Apr2

Dottie’s Tru Blue Cafe and a Lot of Cocktails

Rocky Road bar

I’ve learned an important San Franciscan lesson. If you’re waiting in line for food, it’s going to be good. There are no secret culinary cubbies or seedy dive bars. If it’s tasty, word gets out. I’ve waiting in line for probably 75% of the grub-obtaining places I’ve visited. And all of them have been worth it. Especially Dottie’s.

Across the street from Bourbon and Branch is Dottie’s. It’s small, cozy, and full of concealed charm. I rarely, and I mean shy of never, eat past the point of no return, but I couldn’t help myself. Lamb fennel sausage and roasted garlic omelet, buttermilk dill toast (their house staple), just one whole-wheat buttermilk pancake spiced with ginger and cinnamon, and the best hash browns ever to see a flat top. I even got a rocky road bar of hedonism to go (pictured above).

Cask Spirits

pineapple gum syrup
There is a certain feeling that can only be described by Indiana Jones. A Lost Arc feeling. Wooden shelves, absent of dust, that yearn for adventure. They have so many rare spirits here you might think you’re shopping in the liquor store you dream about the night before purchasing from Fight Club.

Cask Spirits takes all your booze dreams, solidifies them, puts them on the shelves, and treats you to an old world style. The prices are a touch higher than I’d like to see, but hell, I can’t buy any of this where I live. I had the pleasure of speaking with John Moore, an associate of the business. He was cordial and a jolly fellow. I’d return to this establishment with frequency and tact if I lived nearby. For sure.

Oh, I purchased some Dolin Blanc and some of Jennifer’s pineapple gum syrup. Yes!

Bourbon and Tiki Branch

Take a warp leap and we’re at B&B with Camper, Michele, HumuHumu, Adam, Betsy, Martin… We all crowded into the “library” where Martin Cate was mixing up libations to the alluring sounds of the exotic. The highlight of the night was the Port Light. The decor was Harry Potter tiki, but in a good way. Full of muzzleworts. After the crowd attempted to die down, Camper and I dashed off to Beretta, a bar in the Mission worth a healthy dose of glances.

Beretta is like your home town bar turned good. The food is right, and the drinks are yes. Camper and I had:

  • Dolores Park Swizzle – rum, lime, maraschino, absinthe, bitters
  • Single Village Fix – mezcal, lime, pineapple, gomme
  • St. Teresa El Dorado 12, Carpano Antica, lemon, peach, orgeat
  • Esmerelda – Esmerelda cachaca, Laphroaig, St. Germain, lemon juice

The Jeepster

  • 1oz rye whiskey
  • 1oz gin
  • 1oz white wine
  • 1oz lemon juice
  • 1/2oz cane sugar syrup
  • 1 dash Angostura bitters

Stir with cracked ice and strain into a chilled parapet glass.

The coup de grace of the night was the ice cream, which was floated in a pool of extra virgin olive oil. Oh, and they flicked crusty flakes of sea salt on top.


3 Responses to “Dottie’s Tru Blue Cafe and a Lot of Cocktails”

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Comments to “ Dottie’s Tru Blue Cafe and a Lot of Cocktails”
  1. TiareNo Gravatar says:

    Wow! that pineapple gomme syrup..

    I wonder if its esy to make your own? i sure can´t find such a thing here. Maybe adding pineapple chunks to my gomme syrup and simmer for a while?

    T

  2. RickNo Gravatar says:

    T, I made the pineapple syrup from Imbibe, and you pretty much do what you said. Just add fresh pineapple chunks to simple syrup and leave overnight. Let me know if you try it; I was pretty happy with the results.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

 

About

Kaiser Penguin is a cocktail blog featuring original recipes, homemade ingredients, classic cocktails, and tiki drinks.

Why on Earth did you name your blog “Kaiser Penguin?”

It is a well-known fact that penguins are members of high society and enjoy fine cocktails. Our very own kaiser penguin would like me to mention that he also enjoys various treats from the sea.

Contact: rick@kaiserpenguin.com