DaveBVI

Don't pet the cute wild donkeys outside of town. They'll bite the shit out of you.

bite you where, Mark

I drove my wine collection to a friend's house before I moved to SF. To paraphrase my friend's and my own conclusion, bringing wine to SF is like bringing salt to the ocean. I only brought 2 or 3 cases of stuff that would be on the decline in 1-4 years, (whites, standard champagnes, a few european dessert wines), a few burgandies and bordeaux. It's less than a 3 hour drive to Napa, Sonoma, Monterray, Livermore, Chalone, and the Sierra Foothills. There are countless wine stores, innumerable restaurants, and hell, even the safeways stock some nice stuff. And if/when I move back east, my wines will be 3-4 years older. The stuff you do ship...well, there will be some movement shock, but some of that will subside after 3 months. Drop a line when you get here...

david

Crane Lake Sangiovese, $2.99 a bottle. Tastes very much like $2.99 a bottle.

hey, they aren't ALL awful...It sounds like it might be an investment list, as in return on investment if someone buys stock or something? Anywho...They are all rather high production wines, including some $3-5 per bottle wines...might be a wine score-retail cost ratio list?

or expand from Pinot Noir to Pinot Nero (hehehe---same grape)

Also, try the far North East of Italy (Near Austria and Slovenia), Friuli-Venezia Giulia, especially Tocai (not actually related to Tokay), maybe Tocai di Lison or Tocai Friulano, but they are right, Italy is not so much for the sweet wines...

Or the dessert wine Picolit (I've been studying Italian Wines this month, so it made a good acedemic excercise)

Possibly Greco di Tufo DOCG, from near napels, but I haven't tasted it.

dave "i'm not italian" batista

Pretty good choice there. A Few questions.

1. How formal

2. Time of year

3. Any passed apps to pair with cocktails

4. Indoors or Outdoors

5. How long is the function

6. Lunch or dinner

7. Can you pick 4 or 5 wines, or are you limited to two or three

8. Is there a tight budget

GAME ON!

Edited becuse I can't spell

Ahh, time for a "local" SF guy to chip in.

1. The Hummers go to In-and-Out burger and Starbucks, all the hipsters drive Prius's or other Hybrids and go to trendy places like Pete's coffee; the people drinking bottled water are driving BMW's & Audis....so like d'uh..European car, European water, totally..

2. Our tap water is mostly via Aquaduct from the Sierra Mountains, so just like NYC, our tap water is very clean and not at all chemically, but out dogs in doggie parks must bring their own bottled water (to be enforced...no...seriously...the board of supervisors are trying to make it a law...might just be a crazy rumor, but then again...)

3. We drink bottled wine with dinner, water is just a nusiance

4. The people consuming the majority of bottled water (in almost any restaurnat) are the chefs, cooks, waiters, managers and bartenders

5. The customers prob. got charged for their first bottle, ther rest were gratis

6. Seriously, I have never worked in a city where people buy fewer bottles of water in restaurants, and most of them are tourists, so maybe they aren't losing that much money anyway...

7. Actually, I wonder what kind of cars they drive at the CP anyway...?

Dave Batista

"People's Republic of San Francisco"

On a slightly different note: what's your favorite comfort eating location (e.g., restaurant, bar, dive, fast food chain)?

Criteria (not necessarily in this order): food, decent bar, staff attitude, staff who know when to leave you alone vs. engage in conversation, a place "where everybody knows your name" or at least greets you as if they did, a bar area populated with friendly/interesting characters or an establishmment that welcomes single diners. Essentially, a place that makes you feel that you're at home with mom, dad, and Spot; where you feel safe, secure and well-fed and ultimately know that everything will be alright.

I'm winding down a crazy-busy week and need such a place. Although I do have a favorite spot, they know me a little too well; I've become a bit self-conscious. I need to switch locations. Any suggestions?

Circle Bistro

Corduroy

Bistro D'Oc

Jaleo Chinatown

Old Ebbit (pick a favorate bartender)All just in the bar of course,

Dive Bar...cheaperstuffpubgrub...black rooster?

All items in POS (Point of Sale)systems are automatically "coded" to a specific category, food, sandwiches, dessets, tobacco, etc not only for tax purposes, but also for management tracking, labor costs, etc. Much easier to get away with is to "accidentally" code, hmm, say, tanguerray to tobacco sales, bob's your uncle, and you go from 9.7% sales to 10.2 %. Shelly's squeaked by without any fudging of the books due to locker sales AND they ring in their cigarette sales at the POS, not using an automatic ciggy machine (which can't check ID's). Anyhow, I think the mayor granted several exemptions to Shee-Sha bars (or Chi-Cha-a middle eastern pipe). Oh, and when the weather turns nicer, you can still smoke in outside sections, like roofs in Adams Morgan, or waterfront bars in GT and SW. OK, my dime is up.

