Joyce's #1: Liquid Kitty

Liquid Kitty
11780 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
www.thekitty.con

A great bar to kick off my 50 in 365! A visiting friend from out of town brought me out on a Tuesday night, and I chose this meeting spot having heard good things from a number of folks from a variety of social crowds. (Plus it's nice and close to my apartment:) There's no sign that says "Liquid Kitty" out front, just a green flashing neon martini glass (across the street from a green flashing neon sombrero).
It's a small, cozy bar, with a classic feel, very dark, and great for having a casual drink or to get completely plastered. Looks pretty clean too, at least in the dark lighting. Seating around the perimeter of the bar, some open space and a small dance floor make it easy to sit and chat, stand and chat, or dance and chat. Or just sit. stand. or dance. or drink of course! Noise level and atmosphere are just right, and the dj played some awesome rare soul and funk grooves. (I'm on a mission to find "Professor and Technology Experts".)
I went for a girly drink on my first round, one of their drink specials-the Harold and Maude, made of Banana Rum liquour and S&S Pineapple (whatever that is). Looked nice, tasted great, and packed a decent punch for a girly drink. hmm, still in Hawaii mode. I had a sip of their top rated martini, but I don't know anything about martinis so can't really say anything worthwhile about that. Thumbs up for my regular jack and coke, on the strong side, and still tasting good. All in all, I can see why folks love this place.
Thanks to Sorah and Phil, whom we met outside the bar, took our pics (we only had a camera phone) and invited us to the next stop on my 50in365-Airconditioned. Looking forward to it!

BONUS! Lan's 7a, 8a, and 9a in Hawaii

Duke's Canoe Club Waikiki
At The Outrigger Waikiki Hotel
2335 Kalakaua Ave., Suite 116
Honolulu, Oahu, HI
(808) 922-2268

This establishment was right behind us while we were lying on the beach on our first day in Waikiki, so we figured we'd come back here after taking a shower for snacks and some drinks on the beach. We had hoped to sit on the beach patio, but some guys ahead of us swooped the last table, so we ended up on the deck, which was still outdoors and great. There was already a guy sort of sitting at our table, but we sat down anyway and he turned around and drunkenly started talking to us (Scott from Georgia on vacation with his parents). Live Hawaiian music on a warm night on the beach in Hawaii...not much to complain about! Scott bought our first round of daquiris (hey--drink the local drink!) and we ordered some salads, fries, vegetable stir fry, and pizza. In general, the food was alright and nothing to write home about but certainly edible.

I don't remember what my 2nd drink was, but there certainly was one. I forgot to take a picture here.

***

Mai Tai Bar
At the Ala Moana Shopping Center
1450 Ala Moana Blvd. #3247
Honolulu, HI
(808) 947-2900

After a long day of eating our way around the island and lounging on the beach, we went to the Mai Tai bar, which friends had recommended to us. The very odd thing about this bar/club is that it is an open air venue AT THE MALL! It doesn't have its own bathroom, but you are very welcome to use Bubba Gump's bathroom. It appears to be a very college-y bar with some people REALLY dressed up and some people REALLY dressed down (me).

There was a live band, which I just found out today was none other than Kawao, the very band that we'd been wondering about. On our drive around the island, we kept hearing a song that we liked...and it turned out to be the band at Mai Tai, although we didn't realize it at the time.

People in Hawaii can be quite large. I refrain from saying "Hawaiian people are large" because this applies to all races. I would look at one guy and think, "That's the biggest guy I've ever seen!" As soon as I'd made this declaration, inevitably, someone bigger would show up. These people were so gigantic, that many of them were drinking beer from pitchers, which proportionally appeared as a funny shaped cup in their hands. Because of all these big people, I was a bit afraid for my flip-flop clad toes while walking around the crowded space. If Joyce's 115 lbs can cause my toenail to fall off, imagine what 300-400 lbs. would do to my feet!

The only other comment I have about this bar at the mall was that the drinks are quite sizeable: rum & cokes were served in pint glasses instead of the usual cocktail glass. I wonder if they'd make them in a pitcher for the giants?

I also forgot to take a picture at this one.

