Are we slowing down?

Has the magic and intensity worn off? Have we hit all the bars?

I have about 10 more past bars to post...which will all be done within the one month time frame.

Just thought I'd see where everyone was.

Angelina's #6-11: Shanghai Kelly's, Buccaneer, Bourbon & Branch, 441 Cocktails, Rye, Ambassador

Overall total with these six new bars are #11-16. This evening which was intended to only be 2-3 bars turned into a crazy 6 bar crawl. Probably not the best idea on a Wednesday night.
Lan and I started the night off at Shanghai Kelly's.

Shanghai Kelly's

2064 Polk St (Cross Street: Broadway Street)

San Francisco, CA 94109

(415) 771-3300

I walked in and was the only female. Waltzed up to the bar and ordered myself a pint while I waited for Lan who cruised in 5 minutes later. Very casual and chill corner bar. If I lived nearby, I may frequent this place more often. They claim to have some special drink night on the first Thursday of every month, so that may be worth checking out. Cool stuff on the walls.

Buccaneer

2155 Polk St (Cross Street: Between Broadway Street and Vallejo Street)

San Francisco, CA 94109-2506

(415) 673-8023

Due to Nick's Taco's being closed, Lan and I kept walking and found ourselves at a pirate bar! Yesss!!! The Buccaneer. How could we not enter?

Another typical bar...the pool table in the back was a plus. Bartender was very friendly. Bought ourselves a beer and some red pirate underwear and we were good to go. Jamie joined the group and so we were three.

Bourbon & Branch

501 Jones St (Cross Street: O'Farrell Street)

San Francisco, CA 94102

(415) 673-1921

This is the bar that spurred our Wednesday night outing. Lan made a reservation so....

Anyway, after ringing the doorbell at the unmarked door and giving our password, 4 of us enter (Minh joined us). Jason and Alden soon followed.

As their gimmick is a speakeasy, everything in here was very hush hush. Extremely dim lighting, but pretty cool to see. Every table was occupied. Lots of booths and split level for more privacy between groups. Very skinny tables and even more expensive drinks. Tasty, but not necessarily worth $12 each.

We did, however, get some free mini drinks/shots prior which were ok. Nice idea though. The servers could be nicer, although I'm not sure if being an ass is part of the whole theme. Probably the coolest part is the secret door to the library in the back with another bar and room for private parties.

We had our one drink...saw the place...and left.

441 Cocktails

441 Jones St.

San Francisco, CA 94102-2014

(415) 474-2284

We escaped from B&B and walked down the street to 441. This is pretty much the complete opposite of what B&B tries to be. A typical dive bar with some very nice Korean ladies tending bar. Can't say the same for their regulars who managed to give me and Lan some kissy faces.

Yes, fresh popcorn was good. Went with a shot of jagermeister and that was it.

Rye

688 Geary St (Cross Street: Leavenworth Street)

San Francisco, CA 94102

(415) 474-4448

I don't how or why we decided to go to more bars, but we did. I really liked Rye....one of the best ones I've come across. Two rooms - very modern with minimal decor, but not cold. Two rooms, separated by a few steps and the bar in the middle. There was an outdoor area, but closed in by floor to ceiling checkered wire - almost as if you were in a cage. It didn't feel like a prison, but more like a safety and exclusion to keep those on the street out. And again, a pool table in the back.

Beverage wise, I shared a basil martini with Lan which was well made. Then, I had a vodka shot with Mr. Jason Chen. I don't order vodka, nor do I drink it often, but this one was pretty smooth and yummy. Good one, J. Nothing too expensive - average drink prices.

The bartenders were great. Jen and Justin. Very friendly, generous and attentive.

I'd definitely come back here for a drink with a friend or to gather a group of us for a party.

Ambassador

673 Geary St (Cross Street: Jones Street)

San Francisco, CA 94102

(415) 563-8192

Last bar of the night. After Rye, all we had to do was cross the street.

I loved the decor of this bar. I was immediately drawn in with the multiple chandeliers hanging from the pitch black ceiling, giving the impression of floating crystals. Several large boths lined one side of the large room with the bar lining the other. The great expanse of space in the middle made the room seem almost empty. I can imagine this place fills up on weekends and that middle area could become a sea of bodies fighting for air. There is limited seating.

