Category: Drinking

An evening in Albany

Have you been to the Hotsy Totsy?

Do you drink?

Shot and a beer? Or something more clever in cocktail form?

Do you like local memorabilia?

Are you intrigued yet?

The HTC has been a staple of the easy bay since 1934.

Currently owned by Jessica Maria and Michael Valladares (since 2008) it’s a lovely combination of dive bar and craft cocktail establishment. More info on the owners here.

We have had consistently good cocktails each visit.

This visit we enjoyed a “Warm Hug” made with Merlet VSOP cognac, pumpkin butter and black walnut. A lovely dessert drink.

The “Femme Fetale” with Magnus whisky, sour cherry liqueur, LoFi dry vermouth and saffron bitters.

All in all a lovely start to the evening which ended with dinner at Zaytoon on Solano Avenue which had their bar program crafted by Jessica Maria as well.

We ate small plates-style and enjoyed several plates. Handsome was not wowed by the hummus but the rest of the Mazza plate ($12) was balanced, thoughtful and well-crafted.

The wine list is compact but selves into broad regions. We enjoyed both Greek and Lebanese wine with our meal (glass avg $12.50)

The Warak Inab (Lebanese name for the more familiar Turkish dolma) was soft, and fragrant with herbs that made it a lovely contrast to the baba ghanouj and tabbouli $8)

I look forward to trying more on our next visit.

Jardinere – A piece of SF leaves

Monday night was my last trip to Jardinere. It will close its doors for good this weekend.

Jardinere holds more memories for me that I realized when we went in earlier this month. My family and I have gone there for special occasions, for a before theater drink or meal, or just as a place to nibble and pass the time in quiet. I’ve had more than one interesting conversation there; more that one delicious dish, and, oddly enough, received the best hair compliment of my life (so far) there.

When you walk into Jardinere, you are treated to a quiet and calm oasis. A warm, rich interior with a horseshoe bar and a beautiful ceiling that illuminates small sparkles and the afternoon light turns to dusk. The second floor visible about the bar, you can see table tops nudged against the balcony railing that has dimly lit wine coolers built in at every railing post. Does it sound elegant? It is. Opulent? Not really, it fits in. It doesn’t stand out and scream but instead invites you forward into a space that is never boisterous. The soft walls and warm colors absorb sound, the soft carpet on the staircase muffles the traffic to and fro while the sturdy brick walls make you feel nestled into a safe space you can sit and relax.

It’s a destination that is going out in the same style it came in. With grace, delicious food and just a touch of whimsy.