Nosh and Libation in SoMa

by special correspondent, HipsterCat

Critical Cloud is pleased to introduce the newest contributor to our idiotic musings, HipsterCat. While we would like to tell you that we lured her away from other, more prestigious publications, that sad fact is that HipsterCat leads an otherwise mundane life in the tech industry and is hoping to gain 15 minutes of fame from this pathetic website.

Ah, South of Market. Nothing quite approximates the hipster quotient of this awesome/irregularly shaped demarcation of a neighborhood in San Francisco.So many bars. So many wonderful little spots to catch a nibble. So little time. This week, we begin our bar crawl adventures centered on a 15 block radius in SoMa, and specifically focusing up on joints that offer the elixirs, as well as the substance with which to wash them down. Let's start with our assessment of The Public.


the lounge at the Public

Of all the sites I've had the pleasure to visit, I rank the location (and the outside architecture) of this hang high among the list. On the corner of Folsom and 11th (near Slim's, Butter, Caliente, etc.), a loft type structure perches over the lay of the nightlife. Once past the nondescript front door, a cozy space (and some great cocktails to boot) awaits the adventurer. Perhaps it is the juxtaposition of the interior touches (old but luxe cinema seating against the wall, along with a traditional clubby leather couch) that set my vibe at ease. But then again, it could be the list of concoctions that I plow my way through as well. While I do harbor disappointment that they no longer make their gimlet with ginger and Hangar One vodka (it's all about supporting the locals, folks), the beverage list has been retrofitted to offer similarly pleasing choices. The three that come highly recommended?

Blood Orange Drop. A tasty treat of Skyy Orange Vodka + fresh blood orange + fresh lime + triple sec + cranberry = a good start to the evening.

Plata Gimlet. Grand Centanario Tequila + fresh lime juice + sugar. As I mentioned, their original Gimlet ROCKED (I still pine for it). But in its stead is the very simple. Excellent tequila paired with fresh citrus. Sometimes simplicity really is the ultimate enjoyment.

Pink Squeeze. Finlandia Vodka + fresh squeezed grapefruit juice + Campari. And you get the nice grapefruit sliver garnish.

Why do I like Pink Squeeze? Well, for starters it's like having your vitamin C but with a bit of alcohol on the side. And it matches my pink crystal studded Manolo Blahnik thongs very nicely. Hey, it doesn't take a great deal to make me happy. Having my drink match my shoes can make my day.


the Blood Orange Drop

If you are still sitting upright in your chair after the cocktails and laden with an appetite, the food gets a thumbs up as well. Dishes to gravitate towards include the ricotta (yum, really fresh/nice pairing with the asparagus), and acquacotta soup (always done well/thick with veggies and the poached egg makes it) for starters. For the main meal, you can't go wrong with the duck sugo (mmmmm homemade papardelle), pan roasted hanger steak (meat, meat, and more meat) or the free-range roasted chicken (bawk!). Last but not least, if you still have room, consider polishing off your meal with the bread pudding or the apple crumble. Both are extremely tasty, but my preferences lean towards the classic bread pudding with caramel sauce. Always done right and just such a perfect balance. I would be remiss if I only heaped praise upon The Public. There are a number of other places to quaff some poison and stuff the gills.

Down on Folsom near 4th (on the same block as Lulu/Azie/etc) is Oola. In terms of outward appearance, it's nothing to write home about. In fact, you can miss the entrance if you aren't carefully looking since it seems to blend into so many of the storefronts on the crowded block. Once inside however, a very different story. Very groovy space. The bar? Just long enough. Lit just right. And all the right bottles sit upon the shelves. Comfy booths and tables. Exposed brick and darker/earthy colors.In other words, a place to unwind after a particularly hectic day. Or a place to get your groove on.

Of course they will serve the regular gamut of classic cocktails. But who wants to imbibe a standard drink when you can sample their nifty house offerings? I don't particularly care for their pomegranate based refreshments (currently it's the Metropolis). Too syrupy and cloying. What does tickle the palate however are the Jimi Hendricks (made with Hendricks Gin of course), and the Watermelon Cosmo (smooth, and the combination of watermelon puree + melon vodka lend to a very nice synergistic effect).Add into this equation the fact that you can get a nice selection of wine, the dinner offerings are consistent, and it’s open until 1 AM and Oola rates very highly on my top 20 list of haunts in SF.




Appetizers that seem to please include the fresh oysters on the half shell, the ahi tuna, and the caesar salad. Oh, and the oven dried tomato tart is pretty fab as well. I'm not going to list out the recommendations for the main meal as ALL the offerings they have are very good (and it's hard to rate one above the other, go by what you are in the mood to eat that given evening). And dessert? Don't get me started (I mean this in only a good way).

I should mention that this particular 'bar/food-crawl' really started in the opposite direction at Vino Venue (3rd & Mission). Less a place to grab some nosh, but mostly a place to imbibe some vino, I've had nothing but wonderful experiences here. How can you go wrong with a place that has over 100 wines available for sampling? Well, more importantly, how can you resist the temptation not to go on a bender? The concept for this venue is actually perfect. You hand over the cash, you get a card with said amount of credit. Grab a glass, shuffle on over to your wine of interest, insert card (place glass under dispenser), and voila. A nice 1-2 oz sample size all for the enjoyment. Need more? Just press the button again. This does of course make said credit on your precious card diminish, but nothing that can't be remedied by handing over more cash.
Wines are separated into the groupings for reds (Adventurous, International, Bold, etc), groupings for the whites (2 to be exact), and then in the far corner, the luxury wines (feel like having a heavenly sip of a Gaja, or better yet a Chateau Yquem? then this is your spot).
For those into the bubbly, you can step up to the beautiful marble bar for two different types of champagne tastings. You have the choice between the classic (or normal) where you can try different houses/vintages, or the avant-garde (er, interesting) which has among the flight a 'red' champagne (don't ask).

While not a place that serves true sit-down cuisine, Vino Venue does have cheese and charcuterie plates to offer should you want that bit of something to go with all of the spendid wine. Given that it's so easy to spend an hour, or two or three, I find it a complete wonder that we were able to make it to other establishments on the same evening. Plan carefully. Or don't. Either way, you are in for a enjoyable afternoon and evening.

Tune in next week as the HipsterCat moves her glasses to the Civic Center and Fillmore areas to discover more liquid delights!