If you do manage to get a booth, you are in luck. There are phones that can call the other booths, so you can chat with your neighbors if you are so inclined.

Drinkswise, nothing incredible or special. Their shots are served in tiny ass metal cups the size of thimbles....fancy ones. The waitress was snooty and not very attentive either. Go to the bar and order yourself if you can.

The thing to note is the upstairs area. Nice and private with couches and additional seating, another bar and more restrooms. This area is ideal for private parties. I'd do it in a second.

I'd just have to see this place on a weekend and see if it's under control.

Overall, Mike has done a great job! =)

And, that brings Wednesday, January 31 to a close. Sixteen bars overall for the month of January; Eleven of those sixteen in the SF/Bay Area. Doing well and more to follow!!!

Angelina's Bonus #3a-5a (#8-10): Hawaii

Here are the three new bars on Oahu. I didn't have pics at the bars, so I thought a pardise beach scene might be nice. Refer to Lan's posts for pics and a more detailed description, but I've made a few notes....

Duke's

2335 Kalakaua Ave., Ste 116

Honolulu, HI 96815

(808) 922.2268

Right on the beach in Waikiki. Your typical beachside bar, thus ordering a daquiri. And yes, we quickly added a 4th to our group with Scott from Florida by way of Georgia. Interesting, funny guy who had his loud, southern twang and incredibly drunk I thought he was going to fall over. But, he did buy us a round. (You can't take your drinks on the beach. You have to stay in their little sectioned area.)

Mai Tai

1450 Ala Moana Blvd Ste 3247

Honolulu, HI 96814

(808) 947.2900

As Lan said, this place is a little weird since it's at the mall. However, that being said, the place was packed and it's actually a pretty cool spot with good music. And, it's free with no cover. You just have to wait in line for god knows how long.

Once you're in, it's a little tricky maneuvering through the crowd (mostly big guys, and of course the group of girls doing the white girl dance up front). One, the floor is crazy sticky. Don't wear flip-flops. Two, lots of big mens as Lan mentioned, each carrying and sipping from their own pitcher in hand...forget the pint glass. I mean, who serves a rum and coke in a pint glass? Guess I shouldn't be complaining.

Anyway, too bad I was tired. Lan and I found a nice comfy couch where we could observe all the drunk people. Some huge guy was passed out on the couch beside us. So big his friends couldn't carry him and his poor girlfriend was at a complete loss. After managing to get through our drinks, Lan and I took off and left Joyce and Binh to get their groove on.

On to the last bar of the island...

Da Big Kahuna

2299 Kuhio Ave

Honolulu, HI 96815

(808) 923.0033

Rain kept us in close proximity to the hotel for our last night. We're always ok when there are pool tables available and a dj (albeit at midnight).

We kept the drinks rolling and watched Joyce hustle. Made friends with a big black guy from the University who ended up being from LA. He was quite the dancer though. He tried to teach me how to step (the couple version, not stomping). Also, when we were dancing and he turned his back to me, it was a bit awkward because he was so big that his butt was at the boob level. Made for some interesting dancing. Fun guy though. Me, Binh and Chris got the dance foor going.

That's pretty much it...it's a restaurant turned bar in the evening. Lots of people walking in off the street so there is a mix of locals and tourists. Nothing grand, but not a bad way to end our 4 day escape to Hawaii.

Angelina's #5: Irish Bank

Number 7 overall. I'm keeping track.

Irish Bank

10 St. Mark's Place

(Cross Street Bush & Kearny)

San Francisco, CA 94108

Met up with the guys (Alden, Ed & Say) on a Wednesday night (1.24.07). Sat out on the 'patio' which is pretty much the whole alley with a bunch of tables, chairs and some covered. This place will be great in the summer when we are looking for some outdoor seating for some after work drinks.

The beer list seemed pretty good. I went with a Carlsberg followed by a Boddington's. Can't go wrong with those. They have some appetizer dishes as well. It wasn't too crowded, but I can see it getting pretty darn packed over the summer with the financial district folks which may deter me from going. But, for now, I'm down. And, it's walking distance to Belden Lane...the European restaurant alley of San Francisco.

