Business is booming at Harry's on Fillmore, but changes are coming behind the bar.
SALOONS | Chris Barnett
Fillmore hotspot Harry’s is headed for a change. It’s not a facelift; the design and decor still look fresh after a quarter century of civilized salooning and dining in the daytime and ear-splitting revelry at night. Instead, the cocktail culture is getting an update by mixologist Michael Callahan, who heads a consultancy called Raising The Bar.
“We’re upgrading and fine tuning the bar program, but holding on to the energy,” he says. That translates as better brands in the well for the $6 cocktails and the addition of rare, small batch spirits such as Clase Azul — which Callahan calls “an amazing sipping tequila” — and the new Beefeater 24 gin, which has 12 botanicals including Japanese and Chinese teas distilled along with the juniper berries.
Callahan, who works behind the bar on weekends, also has an idea for a new twist on bottle service. It’s not just a full bottle and four glasses, like pricey nightclubs peddle. Instead, servers will balance a full 750 ml. bottle of Manhattans or Negronis with the four glasses. The cocktails in the bottle will be made nightly combining the best bourbons, bitters and fresh squeezed juices. No word on the price yet.
THE HAPPIEST HOUR: Neighborhood quaffers thirsting for a bargain converge daily between 3 and 7 p.m. at Thai Stick, home of the longest and most affordable happy hour on the boulevard. Draft beers are $2, the house wine is $3 and well cocktails are $4. A half dozen snacks, at $5 each, are a happy addition for nibblers. Besides shrimp and springs rolls, a favorite is the chicken satay — six skewers of grilled white meat, with zesty peanut sauce and a tart cucumber salad.
YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: Happy hour at the recently revived Long Bar at Fillmore and Clay is weekdays from 5 to 7 p.m. New owner Reza Esmaili, working behind the bar on a recent Saturday afternoon, was noodling the concept when pressed for details. “Okay, I’ll decide right now. All $5 drafts will be $3. Certain wines by the glass, normally $7 and up, will be $5. Well cocktails will start at $6 instead of $7,” he declared. He also promises “vermouth on tap” soon and predicts drinking it straight will become au courant.
And Esmaili says a new chef, known in San Francisco for his American style cooking, will take over the kitchen on September 9, but won’t reveal his identity just yet. And don’t be surprised if the Long Bar sports a new name before long.
BETTER BITTERS: When D&M Wine and Liquors opened at Sacramento and Fillmore a few years after Prohibition was repealed, it sold bourbon and beer. Current owner Joe Politz added wine in the early 60s: Gallo, Italian Swiss and Petri by the gallon. “I sold gallons of Red Mountain and told customers it had one grape per bottle,” he says.
When other liquor shops added wine, Politz switched to champagne. “Until 10 or 15 years ago, we were the largest champagne retailer in the U.S. We sold more Dom Perignon than anybody,” he crows. Now D&M is aiming again to be ahead of its competitors by devoting prime space near the register to an assortment of bitters. Originally an alcoholic remedy for seasick sailors, bitters punch up everything from cocktails to club soda. In addition to the requisite Angostura, D&M carries German-made Bitter Truth, Fee Brothers, Peychaud from New Orleans and a handful of the estimated 80 brands distilled worldwide. Prices are $6 to $17. Serious libation lovers carry their favorite bitters with them.
FINAL CALL: Personable and popular barkeep Fabian Oregon has exited the Elite Cafe after a two and a half years behind the plank. The Napa native, coincidentally, was just profiled in the Examiner’s mixologist column, but cringed at the term as too high-falutin’. Oregon, previously behind the bar for San Francisco saloon legend Perry Butler at Perry’s on Sutter Street, is said to be “in discussions” with several thirst parlors.
Meanwhile, the Elite’s 4 to 6 p.m. oyster hour rocks on with California oysters at a buck apiece and Washington State and British Columbia oysters fetching $2 each. Wash them down with bubbly like Veuve Cliquot at $12 a flute versus its usual $17 or a Schramsberg brut rose for $9 instead of $12. Some better wines are discounted during the 120 minutes, too — including Stags Leap chardonnay at $10, down from $13 and Cakebread sauvignon blanc at $9, compared to its usual $12.
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