***

Da Big Kahuna
2299 Kuhio Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 923-0033

It was drizzling this evening, so we didn't venture very far. Luckily, our hotel is smack dab in the middle of all the action so all we had to do was take the elevator downstairs and walk one door over to Da Big Kahuna. This place smells like most other bars--years of the same wood countertop and carpet being continuously doused with beer and vomit.

There are plenty of tables here where they serve typical bar food with 2 pool tables and 2 automated dart boards in the back. We stayed here for quite a while and again, every time I thought I'd just seen the biggest person ever, someone even larger walked in.

The Originator

As I've mentioned in one of my early entries, the idea of visiting fifty new bars in the course of a calendar year is not new and is not mine. I got the idea reading through Yelp--a guy named Vlad had made it his mission for 2006, and I somehow ran across his list.

Since I'd spent most of 2006 training for the Nike Women's Marathon, I had spent a lot of antisocial nights at home sleeping. With work and training easing up in December, Vlad's mission sounded like a great idea for 2007. I knew plenty about restaurants in San Francisco, but tended to go to the same bars.

Just thought I'd cite my sources.

Lan's #10: C Bobby's Owl Tree

C Bobby’s Owl Tree
601 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 776-9344

On our way back to the car was the Owl Tree, which piqued J’s interest. Inside, we discovered a bar full of people...and owl knickknacks everywhere. I kind of liked the décor—owl clocks on the wall, owl lamps hanging from the ceilings, owl wind chimes, owl paintings, owl cookie jars, etc.

My bird-weary cousins would have had a heart attack as soon as they walked in. And before you point out that I am also afraid of birds, there’s a difference. I’m afraid of REAL birds—the ones that hang out on the streets and shit from the sky. My cousins, on the other hand, are freaked out by any representation—real or fake—of any bird.

Aside from the décor, the other highlight of this bar was the women’s bathroom. After negotiating my way through the crowd to the back of the bar, I ascended some narrow stairs to find the a very clean bathroom and some lovely wallpaper (featuring drawings of naked women).

My sole complaint: a shot of Johnny Walker and a vodka/club soda set us back $17. WHAT?!

Lan's #9: The Hidden Vine

The Hidden Vine Wine Bar
620 Post Street
entrance on Cosmo Place
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 674-3567

I’ve noticed this bar on visits to Le Colonial and Ryoko but never had the opportunity to stop in. The entrance is on Cosmo Place (the alley where Le Colonial is) and very easy to miss. Once you find it and descend the stairs, you end up in what looks like grandma’s parlor: comfy chairs, flowering décor, and furniture that doesn’t really match.

At 11pm on a Saturday night, all of the tables were full, but the three seats at the bar were empty, so J & I sat down to look at their offerings. There’s a pretty good selection of wines by the glass…but ultimately, we chose two different red wine flights—one featuring Cabs, and another featuring unusual wines from around the world. We also ordered a plate of salami to go with our tastings and waited for everything to arrive.

Looking around, we saw a very eclectic mix of young professionals—but not the sort of asshole you’d see in the Marina. It wasn’t too loud, you could easily hear your companion, and everyone there was with a small group of friends, so this definitely isn’t a place you go to pick up on anyone. My only complaint was that the room was just a touch too warm, especially when drinking wine.

When our wines arrived, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that the 3 glasses per flight featured heavy pours AND little paper rings around each stem identifying each wine. No other wine bar (that I’ve been to or that they’re aware of) does this. For every other flight I’ve had, you have to be very careful not to mix up the glasses…and you really have to listen to the server when they tell you about the wines. For a poor listener like myself, these little papers are a godsend. Plus, you can take the papers home so that you’ll NEVER forget what you drank!

Oh! And the salami was quite tasty--served with LOTS of sliced baguettes, dried blueberries, and some sort of tomato relish. Definitely a steal for $5-6.

All in all, $31 for a large plate of salami, and 2 wine flights—not bad!

Lan's #8: The Page

The Page
298 Divisadero Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 255-6101

After unsuccessfully trying to get into the Madrone Lounge (they wanted to charge a $5 cover!), we walked up Divisadero a bit more to find The Page, a very casual neighborhood bar. We walked in an immediately found two seats at the bar. J ordered a Famous Grouse (I have no idea why, as that whiskey tastes like ass) and I had a Chimay. This is definitely a local watering hole with two pool tables in the back.

