By Emma Krasov. Photography by Yuri Krasov
If a picture is worth a thousand words, let’s try for a quick pictorial overview of places and events, happening now or in the last couple of months in a world-famous city that’s on every decent traveler’s list—San Francisco, California.
Would dozens of pictures stand for the hundreds thousands of words?
Every day of every week, month, and year, exciting, festive events are happening in San Francisco’s bars, restaurants, hotels, and wineries. Here’s just a little sampling of the rich canvas that is our city’s nightlife.
Fairmont San Francisco Penthouse Suite PJ Party
While celebrating Penthouse Suite’s recent renovation with a cheeky pajama party, Fairmont San Francisco spared no expense. Executive Chef Eric Marting and his team lavished the attending guests (many in silk pajamas and fuzzy slippers) with elaborate menus of American, French, and Asian cuisine, and the hotel’s partners, Penelope Spa and Bin 415 (a group of pro sommeliers) provided fun little sessions on facial care and wine tasting.
The entire Penthouse Suite was open for observation, with its incomparable open-air fountain terrace overlooking the city center, a two-story rotunda library, a whimsical billiard room, and multiple living spaces, all designed for the utmost comfort and luxury.
https://www.fairmont-san-francisco.com/, https://www.fairmont-san-francisco.com/wellness/beauty-bar/, https://www.fairmont-san-francisco.com/activities/bin-415/.
Argonaut Hotel, a Noble House Hotel, San Francisco Celebrates 20 Years
For its 20th anniversary, Argonaut Hotel offers a special “Stay Legendary Noble 20th Anniversary Package.” The historic property on San Francisco Bay waterfront, and the new Michelin Star Executive Chef Amod Singh of the hotel’s Blue Mermaid restaurant, included in the package a night in the premier Argonaut Suite with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, a private 20-course tasting menu for two, created with California produce and Indian spices, a bottle of Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Collection 2003 Champagne, full American breakfast for two guests, and a 2 pm late checkout.
At the last month’s special event, aptly named “Sip & Sea,” local dignitaries, city officials, neighboring businesses’ owners, and community members had a chance to preview some dishes from the new menu, witness the award-giving to the famed hotel, indulge in local brewery and distillery libations, and listen to live music.
https://www.argonauthotel.com/.
EPIC Steak Restaurant
For the entire duration of the current Football Season (until January 7, 2024), and to honor the beloved San Francisco 49ers, American football team in the National Football League, EPIC Steak decided to treat its guests to Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne for just $49 a bottle (usually $130), served during brunch hours Friday through Sunday.
In addition to the bubbly treat, the brunch menu represents the best interpretations of traditional American favorites by Executive Chef Parke Ulrich and Chef de Cuisine Colton Hays. It goes beyond the typical steakhouse experience, incorporating Southern classics, like shrimp and grits, and creative takes on Italian staples, like Caprese salad with peaches. While assortments of masterfully grilled various cuts of meat remain at the front and center of any EPIC brunch, an innovative representation of Eggs Benedict on crab cakes instead of English muffins is sure to please the most discerning seafood lovers.
Wente Vineyards, Livermore Valley
With its 140th harvest and uninterrupted year in business, Wente Vineyards, the oldest continuously operating family winery in the United States, invited its many fans, club members, and wine lovers to join the 4th and 5th generations of Wente family at their 140th Harvest Dinner served among aged olive groves and historic vineyards.
A local ingredients-based Wine Country menu was paired with specially selected wines from the rich Wente Vineyards portfolio.
“This is a special milestone for us, and we’re honored to have such an amazing, supportive community who wants to celebrate alongside our family,” said Aly Wente, 5th generation winegrower and VP of Marketing and Customer Experiences. “We wanted to create special moments for our supporters to experience Wente Vineyards on an intimate level. We’re thrilled to celebrate 140 years in business with people who love our wines—they are the reason we have remained five generations family owned. We’re already toasting to the next 140!”
In celebration of this major milestone the Wente family offers a raffle, “Win a Trip to Wine Country.” On May 1, Wente Vineyards kicked off a sweepstakes giveaway for two to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the storied winery in Livermore Valley, California. The sweepstakes includes an exclusive three-night stay that includes round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations, meals, tours, and exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences hosted by the Wente family. The giveaway will be valid and available through December 2023. Enter to win https://140th-harvest.wentevineyards.com/#win-form.
WhiskyFest 2023 at San Francisco Marriott Marquis
International whisky makers from the most famous brands to the newest distilleries participated in one of the most popular spirit events and the leading whisky festival in North America, WhiskyFest, presented by Whisky Advocate magazine. Well-known and heavily attended in New York, Las Vegas and Chicago only this year, the event unfolded at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis hotel, offering its attendees the opportunity to sample hundreds of whiskies from around the world.
The fans and supporters of single malt, blended Scotch, bourbon, rye, Irish, French, Tennessee, Japanese, Taiwanese, Canadian, and craft-distilled whiskies, were happy to ask any questions they could have, learn from the experts, compare and discuss brands, and the subtle differences of different labels within the same brand.
Distillery representatives were pouring whisky and giving non-stop explanations at their booths, while educational seminars, featuring their own tastings, were running throughout the evening in separate facilities. The hotel’s kitchen provided quite a feast of treats to pair with the noble spirits, from mini-Wellingtons and vegetable samosas to panna cotta deserts and chocolate bonbons.
https://whiskyadvocate.com/whiskyfest
https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/.
Frey Ranch Distillery at Nightbird Restaurant, San Francisco
Known as “whiskey farmers,” Colby and Ashley Frey from Fallon, Nevada, the co-founders of Frey Ranch Distillery, not only participated in the abovementioned WhiskyFest, but also launched their new Farm Strength Uncut Bourbon in California at an intimate trade and media dinner, organized in partnership with Nightbird Restaurant.
The 5th-generation ranch family from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, is one of only a few whiskey producers in the nation, whose grains are 100% sustainably grown on their land, and all their spirits are malted, distilled, matured, and bottled on the ranch.
The resulting products, according to experts, are some of the best whiskeys in America, with multiple awards bestowed upon Frey Ranch’s straight bourbon, rye whiskey, and single barrel varieties.
Nightbird’s Chef/Owner Kim Alter took it upon herself to create a unique multi-course dinner menu incorporating grains from the Frey Ranch’s crops– corn, wheat, oats, barley, and rye—all the staples that make Frey Ranch an authentic ground-to-glass estate distillery.
Chef Kim’s signature dinner was paired with two original cocktails—Frey Ranch Orchard (Frey Ranch Four Grain Straight Bourbon with pear, corn, wheat, lemon and smoked egg white), and Frey’s Fashion (Frey Ranch Straight Rye with sweet potato and candy cap mushrooms), and included intriguing grain-based dishes, like Smokey Wheat Berry Risotto with duck confit and preserves.
https://www.nightbirdrestaurant.com/
Roe & Co Distillery at Casements Bar, San Francisco
Refined Roe & Co Irish Whiskey is perfect for creating interesting cocktails. The Dublin, Ireland, distillery partnered with San Francisco’s Casements Bar to implement a night of cocktail discovery, titled, The Five Pillars of Flavors, curated by local bartenders, and inspired by sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami tastes, widely accepted in a contemporary culinary vocabulary.
To accompany these colorful, distinct and flavor-forward cocktails, the Casements kitchen provided an array of bar foods, suitable better than anything else for Roe & Co complex aromatic spirits.
https://www.whisky.com/whisky-database/distilleries/details/roe-co.html
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