at the Bourbon and Branch Beverage Academy begin next week with courses on gin and tequila. After that, they're covering American Whiskey and Scotch. Shhh, (WINK!) don't tell anyone!

The Beverage Academy [Straight Up]

Not a moment too soon, some of our local food writers are chiming in with ideas for the holidays. We appreciate that Christmas and Hanukah haven't gotten much of a mention. Call us old fashioned, but we cringe at the sight of blue-and-silver or green-and-red-flecked decorations before Thanksgiving.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, Zagat’s wants you to enjoy that languid holiday in the comfort of someone else's dining room. And not a family member or dear friend, either. If you follow their advice, once the tryptophan kicks in all you'll have to worry about is getting a credit card onto the bill and finding your way home. A welcome relief from the hours of gravy-pot scrubbing that normally characterize the latter half of the day for at least a portion of the family.

A little more imminent, one of our favorite cornerstones on the booze beat, Camper English, ran an article in the Chron on Halloween cocktails last Friday. He's got a nice, booze-related blog, Alcademics, which apparently is part of a larger site he's designing.

Our question, though, is why does one need to change the name of the Bloody Mary (Rye: Bloody Scary) to make it more halloween-y? I mean, the cocktail is named after a queen who made her name torching people in the name of Catholicism. There's also that children's game where you can conjure Bloody Mary in the mirror and then she comes and kills you. And Rye doesn't think all this is macabre enough?

Turkey Day Dining Options [Zagat]
Scaring Up Halloween cocktails [SF Chronicle]

Photo Credit: Jdesign

Case in point: this week's Bar Bites showcases one of the finest little wine bars around: Que Syrah:

Owners Stephanie and Keith McCardell decided to think small. They focus on small wineries around the world, and their 25 seats are arrayed in a vaulted sliver of space so narrow, you can almost touch both sides. Dark wood and a stripped-down mahogany bar - plus some plastic vines that seem to have wandered in from a Billy Joel song - offset white stucco walls in a living-room-hip aesthetic. It's a pleasantly comforting setting in which to wander into uncharted wine territory.

Bar Bites: Que Syrah [SFGate]

[Photo courtesy: Flickr/y4fgsta]

In a shocking upset--that we predicted, thankyouverymuch--the Board of Supervisors blocked the now-infamous Starbucks branch. The denial gives victory to the much-maligned people of the Richmond and marks the first enforcement of the new city law that protects small businesses:

The Board of Supervisors voted 9-1 Tuesday to prohibit Starbucks from moving into the Richmond district at 4041 Geary Blvd., near Fifth Avenue. The Starbucks would have occupied a 750-square-foot space within a new Toyota service center under construction.

The Planning Commission had approved a permit June 14 to allow Starbucks to open up for business. Jesse Fink, head of the Clement Street Merchants Association, which represents 30 businesses in the Richmond district, appealed the decision under the new law, which says formula retail businesses — defined as having 11 or more locations nationwide — are to be approved based on “desirability, compatibility and benefit.” Fink said he collected more than 4,000 signatures opposing the permit.

Now if the city would just do something about that Java House predicament, which isn't looking nearly as rosy.

S.F. supes shoot down Starbucks proposal [Examiner]

As if the date September 11th could slip your mind, tonight is the fateful and long-awaited Board of Supervisors hearing in which the fate of the much-protested Starbucks in the Richmond hangs in the balance.

To recap the main points: The venerable citizens of the Richmond filed an appeal on July 11th to block the construction/opening of a Starbucks branch on Geary Boulevard between 4th Avenue and 5th Avenue. On August 7th, the protesters--with nearly 3000 signatures in hand--crashed the Board of Supes meeting; the Board then decided to postpone a decision ("a continuance of the vote") until tonight, September 11th.

Oh, and somewhere along the way, a protest blog was formed, and the most recent post (last Friday) indicates that the number of signed petitions has eclipsed the 5K mark (many of whose signers will be present tonight at City Hall).

It's going to be a fun night!

Bad maps, angry merchants and 5k worth of signatures [Stop Starbucks Blog]

But in San Francisco, a city known for both its casual culture and obsession with quality food and drink, a visit to a wine bar can be an unpretentious pleasure. The city has long had wine bars — the London Wine Bar, downtown, opened in 1974 and is said to have been the first in the United States. Now, a wave of new wine bars has been opening, often in unexpected neighborhoods.