The bar was pretty crowded, but then again, it was a Friday night. As I made my way to the bathroom, I encountered a few patches of musk not unsimilar to what you would smell in a high school locker room. These scents prompted me to look around, which led me to realize that this bar has an inordinately high ratio of males to females. Because of this, there was no line for the bathroom!

Upon my return, we had our drinks, observed the people around us, and watched sports highlights on one of the two TVs behind the bar. If I lived in this neighborhood, you’d probably find me at this bar…at least they serve liquor!

p.s. Joyce is joining us!!

Lan's #7: Bar 821

Bar 821
821 Divisadero Street
San Francisco, CA 94117

J & I walked from our place on a Friday night to Bar 821 to check out this wine bar. We walked in to find all of the seats filled except for one stool at the bar, so we parked it there to survey the menu.

Based on the drink menu, I wouldn’t exactly call this a wine bar, as the wine menu isn’t very focused. It is more of a former dive bar without a liquor license, half-assedly fixed up to resemble a wine bar. However, they do have REALLY cheap happy hour drinks--all cocktails & beers $3 from 5-7pm, but we were too late for this. Luckily, drinks aren’t much more expensive during regular hours. My ginger champagne (ginger syrup + champagne) was only $5. My only complaint was that my drink was only filled to somewhere between ½ to ¾ full…but I suppose that’s what you get for only $5.

Owned by the same people as Nihon Whiskey Lounge (Lan’s #8) this seems to be a neighborhood hangout filled with locals. Rather unpretentious…and on a street surrounded by other bars that also don’t have liquor licenses (Café Abir and Fly Bar). However, I’m glad this isn’t my neighborhood, because there are only so many soju cocktails and saketinis you can stand before you JUST WANT A REAL DRINK.

After a drink, we left to see what other bars we could find on this strip of Divisadero near the Panhandle.

This bar also mark's Jason's first new bar of the year!! Since "J" as a tag is also taken, I hereby declare you "YB"

Angelina's #4: Mojito's

I'm catching up Lan!!! At least, I'm on schedule for one bar a week which is under control.

And, cheers to Lan and Minh for making it to all three new bars with me on a Wednesday night.

The last bar of the evening was Mojito's (right across the street from Royale - another fun little North Beach find). By this point, I really needed some food, so I ordered a Quesadilla Pollo(pronounced Kay-suh-dill-uh Po-low) per Donald's recommendation. I was not disappointed and neither were Rog and Alau who ate the rest.

Although I did not need another drink, I had to have one to make it count for the 50, so I went with the bar's namesake and got myself a mojito. Pretty good. And, pretty strong. I honestly don't remember much more of the evening after that drink. Chatted it up with the folks and that was it.

As for the bar, it had colored lights strung at the bar. There was a big space with a wooden dance floor in the middle...apparently, this place is quite packed on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays with some hot salsa dancing. I'll have to return and verify. Otherwise, I'd say Donald was the highlight of Mojito's. He's in lan's pic so check it out. He's quite friendly and ever so accomodating with the endless baskets of chips.

That's the evening...I'll have to rethink doing that many bars on another Wednesday night due to the Thursday morning struggle. But overall, quite a good night!

Angelina's #3: 15 Romolo

I really enjoyed 15 Romolo. Again, we were the only ones in there. We crossed the street from Impala, and headed up the mini alley. 15 Romolo is located in the hotel and consists of a few booths and the L-shaped bar. The juke box with the selection lan loves was in the corner...with some free credits courtesy of the bartender. You can also rent this place for the evening. The single bathrooms didn't bother me, like they lan.

We opted for the bar and got to ordering drinks. The bartender, Benito (ele e paulista), made me a mighty fine margarita. High quality tequila, perfect mix and very tasty. Minh's martini (made with gin, of course) was also very very well made. The selection of draught beers wasn't too shabby either, all served in the correct glasses.

I think what made this bar so likeable was Benito, the bartender. He hooked me up with some extra margarita as he made one for himself. Then, I tried a mai tai, but don't really dig those. So, he took it back and dusted off some scotch off the top shelf and poured me a nice glass of that. Needless to say, after eating only chips at Impala, I was a bit more tipsy than I had intended for a Wednesday night.

