Scowl, Nu?

Tropical Cocktails in North Beach

Review of: Citizen Thai

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

So nice, we had to go twice…

- Bar Review Only! –

Since Magnet was closed at 6:30 on a Saturday, my wife and I chose to go to The Monkey Bar, the bar portion of Citizen Thai and the Monkey as the place to meet up with our friends before dinner at House.

Being regulars of their other location, Koh Samui and the Monkey, I expected sleek neo-Asian decor and well made drinks, and I was not disappointed on either level.

I had a Citizen Cup: an interpretation of a classic Pimm’s Cup with gin, Pimms and Ginger Beer – a very nice cocktail indeed! Spicy and sweet, it’s a perfect drink for a Thai noodle bar like The Monkey. Others in the group had a Monkey Mojito (which luckily didn’t have a hint of monkey flavor in the mix), a virgin Mojito (with sparkling water instead of rum), wine and a Red Monkey.

After dinner, the five of us returned there to have another drink before heading our separate ways. I had the same as before, while my compatriots mixed things up with a Melon Mojito (which was happily enjoyed), Iron Buddha tea (served in a nice iron tea pot for the group’s designated driver) and a Shock The Monkey (also very red).

I’m looking forward to return there for some Thai street food, but until then, the bar review stands at 4 stars. Nothing was wrong with it, but I wouldn’t give it that fifth star reserved for the best of the best.

Sugar Lounge? Not So Sweet.

Review of: Sugar Lounge

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 2

Read review on Judy’s Book.

When Absinthe was packed on Saturday night, we decided to cross the street and have a cocktail at Sugar Lounge.

Here’s the deal – the cocktails weren’t fantastic ot even really very good. Unbalanced, expensive and the bartender had just a hint of attitude that a new space like this just can’t afford to have.

The free appetizers (a crudite plate, tostito chips, salsa, chopped pepper jack and canadian bacon) were not only uninspired, but presented without any serving utensils.

The space was nice and lounge-y, though two others in my party noted it smelled a little like cleaning fluid.

I won’t return here when Sauce and Absinthe are cheaper, more friendly and build a better cocktail.

Visit Date: 3/13/2006

Good Cocktails at the Hotel Vitale

Review of: Americano

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

Great drinks, nice bartenders, and getting to sit next to Jerry Doyle, Babylon 5′s Michael Garibaldi? What else could this cocktail geek want?

Yes, from Friday until Sunday, it’s horribly mobbed – and on nice nights during the week, the outdoor patio can be an absolute horror scene, but if you can get it when the crowds have ebbed down, it’s a good place to go for a drink.

Cocktails are well made, and the bar gets extra points for using Campari in their signature drink. I with the beer selection wasn’t so typical… Boont, Spaten, Heineken, Anchor, Fat Tire, etc. Something unique would be nice.

As hotel bars goes, it’s one of the best – but it still can’t hold a candle to one of the great bars such as Rye, Bacar or Range.

Looking for Late Night Curry?

Review of: Naan N Curry

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 3

Read review on Judy’s Book.

The newly relocated Naan ‘n’ Curry is a godsend to drinkers: it’s between the tenderloin bars and the bus shelters in Union Square and open 24 hours. For anyone who enjoys the British tradition of heavy drinking followed by hellishly hot curries (subsequently followed by indigestion, intestinal problems, promising to never drink again if you could just get off the toilet and finally planning your next day’s drinking and starting all over again) – N’n'C is your salvation.

Here’s the deal – walk in and scope a table. Cross your fingers that nobody else takes it. Then go to the counter, place your order (giving your table number), grab your soda, plates napkins and silverware, consider getting a nuclear hot milk chai, then rush back to your table, hoping nobody has claimed it. Sure, you could just leave your coat at the table, but that would take all the skill out of ordering, wouldn’t it?

There are three northern Indian dishes that I feel are perfect after a heavy night of drinking: mullagatawny soup, chicken jalfrezi and keema naan. Though Naan ‘n’ Curry doesn’t offer soup, it’s one of the only places in town that makes a jalfrezi – and a pretty damned decent one at that.

How was the food? It was McIndian – typical fast-food indian and nothing special – but actually much better than expected. The keema naan was stuffed with a thin sheet of ground lamb paste similar to the sliced meat used on a gyro. I prefer coursely ground lamb, but the flavor was spot-on (though it could have been spicier, and because the lamb was ground into a paste, many times the naan bread itself would tear off, leaving a grey sheet of meaty goodness attached to the remaining naan ) and it was nice and moist. The jalfrezi was a little heavy on the tumeric, but the chicken had a nice flavor as did the peppers and onions that comprised the dish. The rice was pretty pitiful – mushy and overcooked, but for a dollar, I could put up with it. I know this doesn’t sound like a rave review, but it was just alright… however, at 3am, it would be the perfect way to avoid the post-drinking spins.

The curry, naan, rice and a can of squirt soda came to just over $10 without tip – a perfect deal! Now, if they can just include free dry cleaning so my clothes don’t smell like a tandoori oven, I’d be happy. Seriously, I’ve been to enough Indian restaurants around the world to learn to appreciate which ones invest in a good ventilation system!

A word to the wise: don’t wear anything there that you don’t plan on immediately throwing into the wash.

Naan ‘n’ Curry: CSI

Cheap, Stinky, Indian that is

Already showing its age…

Review of: Landmark Theatres San Francisco

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 2

Read review on Judy’s Book.

When the Embarcadero Center Cinema opened in the late 1990s, it was a beacon for indie moviegoers. However on this afternoon’s visit, the cinema has started to really show its age.

I’m not going to judge the theater on its movie selection – it gets the more general-public friendly indie flicks – the movies that in most cities would be relegated to the smallest screen at the multiplex or at local college campus movie theaters.

I will, however, take issue with the theater itself. What was once pristine is now showing its age, with the cushions in the cold, impersonal waiting area showing the stains of concession stand heartbreak. Why heartbreak? At $3.50 for a small bottle of water, spilling a drop of overpriced espresso or cola is a tragedy more dramatic than anything shown on the screen.

Maybe we were just unlucky, but the print of ‘Thank You For Smoking’ was just poorly handled, considering we saw it soon after its release – lots of pop, hiss and other signs of damage. This movie seemed to have been shot in 2 channel stereo, so I would have expected all of the speakers to fire – but the sound tech at the theater only piped the dialogue through the front left and right speakers. I counted 6 speakers in front of me (and there were probably 2 behind) – feel free to use them, folks! Sometimes I had to strain to hear the audio.

This should be a two screen theater, three at the most… because the screen in theater 4 was so small, I would have had the same experience watching it on DVD at a friend’s house that has a widescreen TV – ok, at least at my friend’s place the water would be free and the sound would have been better balanced. To add to the annoyance, there was no insulation between the projection room and the theater floor, meaning I heard the annoying clacka-clacka-clacka of the film reel throughout the movie.

With Sundance taking over the Kabuki and a new multiplex opening at the San Francisco Centre, the Landmark chain that owns this theater needs to really think about making some major updates if they want to keep hold of the downtown moviegoer’s hard earned money.