Ok. That's it for tonight. More to come...about 20 more.

Angelina's Bonus #2a (#6): Pig & Whistle - Seattle

Pig N Whistle

8412 Greenwood Ave. N

Seattle, WA 98103

Seattle bar number two and our treat after working so hard on Josh's house was the Pig N' Whistle of Seattle.

We came after a late home cooked dinner. Nice spot with pool tables and some specialty seasonal drinks. I opted for a "Winter Wonderland" as it seemed so apropos for the first snow I've seen all season. It consisted of coffee, kahlua, and peppermint schnapps that came in a mug I got to take home! Very tasty and perfect to warm up from the chilly winter weather.

That's it for the Pacific Northwest. Back to the Bay!!!

Angelina's Bonus #1a (#5): Prost

Here is my attempt to catch up with all my posts. Pics will be posted slowly. Let me first get all my notes in.

Here we go....this goes way back to Jan. 19 up in Seattle.

Prost
7311 Greenwood Ave. North
Seattle, WA 98103

Prost means "Cheers" in German. And, this bar has the perfect glass for every beer which is awesome. The beer choices are pretty darn tasty too. Between Jamie, Josh and myself, we had the Spaten Oktoberfest Lager which was my favorite, Bitburger, and the Lowenbrau. Great local bar. Oh, they have games too.

My only complaint....there was a weird smell when we walked in. If I had to describe it, it was a mix of musty, dampness and some malty, beer smell. But when I asked Josh what the smell was, he said it was "Seattle". I'm not sure if that's good.

BONUS! Lan's 10a

Jeffery’s Restaurant & Piano Bar
7533 West Sand Lake Road
Orlando, Florida

Plenty of drinking was done at this bar. Let's see:

• 3 extra extra extra dirty Grey Goose martinis w/extra olives (perfect!)
• 2 glasses of red wine (Rombauer & something else)
• 1 glass of champagne (while sitting through awards)
• 1 glass of champagne that was continually refilled while drinking on the patio (this was probably my downfall). I think we were out here for a few hours.
• 1 shot of jagermeister

We had a team dinner here (bread was good, but the rest of the food kind of sucked) and then stayed at the piano bar until 2:30am when they kicked us out. So, that was a good 6 hours of drinking and I think I did my job well.

I don't remember much about the bar except that the bartender used to work at a funeral home, the place is on restaurant row, the vocalist sang some good bossa nova, and I heard the final tab was about $20k (including dinner). A good time was had by all.

Here's a picture of Mary and the boys before the crazy (and long!) van ride home:

Lan's #17-19: Lucid, Starlight Room, Slide

Lucid

580 Sutter Street

San Francisco, CA 94102

(415) 398-0195

On a rainy Wednesday evening, this place had a decent crowd, but was not too full that we couldn't find 3 seats together at the bar. Although it wasn't crowded, it did take the bartender a full 10-15 minutes to acknowledge our presence (definitely one of my pet peeves). I had plenty of time to scrutinize the cocktail menu and ordered a peach bellini. I don't think I've ever had a peach bellini, so I have nothing to compare it to, but it was a tad sour. However, Angelina & Jamie's drinks were well made.

Halfway through my drink, an old man came in, dancing to the electronic music playing overhead. His style reminded me of the old guy from the Six Flags commercials over the summer. Angelina should post a picture of him.

The venue was nice, but the bartender was not.

***

Harry Denton's Starlight Room

450 Powell Street

San Francisco, CA 94102

(415) 395-8595

Since we could see the Starlight Room from the entrance of Lucid, we decided to stop here before heading to slide. It probably would have made sense to go here first, since Lucid was in between the two, but it was only a block in either direction, so not bad either way. I forget which hotel this is, but its the one where the bellhops wear silly costumes.

The lighting is that odd lighting where I have trouble seeing...some people call it romantic lighting. There is a great view of Union Square, although I think the view from Alexandra's at the Westin St. Francis is much better--mostly because it is probably 20 floors higher than Harry Denton's. The crowd is pretty old and touristy--people from out of town on romantic dates, old people who like to dance, etc. Kind of expensive, stuffy, and not my crowd.