Dave

Jager + Schlager = liquid cocaine

Jager + Rumplemintz=liquid heroin

Jager + Vodka + splash of Cranberry (numerous recipes)=Red-headed Slut

Jager + Redbull=Jager-bomb

Yes, I did used to bartend, and yes, i was hung-over a lot...

Dave "Anything but Jager" Batista

FYI,

pretty sure that if any cash changes hands, the bar could loose their liquor certification for having illegal gambling on premesis. gambling + alcohol = bad juju , but a "cashless" game , sure, on a slower night, why not?

Sandwich specials & daily specials always pretty good. My fav is the cuban sandwich. They have an excellent top shelf liquor program. Pretty much the "cigar tent" that the Govenator (Aaanold) said DC/white house should have.

Dave "we smoke em in the street in SF" Batista

My Merlot by the Glass is Jeckel, from Monterey. it is very decent. Almost good. It should retail for about $15/bottle. Other "value" Cali Merlots, not so much. (wine snob alert) Look for cooler AVA's. And lets not forget Columbia Valley merlots, yummy!

Dave Batista

"People's Republic of San Francisco"

Anyone have any idea where one can pick up some Amer Picon? It's a bitter that's used in Picon Punch, something from my hometown Basque restaurant that I'm trying to recreate.

If you come to San Francisco, you can have mine, I have 2 dusty bottles in inventory. Or, you can send me the recipe for the punch, and I can make it into a martini...

Dave's Used Liquor Sale

Corduroy's not private, but they do groups in the back of the rest all the time. Full disclosure, I used to work there, and still think it is some of the best food in the city.

Dave

it's cold out, thus I'll be drinking a maple leaf soon- (yes I'm working from home today). makers + lemon juice + maple syrup.

Ya kow, Macallan has a Mayple Scotch....hmmmm.

Last night, Peachy Canyon Zinfandel, Paso Robles, CA. Very good bargain. I'm also leaning towards Amador County (Sierra Foothills) Zins (super old vines) and Barberas for value out here, don't know what they mark up to sell out there, but they are all $10-$22 bottle here, and a bunch of crazy ports and muscats also. I don't know if it's my independent streak or my small pocketbook, but Napa and Sonoma all seem too expensive.

Dave "Lost in SF" Batista

So it's half price on Mondays in August?

Uh, it's called restaurant week...just to be overly obvious

I got "inflated" at t-giving and nye here in the san fran area. 3 course pre-fix for I think $55 at t-giving and $88 at nye, while the food was very good, I spied similar items on their menus later on for about 25% at the a la carte price. I just will do my homework a little better next time, or make sure that they have an a la carte option. If I'm going to spend more on a special day, I'd like to think it would be on liquid dessert or a nice bubbly, not on accident . But then again, I say cook at home on V-day and go out the next nite....

Dave

"So, is that a half bottle in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

Batista

What? Am I the only one who sees the Mary-Louise Parker resemblance?

Yes, Jake, you are the only one...because you're special...

My biggest problem with Rachael Ray is that she kept getting in the way of Josh and Donna getting together while they both worked at the White House.

I thoght I warned you Jake, no dinking and posting....Bad Customer!!! (sez I)

Bistro D'Oc, across from Ford's Theater, has a very good one. The owner is from Langeudoc, I beleive. I know they had it last winter. Enjoy the cold in DC guys,

"San Franciso" Dave,

"People's Republic of California"

PS, had a cassoulet at Jeante at Jack's in the Financial District last week, yummy, with a Confit Duck Leg sticking right out of the top.

Here in California, I beleive the rule is only unfinished bottles. Just like in DC, there is a different tax structure for liquor sales, etc. But in DC, it would be more $$ for the city, with its 10% sales tax, so why not...

just my 2 cents

Dave (San Francisco?) Batista

Try asking a favorite chef if they can sell you a slab from their loin (delivery) on a peticular day, give them a wink and buy them a drink. It's worth a try. Since most chefs get 8-20 # loins, they might oblidge. It's all in how you ask anyway....or beg...

So was I right, did availabliity peak with the August moon?

every month, the molting peaks at full moon, and the supply generally keeps up until the October's full moon. The size/heat part of the equation I'm not so sure about.

Dave Batista