Memorial Day is right around the corner, but why wait to start celebrating? Here are a couple of events to ease you into the unofficial start of summer.
Great Divide Brewing Dinner
Where: The Monk's Kettle, 3141 16th St. (at Albion), 865-9523
When: Mon., May. 21st, 6 p.m.
Cost: $95. For reservations please email nat@monkskettle.com
The rundown: Tonight Chef Adam Dulye is teaming up with Denver, Colorado brewery Great Divide to serve up a five-course dinner paired with six beers from the brewry. With more than a few beers not normally available in the Bay Area, look for sudsy treats like Hades-Belgian Style Golden, Colette Farmhouse Ale, Hoss Rye Lager, 18th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA, Yeti Imperial Stout, and Titan India Pale Ale. On the food side, chef Dulye is cooking up some impressive sounding dishes, including roast and confit of game hen with fresh shell bean cassoulet and cured egg yolk, oyster shell hot smoked local salmon with asparagus, black truffle and potato gratin, and hop sugared pretzel donuts, white chocolate, candied orange preserve. Full menu available here.
Burning bridges is always a bad idea, but eating them is good. Cook E. Monster devoured almost two entire bridges that they built out of Madagascar vanilla-enhanced butter shortbread and orange Royal icing -- and we could have happily devoured more. Royal iced cookies can be heavy handed, but the refined touch here is clear and appreciated in both the visual detail and the taste.
Remember when all cocktails came in dainty, little, precious pieces of glassware? Well, those days are on the way out, thanks to a new trend creeping into every corner of the city right now -- the mason jar cocktail. With more bang for your buck (almost all cocktails on this list cost $9 and were delightfully strong) and the distinct joy of the novelty factor, we sought out the best places in San Francisco to get your drink on, prohibition style. Here are our favorites.
5. Minx
827 Sutter (at Jones)
The Blue Fig is cheerfully quiet on a Sunday morning. About half of the tables are full, with patrons reading books and working on laptops -- never more than two to a party. The intimacy is palpable and begs not to be disturbed. Even the staff move busily behind the counter in a slow, content way that makes you feel at ease. From the work of local artists hanging on the wall to the sound of milk foaming, the Blue Fig has all the makings of a really good coffee shop -- except people are eating thoughtfully prepared brunch entrees instead of day-old croissants.