I think I ordered champagne. Angelina's drink was icky. Here is Jamie's reaction to the drink:

***

Slide

430 Mason Street

San Francisco, CA 94102

I really like the decor here: polished wood slide, brown decor with eggshell blue accents, and

DJ booth made from a baby grand piano! The ride down the slide (an homage to the space's speakeasy days) was super fun (swirly & fast!), although they made me wait at the top for a while (until the floor manager could supervise my exit from the slide). The bartender was very friendly but he did mention that the place gets pretty crowded. Based on its location (underneath Ruby Skye) I bet this place gets pretty packed with assholes on the weekends.

I'm not sure what I drank at this bar--it may have been an extra dirty Grey Goose martini--I remember carrying a cosmo glass. And I remember whatever it was being pretty good...

***

We ended the evening with some wine and moules frites at Plouf. Yum! Angelina has better pictures from this night, so I hope she posts them. Now, I am starting to think that maybe this happened on a Thursday and not a Wednesday? I suppose the requirement to post within 1 month is a good one--details are escaping me.

50 in 365 rules

We're making this up as we go along, so this post can be continually updated.

Rules thus far:

1. You must have at least one drink at the bar. If possible, try a house special.
2. The bar must be new to you--if you have been to the bar before, it does not count
3. Lounges count. Restaurants are a gray area--the bar has to be a draw in and of itself rather than a precursor to the restaurant. Ame counts as a restaurant AND bar, but Boulevard, I'd only consider a restaurant. Bar status, if under question, is decided on a case-by-case basis: majority rules.
4. This is any bar in the world. (Amendment #1: This is bars in the San Francisco Bay Area only. Non-SF bars are labeled as 1a, 2a, etc. and count as extra credit. They do not count towards the 50.) (Amendment #2: For non-SFBA residents [Joyce & Chuy], bars in your local area count towards your 50. However, SFBA bars count as bonus points in your case and not towards your 50.)
5. Amendment #3: Per Chuy, all bars must be posted within one month of the visit. There's a temporary grace period to get all of your posts in even if it has been more than a month. Beginning Tuesday, February 20--the third amendment goes into effect, so get your (real, not mental note) posts in before then!

In addition, if you can, ask about info on private parties if it is a suitable space (and bathroom facilities). Target party date: May (when I am done with GMATs). Yes, my goals for 2007 are conflicting: drink more & study. Shut up.

If you have additional rules or questions, add a comment and your request will be reviewed by ME--proposer of the game!

Edits:

• Original post: 1/16
• First amendment: 1/24
• Second amendment: 1/31
• Third Amendment: 2/15

I Lag

I have about a dozen bars to post. I seriously lag and I may just scan my planner for the update.

Two bars in Seattle, 3 in Hawaii, then the 6 bar night in SF, followed by the 5 LA/SD weekend, Colorado this week and back to the Bay this weekend.

Man oh man. I think I'm getting carried away.

Joyce's 3a-6a: Below Market, Altitude, Red C Lounge, and Yardhouse in San Diego

Saturday night, 2.03.07

Below Market

I was glad to wander in here after walking the Gaslamp for a good half hour plus in search of a simple bar. Dodging many clouds of smoke (not the good kind) and loogie mines all over the sidewalk, while making my way through boobies and guidos among an unlimited supply of wannabe bourgie clubs with bad names like "Thin", and "BeLo", the Gaslamp is (as Jones said), SoCal's Man Jose. After rounding the corner from yet another club charging $20 to listen to "Fergalicious" all night long, our tennis-shoed gang saw our sign: "Below Market, Now Open. No Cover."
We walked down the stairs into this chill, uncrowded, underground (literally) bar with a dj spinning classic top 40 hiphop. "Ain't nothin' but a G thang" is always good. A brick wall with a projector playing visuals over it lended nicely to the look and atmosphere of the place, and low comfy couches along the opposite wall made it easy to kick back and watch some of the interesting characters. Standard drinks, a cool chill spot if you're looking for something mellow, if not slightly dull to spend an entire night. next stop,

Altitude Sky Bar
660 K St.
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 446-6088

This sky bar on the roof of San Diego's Marriott made me say "Ooh!" when I stepped out of the elevator. A large vine-covered trellis with hanging heat lamps and rope lights highlights a main seating area and leads the way to the fancy bar set against a stone-backed waterfall. Add the giant fire-pit surrounded by more comfy looking seating, and a view of San Diego, Altitude made for a pretty nice setting. The tanq and tonic was on the weak side, but at least reminded me how good this old favorite is. Hmm, come to think of it, it was quite tasty. Well, it was either weak or really well made! The cheesy dj playing horrendous house music and the somewhat standoffish all white crowd made this a one drink stop. "Luv yaaaa...." (that's what DJ Niko said! lmao)
Worth seeing, not worth staying.