Off to the last bar of the night....with food, please!

** Benito's other bar suggestions: Rye, Ambassador & he works at Rosewood & Gravity (mondays).

Angelina's #2: Impala

I'll just add my little bit...Lan is the fastest, master poster, so look to her Impala post for pics, etc.

This was lan and ed's choice. The place is pretty big, but we were the only ones in there on a Wednesday night, so it may have felt bigger than normal. I do hear that this place is jam-packed on weekends. Probably your typical North Beach crowd - mix of the Marina overflow and tourists.

Food was not that exciting. The Fundido was not really fundido....maybe that's why they spell it "Fundito" on their menu. The margaritas were run of the mill like they used a mix and premade a vat full. And, probably why there were only $3.

Decor is nice...and so is the location. I probably wouldn't go there again unless it was someone's birthday and I had to.

Lan's #6: Mojito

Mojito
1337 Grant Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 398-1120

I guess I was feeling pretty good at this point, since it was my 4th bar of the evening. I mistakenly told Donald, the friendly bartender, that he was #11 in my quest for 50 (which he proudly reminded me of throughout the course of our stay), but this morning, I realized that I was a number off. In retrospect, I should have ordered the restaurant's namesake, the mojito. Instead, I ordered a cava, patatas bravas, and 2 tacos (1 pork, 1 shrimp). The cava was served in a shallow glass, which I feel resulted in less drink for me. The tacos were good enough, as I was hungry, but I can't really judge given that I'd imbibed far more than I'd ingested at that point. The corn tortillas were nice and crispy and it was served with a wedge of avocado. I also got a bonus pollo taco, which I gave to Rog. I didn't hear any complaints from him.

The crew at Mojito was almost completely different than the crew we began with. 4 people went home, and 4 new ones arrived (early & late shift?). The only common threads between where we started and where we ended up were me, Angelina, and MinhCao. The bill for food & drink came out to roughly $60 for 7 people...not bad.

For a Wednesday night, there were plenty of people at the bar and a few tables were occupied. Kitchen closes at 10pm.

12 down, 38 to go.

Lan's #5: 15 Romolo

15 Romolo
15 Romolo Place
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 398-1359

This is a neat little bar in a quiet little alley off of strip club row attached to a small hotel with a great jukebox. Yes, that was a lot of prepositional phrases. When our crew of 6 walked in, the bar was completely empty aside from the bartender and the Smiths was on the jukebox. The bartender wasn't very friendly at first, but Angelina fluffed him up with some talk of Brasil and he warmed up (even giving me a bottle of water, which I later discovered had been previously opened, on my way out).

I ordered an extra dirty Grey Goose martini which didn't fully satisfy, but then again, he said his specialty was margaritas and I wasn't really feeling the margaritas after Impala's flop. This is also a nice venue for a private party, with one minor issue: the bathroom is a single room, no stalls. We hung out here for a while since the bartender had credits on the jukebox for us.

What we chose: Pharcyde, Bjork, Patsy Cline, Jurassic 5, the Smiths, the Jam...they had my music collection on their jukebox! The bartender (Benito) recommended that we head to Mojito next for some food (that was our original destination) and we were on our way.

Lan's #4: Impala

Impala
501 Broadway
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 982-5299

Ed & I chose this as our happy hour meeting place based on the fact that neither of us had ever been there, it was close to where we were both coming from, they had a happy hour, and the clincher: the servers wear skimpy outfits. The skimpy uniform consists of a tight pin-striped trouser short (ass shorts with a cuff) and a black tank top--more stylish than the Hooters outfit and serves the same purpose (exposing the appropriate goods).

We were basically the only people in the bar--it is only Wednesday, after all. Yelp reviews state that this is a popular hang out for Financial District suits and their Marina girls. The facility is cozy, the bathrooms were clean (2 stalls for the women) and there's a nice VIP room downstairs--good for a party and slightly larger than what the Rosewood offers. I forgot to ask about pricing. Happy hour runs until 8pm and features $3 margaritas, beers on tap, and well drinks. There are no food specials except on $2 Taco Tuesday (btw, a taco shouldn't cost much more than $2 in the first place, which makes this special NOT special).

