Sugar Cafe: A Tale of Two Venues

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SugarCafe.m4a - 3 MB

San Francisco for me is almost two cities. By day, it's the setting of a rat race for thousands of people working hard for the weekend. But by night, it's a different town. The street lights emit a warm, inviting glow, calling people to come out and play. While most venues in town are closing up or getting ready for the evening, one place on Sutter Street smoothly transitions from a cafe to a lounge.

By day, Sugar Cafe on 670 Sutter Street operates as a warm contemporary coffee house. But as the sun sets on the city, sugar cafe puts away its coffee mugs for martini and pint glasses. everyone from artists to businessmen flock here at 5 for a cocktail, glass of wine, or beer. With a laid back vibe, Sugar Cafe is a great place to enjoy a drink with friends around the fireplace, or catch the Giants game.

Whether it's morning, noon, or night, the Sugar lounge is a great respite from the monotony.
 

Russian River Brewing Company: Redwood Empire Brewing Capital

In my view, part of what makes life worth living is the variety of experience. Being able to get out and find new things and go to different places gives you more than just something to talk about, it gives you inspiration, a frame of reference, culture, and much more. I've been fortunate enough to be somewhat well-traveled and to have lived in different places where I've been able to take something away from that experience. A few years ago I had to move to Sonoma County for my job, and while I enjoyed my time there because, well, it's a nice place to live, I also was able to explore the beer scene. Now, the North Coast area, or Redwood Empire as its often referred to, is renown for its craft brewing scene, and it's just a hop, skip, and a jump north above the Bay Area (about an hour drive). One of the best known breweries in the area is the Russian River Brewing Company located in Santa Rosa, California.

The brewery bears its name from the iconic Russian River that flows through both Mendocino and Sonoma counties, famous for a number of wineries. It was here along the river in the town of Guerneville where Korbel Champagne Cellars had a vineyard and also began to grow hops for brewing during the late 90s. But in 2003, Korbel decided to get out of the beer business and offered their rights to their brewmaster at the time, Vinnie Cilurzo who proceeded to open Russian River Brewing Company in downtown Santa Rosa the following year. Ever since then, it has become one of the best known breweries in California with a cult following due to their strong India Pale Ales and sour beers, most notably their flagship ale "Pliny the Elder".

Now, RRBC sells their beer in stores, but their distribution isn't incredibly wide. That's why making a trip to their brew pub in downtown Santa Rosa is worth the trip. The pub is a pretty large building with patio seating outside, but it is ALWAYS packed and for good reason. In fact, getting seating indoors requires putting your name in with the host (they also serve food, but that is clearly not the focus). The inside has a long row of barstools packed to the brim with crowds around them and barmen constantly trying to keep up with orders and requests, pouring round after round. On the wall above is a list of about 20 different beers, some year round, but some seasonal. If you're not a beer aficiando or snob, you won't understand, but every beer on that board has a different taste, smell, and unique feature to it, some more than others. But then again, it's all the more reason to try it. I wouldn't leave that place without trying three (over time) or a flight of beers which allows you to sample a wider variety in smaller portions, kind of like shot glasses. If you're new to the place, I'd recommend Pliny the Elder, Row 2 Hill 56, and maybe Hop2It. If you're back for another round, you may want to try one of their heavier, experimental barrel-aged concoctions like Consecration, which has an ABV of 10% but is oh so flavorful. Or if you're lucky enough to be there when they release it, try the infamous Pliny the Younger, which has a seasonal and extremely limited release (people form a line around the block to try it as early as 7AM when the announce its ready).

Russian River Brewing Company is great if you're a local as it's a happening spot every night (and day) of the week, but it's also a destination brewery. In fact, I've made a couple of road trips myself through there since I left, and I'm always sure to hit it up with my friends and family.

Kate O'Brien's: Afternoon Pit-Stop

As fall marches on and the days get shorter, I often find myself searching for cozier places to gather my thoughts and recuperate. It's my usual reprieve between work and class during the week. Typically, I'll find a place outside, like a park bench with a view of a garden or someplace outside that's more serene. But as night starts to fall earlier, and the wind blowing off the Bay picks up, I tend to move indoors toward a warm tavern. One of my favorite places to do so is Kate O'Brien's Irish Bar & Grill.

Kate's is located on Howard Street between 1st and 2nd Street. It's convenient for myself because it's right around the corner from school, and you can hit it up on your way to and from the Moscone Center or Yerba Buena Gardens, as well as the BART station on Montgomery Street. You can't miss the place, as it's highlighted by a large vertical sign that bears it's name and glows brightly green from the street at night. As you walk in, there are three distinct things you'll notice right away: the dimly lit interior, the row of draft beer taps around the bar, and the LCD displays on the walls featuring the most important game at the moment (i.e. Warriors, 49ers, Giants, A's and so forth). 

Now, there are a couple of things I think that Kate's has going for it as it stands. First of all, the service there is pretty good. If you go with a group of people, you'll almost never have to worry about getting a refill of your pint glass or a fresh cocktail (the same goes if you're rolling solo as well). The staff is pretty friendly as well, so that's always a plus. Second, the place will definitely get crowded with the business and financial crowd at night, especially if the Warriors are playing, but you will without doubt find a table and seating for yourself and your friends. Third, the U.S. may not have the pub scene down to a T, but there are many that do it right, and Kate's is one of them. Their selection of domestic craft and european imported beers cover all of the right bases. Here you can grab a pretty solid Guinness, a nice crisp Carlsberg, a Speakeasy Ale,  and if you are so inclined they have a few wheat beers on tap (no, thanks). And they serve them all in their proper glassware.

Food-wise here it varies. They serve all of the traditional pub grub, sandwiches, burgers, buffalo wings, fries, but they also do some traditional Irish food like Shepherd's Pie, Bangers and Mash, and yes, fish and chips. I wouldn't say it's the greatest food in the world, but the portions are on the larger side and it beats the price of anything you'll pay for a meal in SOMA. I do have to say, my friend is a big fan of their Irish nachos. Overall, I think it's a decent spot to kick back a few in the late afternoon while you unwind or relax with the company of a few friends.