Red C Lounge
756 5th Ave
San Diego, CA
(619) 233-2830

Our friend of a friend host led us to this unassuming spot in the middle of the Gaslamp for our final stop on Saturday night in San Diego. Another (literal) underground bar with a relaxed dress code and no cover made it worth checking out. Better house (and classic pop) music than Altitude and more lively than Below Market, C Lounge was not a bad place to make our last call. A Jager shot woke me up, the jack & coke was standard, and I wouldn't have minded staying longer to get a little dance on had the lights not come on.


Superbowl Sunday, Feb 4, 2007

Yardhouse
1023 4th Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 233-9273

Beers on tap galore! This stepped up BJ's (think BJ's meets Pottery Barn) boasts the "most beers on tap in the world." If it's not true, I'm sure it comes pretty damn close. The two-sided bar is comPLETEly lined with taps on both sides, and you can view the numerous barrels pumping the taps downstairs on your way to the restrooms. Exciting, even to the mild beer drinker such as myself. Mad props to our fabulous waitress, Donna, who was down-to-earth friendly and had excellent, knowledge-based recommendations. I went for the Rogue Hazelnut Brown, which was like a thin Newcastle with a hint of hazelnut. Yes, yum! Jones had some pretty interesting beers as well, which I'll let her describe. Food was good, not great, but certainly satisfying. The fresh-baked brownie with vanilla ice cream was pretty yummy and goey (just as Donna said). As a place to watch the superbowl, it wasn't bad. There are certainly enough TVs, but not enough speakers, which made hearing difficult at times. Also, I like to have a straight on view of the TV which was really probably best at the bar. (We lounged more comfortably in a booth.) All in all, a pretty comfy place to spend 3 and a half hours (with restroom stalls private enough to feel comfortable to complete #2).

Pics to come

Joyce's 1a, 2a

Just for the record, since I'll be blogging 3a-6a in just a bit, so we won't wonder what happened to 1a and 2a ..

1a: Mai Tai Bar (at the Ala Moana Shopping Center)
1450 Ala Moana Blvd. #3247, Honolulu, HI

2a: Da Big Kahuna
2299 Kuhio Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815

see "BONUS! Lan's 7a, 8a, 9a in Hawaii" for blogs on these bars

Lan's #11-16: Shanghai Kelly's, The Buccaneer, Bourbon and Branch, 441, Rye, The Ambassador

Shanghai Kelly's
2064 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 771-3300

I always pass by Shanghai Kelly's on my way to North Beach, but I have never had the chance to stop in--mostly due to the parking situation in the neighborhood. However, we had some time before our reservation at Bourbon & Branch, and I really wanted to get some Nick's Crispy Tacos. When I walked in, everyone sitting at the bar was male...except Angelina!

They have Magner's, which I really appreciate. After a quick beer, we made our way to Nick's Crispy Tacos, only to find that they were closed for a private party! FUCKERS!

After the Buccaneer, we returned to Shanghai Kelly's for a quick $2 "Bart Simpson" shot--something with vodka, orange juice, pineapple...and other stuff. If you look on the wall behind the bar, there's a picture frame describing the $2 shot.

* * *

The Buccaneer
2155 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 673-8023

After finding out that Nick's was closed, our options were to find more food or knock down another bar. When we passed this pirate-themed bar our choice was made--ARRRR!! A pint of Boddington's and a bottle of Magner's for $5.50 (it was happy hour). Great price! To top it off, we all got pirate-themed underwear at a discount!

My only complaint? The cock ring dispenser in the men's room was jammed. My seventy-five cents went back into my purse and we went to the next bar (actually, back to Shanghai Kelly's for a quick shot).

