16 Comments
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Mary Kate Murray's avatar

In the further adventures of my FOMC (fear of missing cocktails) - Robert reports on his trip to San Francisco! 🤣

Jim Freeman's avatar

OK, you were clearly riffing on the hard-boiled detective genre, and doing it well - so when do we get the video series of Robert Simonson: Ace Drink Detective and Gastronomic Gumshoe? With the fedora, natch!

Robert Simonson's avatar

I can provide the fedoras free of charge. Perhaps this will incentivize some producer out there.

Steve's avatar

The Pitt format would be perfect … 12 hours of Simonson on a toot, with each episode / content an hour of the toot 🥂

Sandra Lesch's avatar

Somehow you can always tell when Simonson is in town. I don’t know how you manage to cram so much into a Dashiell Hammett travelogue, but grateful you do. 🍸

Greg Kalfayan's avatar

Great report. I was in San Francisco two weeks ago and stopped in for a martini at Zam Zam. I'm assuming you've been? Sweet old-school spot with a cool mural.

Robert Simonson's avatar

I know of it but have never been. Next time.

Joshua Vissepo's avatar

Love San Francisco - unmatched American city.

Add Stoa to your bar list next time you return.

Joshua Vissepo's avatar

I also had the Bobby Burns when I was there a few months ago! And of course, “In the pines, under the palms” a Martinez riff.

I did think it was odd that most of their drinks were half an oz to 1oz less of what’s standard.

Ian Lauer's avatar

Re: Tonga Room — as a fan if all things Tiki, I badly want to go! My folks’ favorite meal (pupu platters and Mai Tais) was had there when they visited a few years back. Always makes me think of Jimmy Buffett’s song “Altered Boy.”

Robert Simonson's avatar

I would like to sit down for a full meal next time.

Frank Caiafa's avatar

Nice travelogue!

Especially since I know that you only enjoy one sip of any given cocktail then move along to the next bar!

Robert Simonson's avatar

That’s not entirely accurate. ;-)

Dat Phan's avatar

I’m a fan of the burritos at El Farolito and Taqueria Cancun. I don’t believe in burritos without rice, which is what La Taqueria serves.

Robert Simonson's avatar

I'll try those places next time. La Taqueria came recommended, so I was surprised when it was such a let down. The biggest problem was temperature.