I ordered a margarita (too tart, wouldn't order it again) and our friends started trickling in as they got off of work. The fundido we ordered was basically velveeta with beans, but it hit the spot. The fundido definitely did not pique my desire to try any more of their offerings. A drink or two for 6 people + chips & salsa + fundido & plaintain chips = ~$40. Not bad.

NEXT!

Lan's #3: Mr. Bing's

Mr. Bing's
201 Columbus Ave (Cross Street: Pacific Avenue)
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 362-1545

B dropped me off in North Beach and I had some time to kill before Angelina arrived. On my way to Impala, I saw Mr. Bing's, which I'd been talking to Ed about earlier this week. With about 20 minutes to kill, I walked in to #9. This is a very divey bar--basically a room with a boomerang shaped bar, TV, and not much else. As I was the only female (and the only asshole in a suit), I didn't order anything fancy as I'm sure if I had ordered anything that required shaking, stirring, or mixing, they'd all have made fun of me. After the bartender (not Mr. Bing*) rattled off all of the beers they served, I settled on a Beck's ($4).

The guy next to me (pictured above in the red shirt) gave me the thumbs up on my beer choice and I was IN. However, I didn't have much time, so I shotgunned my impressively ice cold beer, paid the man, and went outside to wait for Angelina.

* Apparently Mr. Bing is an 80-year-old man who doesn't tend bar regularly anymore. He does still come in on the weekends and he does own the place. Ed mentioned that he may not even be the REAL Mr. Bing...

jamie #3 - joe dimaggio's

imbibed here for the second half of the pats v chargers game last sunday. the flat screens are nice, albeit small. the drinks are NOT CHEAP. i didn't even see an itemized receipt, but the total was a bit large and in charge. perhaps it was the result of 4 people drinking for a couple of hours...?

i started with mimosas, which were awesome. and it's true that it's tough to screw up a mimosa, but the couple i had really hit the spot. i think it had much to do with the fresh strawberries that they balance delicately on the rim of the glass. this sounds like a strange thing to review, but their garnishes are the best i've seen in my day. no nasty, wrinkly olives and day-old dried out citrus here.

my favorite drink might be the espresso martini. beautiful presentation and damn yummy. there was another drink that looked good too, which i will try next time. something along the lines of a strawberry chocolate martini.

the frou frou cocktails should not outshine the wine list. over 200 wines, but alas, i only tried one. it was the bartender's reccomendation and he certainly knew what he was talking about. sadly, i can't remember what it was. something red...helpful, huh?

last (but not least) rave = the bartender. his name is joey and he is incredibly skilled and composed. he got slammed while the game was on and did not have any help. he stayed insanely on top of things and even gave us a few drinks on the house. joey only works on sat and sun, but i will definitely be back to see him the next time i want yummy drinks and have no ceiling on my budget.

he also offered us 2 for 1 drinks if we decided to stay past the end of the game. i took a raincheck and was sound asleep by 8:30pm.

jamie #2 - bia's restaurant & wine bar

met hh at bia's during "the cleanse", so i got to watch him have a glass of wine. i will say that they have some pretty good peppermint tea, however.

it was a little funky with all the bright colors and i was definitely not digging the lame lavender balloons that they had pinned to the walls (although hh said that perhaps they were merely nye leftovers). if the balloons are gone when i return and the wine is good, then i'll be more pleased. i did like finding a wine bar on haight, though. and i like the bookstore next door.

***yes, i have to go back and have a drink so that no one can dispute that this counts as one of my 50 bars.***

jamie #1 - the ramp

i forgot to post this: i went and had wine and beer at the ramp in dogpatch on new year's day. for now, i'll just say that i likey and would gladly go back. we should all do this on a nice sunny day.

Angelina's #1 - The Red Room

My first bar on the way to 50! Only 49 more to go...

Not bad for the first bar of the year. Pretty small with 4 maybe 5 small tables/seating areas and bar stools secured to the ground, so no movement. So, if it gets crowded, be prepared to stand. Music was pleasant and not too loud, so we could talk. For a midweek cocktail, I was quite pleased.