* * *

Bourbon and Branch
501 Jones Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 673-1921

The speakeasy theme is kind of stupid and I felt like kind of an asshole saying the secret password ("mop") into the "secret" door on Jones and O'Farrell. The decor is quite nice once you get in, but the drinks are expensive and the tables are really skinny. The one thing I did enjoy was the bookcase which hid a door to another room (kind of like Anne Frank's hideout!). The free "amuse booze" that they gave us was rather untasty and my cucumber gimlet was pretty good, but I'd rather not have paid $10 for it. All in all, rather unexciting and we did not stay the full two hours that we'd reserved. Jamie can fill you in on further details.

* * *

441
441 Jones St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 474-2284

From the outside, it looks like a front for a brothel. When you walk inside, there's a simple bar, pool table, jukebox, and the wonderful aroma of popcorn! I love bars that serve popcorn. Even though I'd just eaten dinner, Jade the bartender put a plate of freshly microwaved popcorn in front of me and I ate the whole thing. Aside from our gang, there were four guys from the neighborhood (keep in mind we're in the TL) playing pool in the back. One of the regulars sitting at the bar was making kissy faces at the girls, which I tried to ignore. When he got up to hit on Angelina, the owner (an older Korean woman) grabbed the guy by the back of the collar, put him back in his seat, and apologized.

This is truly a neighborhood dive, so I just ordered a shot of Jager (this now common drink choice of mine can be blamed on Andy Vevers). I highly doubt anyone from the Marina-filled B&B bar a few doors down would ever spill into here. Oh, and I found no clues of it actually being a brothel. There were no males wandering in by themselves, and I couldn't find any secret doors when I went to the (very clean) bathroom.

* * *

Rye
688 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 474-4448

Right across the street from the Ambassador, Rye has this neat "outdoor cage" so that patrons can go out for a smoke and not get hassled by panhandlers (I'm guessing this is the reason, anyway). The inside area is also quite spacious with very high ceilings and brick walls...which means on a crowded night, it probably gets very loud in there. But it was Wednesday and NOT crowded...one of the benefits of living in the city. I ordered a basil martini (maybe not a martini--it was a basil something. Give me a break! It was the 5th bar of the evening and I was having trouble finding the buttons on my camera!). Jen the bartender was very nice. We told her about our project and she enthusiastically gave us a bunch of recommendations. Hopefully Jamie remembers, because I do not.

I didn't take very good pictures because my hands weren't steady enough for a non-flash shot. Here's proof:

Here's a shot of MinhCao imitating the guy from 441 hollering at Angelina:

***

The Ambassador
673 Geary St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 563-8192

When you walk in, the bar looks elegant, like a place you could wear an evening dress with long gloves to (at least it appeared that way to my drunk ass). There are pretty chandeliers on the ceiling, plush leather booths, a looooong bar, and a mezzanine with private bar. We scored the corner booth and discovered a telephone--in the booth! Angelina picked it up and heard a dial tone, but when I tried to dial, I was unsuccessful.

Since it was nearing the end of the night and I was already more tipsy than I should be on a school night, I ordered a quick shot of Jager so that driver Alden could take me and sleepy J home. The shots are served in thimble-sized metal thingies--hopefully they weren't too expensive.

I unintentionally skipped out on the check. Thanks for the drinks Minh!

jamie's mental note

i am disappointingly behind on my posts, so i wanted to make a note of the bars i have been to since my last entry. i don't want to forget them and lose count. reviews to follow, i promise. maybe if there was a reward system for each post...? (i know, i know, it should be it's own reward...blah blah)

this project is officially making me look like a lush. not good.

jan 19
1a) prost!

jan 21
2a) pig & whistle (the seattle version!)

jan 25
4) vieni vieni
5) the saloon
6) sake lab
7) hemlock

jan 26
8) mcckormick & kuletos

jan 27
9) dogpatch saloon

jan 31
10) buccaneer
11) shanghai kelly's
1b) bourbon & branch
12) 441
2b) rye
13) the ambassador
14) jonell's

***in the numbering/tagging system, "a" is for a bonus bar that does not count towards the 50 because it are not in my home area and "b" is for a bar that i have been to already (and will still want to review), but drank at with the libation coalition because it was someone else's first time