How long must a trend sustain itself before losing its "trendy" status? Will the wine bar movement ever fizzle?

Snobless Sipping Where a Glassful Is Just a Glassful [NY Times]
Hotel Biron [MenuPages]
Hotel Biron [Official Site]
Yield Wine Bar [MenuPages]
Yield Wine Bar [Official Site]

If you frequent a certain San Jose Jamba Juice, you should probably stop by the doctor's office and receive a hepatitis A vaccine, as an employee was discovered to be infectious for nearly two weeks:

A food handler at the smoothie franchise's store at 1140 Lincoln Ave. tested positive for the disease and was infectious for 12 days this month while working, officials said. The employee worked Aug. 1-3, 6-9 and 11-16.

People who have been vaccinated for hepatitis A or have had the illness in the past are not at risk of infection.

Jamba Juice will reportedly pay for treatment for those affected. More information about hep A, including symptoms and treatment, is available on the Santa Clara County Public Health website.

Hepatitis A warning at San Jose Jamba Juice [SFGate]
Public Health Department [Official Site]

Sick of stout? Lackadaisical about lager? Burnt out on Belgian ale?

Have no fear, courtesy of Anheuser-Busch, there are some new Buds for you!

By the end of the year, Anheuser-Busch will introduce 60 new products, nearly doubling its current number of 68. If you're like us, then you probably: A) didn't even know that there were that many A-B products on the market and B) can't even imagine what the new products will be.

Well, here are some of the newest (and more puzzling) developments in alcoholic technology.

• Cheleda: a mix of Clamato and Budweiser.

• Bud Tea: an alcoholic tea-based beverage

• Red Bridge Sorghum Beer: a gluten-free beer made with sorghum (a species of grass raised for grain that may contain cyanide)

• The expansion of its line of "Peels": 5% premium malt beverages with fruity flavors, like cranberry peach

Real men of genius, wherefore art thou?

A-B New Product Assembly Line Goes into Overdrive [Brew Blog, via The Grinder]

As reported by SFist, "Black Gold" screened in Dolores Park yesterday. With coffee the second most valuable trading commodity in the world behind oil, the film explores the $80 billion industry and the impoverished Ethiopian coffee farmers that fuel it.

For its part, Starbucks has always professed to be a proponent of fair trade and social responsibility, although that doesn't necessarily mean much (check out this Starbucks Fair Trade Challenge; it's from last year, but still interesting).

As for the film itself, "Black Gold" is currently touring across the world. It's been lauded at scores of film festivals, from Sundance to Rio, and is available on DVD as well. More information, of course, is available on its website.

SFist Photo: "Black Gold" Coffee Movie in Dolores Park [SFist]
Black Gold [Official Site]

Here on the West Coast, sweet tea is a rare--and, some may say, impossible--commodity. And if you're like us, you really only have the foggiest notion as to what real sweet tea is and should be. Luckily, the nice folks at Slate have put together a nice lil' article expounding upon the wonder that is sweet tea:

Drinking sweet tea is one of the oldest and most exceptional Southern traditions. As Dolly Parton's character in Steel Magnolias puts it, it's the "house wine of the South"—a clear, orange-to-red tinted tea brewed from six or seven Lipton or Luzianne tea bags, poured hot onto a cup or more of sugar or a pool of simple syrup, and then diluted into a gallon pitcher in the fridge. It's served over a mound of ice in a huge glass—so cold that you can watch your napkin drown in a puddle of condensation.

Here in the Bay, your Southern sweet tea pickin's are generally slim (Memphis Minnie's BBQ and farmerbrown are two options), so you might be best served trying to make your own.

Southerners, weigh in. We need help!

I Wish I Lived in a Land of Lipton … [Slate]

[Image courtesy: Clemson]

• Food blog fight! Food blog fight! Los Angeles, still apparently stinging from Michael Bauer's opinion-laced article about their restaurants, found some faults with Bauer's definition of "esoteric ingredients." Your move, Signore Bauer. [The Grinder]

• Meanwhile, on the original glossary-like post on the Bauer Blog, no one really cares, despite a commenter's attempt to create a ruckus. (And we have to side with the non-plussed crowd, aka San Francisco.) [Between Meals]

• The 20th Anniversary shindig at Toronado was quite the specialty beer-laced party. Bonus: they will continue to serve the anniversary ales until they run out, so we recommend stopping by this week. [SFist]

• Lol Tun Restaurant in the Mission: mediocre tacos, subpar burritos but ample, ample amounts of heroin. And by ample, we mean $170,000 worth. Heavens. [SFist]

• Raw milk has been in the news a lot lately, hasn't it? [Chez Pim]

• In the video below, Domino's presents the Oreo Pizza and the Oreo Pizza Mustache. See, you get the mustache because there are just so many Oreos on the pizza. And you thought Domino's was gross! [Slashfood]

We guarantee this video will be the best thing you'll see today, especially if you have any modicum of interest in the wonder that is coffee.

