Amélie Wine Bar Launches Late Night Dinners
Looking for a late night dinner that doesn’t consist solely of appetizers? Amélie Wine Bar has an after-hours menu for you. Every Thursday through Saturday, from 10:00 pm to 12:30 am, you can order several classics from the original dinner menu, such as ravioles de Royan, gratin Dauphinois, oven-gratinee escargots, and beef tartare. You can also choose from charcuterie platters and a variety of cheeses, ranging from Roquefort to Camembert to Comte. Your dinner can be paired with one of the new wines introduced each week from Europe, South America, New Zealand, South Africa, and the US. So there’s no longer an excuse for skipping dinner, just because it’s past 10 o’clock. 1754 Polk Street @ Washington.
RateBeer Offers Beauty in a Barrel
If you prefer your barrel-aged beverages in the form of beer, you’ll want to stop by SPUR this Saturday, November 9, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. RateBeer is hosting a gallery event they’re calling “Beauty from a Barrel.” Expect a full line-up of barrel-aged beers including new releases from Berkeley’s The Rare Barrel, Heirloom Pumpkin Barleywine from Almanac Beer Co., sours from Wicked Weed in North Carolina, and the West Coast debut of Kriek from traditional Belgian Lambic maker, Oud Beersel. Besides beer, the day’s itinerary includes artisan cheeses from Tomales Farmstead Creamery, chocolates from Dandelion, and education from a host of beer geeks. Mark Jilg of Craftsman Brewing Co. in Southern California will chat with RateBeer’s Joe Tucker about Small Brewing: Craft and Audience. Tim Clifford of award-winning Sante Adairius Rustic Ales will explain his wine-barrel based solera process. And Cicerone.org’s Nicole Erny will discuss beer and food pairing. Tickets are available online for $45. The event benefits Ales for Autism. 645 Mission Street b/t 2nd and 3rd.
Drink and Play Dominoes at Garage Urbano
La Urbana only opened in September, and they’ve already annexed the adjacent garage space. Garage Urbano features casual seating, a limited bar menu with an “Honor Bar,” complimentary palomitas (popcorn) with chile and lime, and table games including dominoes, cards and cribbage. The $5 Honor Bar features Mexican craft beer and Agua de Jamaica, with selections changing weekly. The $8 Garage Drink menu typically includes House Sangria, red wine, and a couple of mezcals. Servers at Garage Urbano will also bring you drinks from La Urbana’s full bar next door, if you ask nicely. Garage Urbano is open every Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. 661 Divisadero (entrance on Grove).
Tour Valencia Street’s Gourmet Corridor with the Foodie Chap
The Mission District has become a hotbed of culinary talent and innovation, so much so that Liam Mayclem, the “Foodie Chap” and Emmy Award-winning host of CBS 5’s “Eye on the Bay,” is including it in his Fall/Winter series of “Inside the Kitchen” Culinary Tours of SF’s iconic food and beverage destinations. The Valencia Street: Gourmet Corridor tour departs at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 10 from the lobby of The Ritz-Carlton. Mayclem will take the group to a taco-making session at Tacolicious, a chocolate factory tasting tour of Dandelion Chocolate, a craft beer pairing at The Abbot’s Cellar, and a pastry-secret-sharing session with Owner/Chef William Werner at Craftsman and Wolves. An optional four-course group dinner follows the tour at 5:30 p.m. at Parallel 37 in Union Square ($100/person). Tickets for Mayclem’s gourmet food tour of the Mission are $199 per person, with a maximum of 12 guests per tour. Call (415) 773-6199 to make reservations. 600 Stockton Street @ California.
TBD Restaurant Opens in SOMA
AQ Restaurant and Bar Executive Chef Mark Liberman is making another mark just two doors down from AQ, at TBD Restaurant. This flame-centered venture in SOMA just opened its doors on Tuesday with a focus on open-fire grilling, smoking, rotisserie, and hearth-baking methods. Rumor has it TBD’s meats and vegetables are prepared exclusively on a Grillworks grill and custom-built hearth. You’ll also find a selection of bar snacks, plus desserts featuring soft-serve ice cream, which Chef Mark apparently can’t resist. With more than 20 beers on tap, a global-inspired wine list, and low-alcohol cocktails called “loopholes,” there’s something for everyone to drink. TBD serves dinner Monday through Thursday from 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm and stays open until 11:30 pm on Friday and Saturday. 1077 Mission Street @ 7th.