As the bar name suggests (The Red Room), redness everywhere. The wall of red bottles upon entrance is fun. Pretty mixed crowd as lan said in our age demographic, but definitely some questionable attire. I went with a scotch on the rocks, so that's hard to mess up. But, it did hit the spot that night. Lan & Hubert's dirty martinis were tasty (albeit made with vodka and not gin).

Overall, a cute little lounge with potential for an intimate VIP cocktail party. (Parking wasn't too bad either.)

Lan's #2: The Red Room

After dinner at Canteen (HH's picks were good, but my entree sucked--black cod with the oddest smushy texture paired with some sort of smushy puree of the same color), we went next door to The Red Room so that I could hit #8, and Angelina could hit #1 for 2007 (HH has already been here). Per its name, everything is red. I tried to order one of their specialty cocktails (Passionfruit Mojito), but the bartender denied me so I got an extra dirty Grey Goose martini instead. The martini was great--my only complaint was my small soggy olives--I prefer the large firm ones.

We were surrounded by whitefolk somewhere around our age range, a girl who couldn't stop coughing, and a guy wearing white pants with a silly jacket tied around his waist (this one bothered HH). The music wasn't too loud, and they played some Goldfrapp (I just bought the album prior to the China trip).

8 down, 42 left to go. Angelina & HH argue that foreign bars don't count and we should only count local bars. However, with 50 to hit up in 2007, I'm counting everything--it'll force me out during my travels too.

Lan's #1: Nihon Whiskey Lounge

Went to the Nihon Whiskey Lounge last night with Hubert, his friend John (#4 friend I've ever met, #5 if you count his brother, although HH says that family doesn't count), and Tania. It's a very cozy lounge with a great ambiance--red, candles, wood, plush, and a weird rock-paved floor painted white.

I tried one of their whiskey cocktails (Green something...had apple juice, ginger, Johnny Walker Red, and cinnamon) and then switched over to the Lychee Mermaid (lychee liquer, champagne, fresh lychee, and something that looked like lihing mui). I'm not a big whiskey fan (especially after NYE and that bottle of Famous Grouse), but after this morning, I've come to the realization that whiskey, regardless of the amount, leaves me feeling queasy the next morning. However, I had to try the house special.

We met a guy named Eric and his friend David, who is a regular. He gave me a taste of some 12-year-old scotch. Very smooth, but scotch isn't my thing. As I just had dinner, I didn't order any of the food, but the food that David ordered looked pretty good.

All in all, a nice lounge that seems like there'd be parking even on a busy weekend, since it is a little bit off the beaten path (near Best Buy & Rainbow grocery in the Mission)...and still walking distance to several other bars in SoMa.

7 down, 43 left to go. I'm on good pace!

Lan's #1a-6a, Xiamen & Shanghai, China

These were the bars that we hit up in Xiamen, China on NYE. I don't remember all the names, so descriptions will have to do:

1. Cleopatra - where Jason, Jennifer & I rang in the New Year with a bottle of Famous Grouse whiskey that gave me a mean hangover the next morning.

2. Me & You - an expat bar that we went to after we got tired of Cleopatra. Lots of white men dancing with Asian women. We spoke briefly to a Nigerian man with a German girlfriend both studying Chinese in Xiamen. After waiting a ridiculously long time for our drinks, we left.

3. ??? - This bar featured women in underwear dancing around a stripper pole. However, they never got fully naked and we didn't have more than one heineken each--that famous grouse was plenty.

4. Hollywood Bar - This was the end of the night, where we had a quick drink. Lots of unfortunate singing and lots of expats. As we got up to leave, the singer sent us a fruit plate. Xiamen really needs to play some good music and quit with the Karaoke acts.

In Shanghai a few days later, we hit up two bars:

5. CK Bar - a huge mega club with multiple levels, disco balls galore, and lots of steam machines. However, they played some good hip hop until more people started arriving, when they started to play some techno. We left after we finished the bottle of champagne.

6. ??? Cigar & Wine Bar - In the same neighborhood as CK Bar. Had some more of that ubiquitous Famous Grouse whiskey and some popcorn. The background music was two women singing karaoke--awwwful. One was american, the other was chinese.

8 days into 2007, I'm 6 down and 44 left to go.