The video is the first episode of CHOW's "Obsessives" series and features Arno Holschuh, a barista at San Francisco's own Blue Bottle Coffee. There are seven segments of Arno discussing various aspects of the coffee world, from coffee storage to Starbucks farm policies to the life of a barista.

Among the fun tidbits we learned: ground coffee has a shelf life of two-three minutes (so grind it at home), don't freeze your coffee beans, don't use drip machines and a real espresso should have a nice layer of crema, which comes from oils and provides nice flavor.

Get the Shot: One man, many beans, and the perfect cup of coffee [CHOW]
Blue Bottle Coffee [Official Site]

This is Gary Vaynerchuk. He has been making "wine webisodes" at Wine Library TV for over a year now.

Though the Jersey native has a little bit of Guy Fieri in him, from the jock overtones right down to the single wristband, a more suitable comparison might be Emeril. Like the Food Network pioneer, Gary brings that palatable excitement and hyperbole as well, not mention an abrasive, possibly polarizing style.

Despite what you may think of his shock jock tendencies, there's no denying that he knows his stuff. His intricate and original descriptions of the wines' aromatics and bouquets are downright fascinating, and he's definitely going into uncharted territory by trying to make wine more accessible to the masses. With the recent commercialization and growing popularity of gourmet food in the media world, there must be a market for wine as well. Will his success spur the Food Network--or another network--to embark on a wine-centric show that appeals to the common man?

In the meantime, if you fancy yourself a wine person (or an aspiring one) we'd recommend checking out his site regularly. You are sure to learn something. If nothing else, his love for wine might rub off on you, or maybe after a couple minutes, you'll start a petition asking Gary to switch to decaf. Either way.

90 Point Wines Under 15 Bones - Episode #286 [Wine Library TV]

• Anyone who's anyone knows that wifi cafes are only for yuppies. All the cool kids go to wifi bars. [Gridskipper SF]

• Napa Valley: SOLD! [The Grinder]

• Trader Joe's ventures into Asian slur territory. [Becks & Posh]

• Good champagne and food can be had in the Financial District at The Bubble Lounge. As an added incentive, a certain former mayor has also been rumored to partake in imbibing there. Former! [SFist]

[Video of British people walking on desserts via The Grinder]

• But for wine tasting, some recommend skipping the crowded Napa Valley in favor of the Paso Robles region. [Forbes]

• Crossroads Cafe gets the Bargain Bites spotlight this week, and for good reason: grilled cheese and tomato on griddled sourdough sounds pretty delicious. [SFGate]

• A new Frjtz opened its doors in the Mission. [Zagat Buzz]

• The California Department of Public Health issued a notice about ginger imported from China, so unless you enjoy pesticides, you probably want to avoid ginger for a bit. [KTVU]

In one of the more entertaining news items of the week, Aquafina announced that its labels will clearly state that their bottled product is really just tap water. According to the AP report, a group called Corporate Accountability International is in the midst of a water crusade of sorts, intent on getting bottled water companies to stop misleading the public when it comes to water sources. With Aquafina's newfound admission, it seems they've slayed their biggest adversary; Aquafina (owned by PepsiCo) is the most prominent bottled water brand in the country. Up next: Dasani:

The corporate accountability group is also pressing for similar concessions from The Coca-Cola Co, which owns the Dasani water brand.

Dasani's Web site says that Dasani comes from local water supplies and is then filtered.

"We don't believe that consumers are confused about the source of Dasani water," Coca-Cola spokeswoman Diana Garza Ciarlante said. "The label clearly states that it is purified water."

Regardless of what happens to Dasani, the Aquafina label bombshell will surely make consumers think twice about shelling out $2 for a bottle of water that could just as easily come from the sink. Will this affect your bottled-water-buying ways?

Aquafina Labels: It's Tap Water [Forbes]