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Kellan and I walked out in her neighborhood to Clement Street with one goal in mind: the healing properties of that tasty Vietnamese soup called phỏ (sadly, the accent over the o just doesn't come out correctly here). We were the sole diners at Phỏ Clement, and ordered a plate of tasty potstickers and a small bowl of steak and tripe phỏ, made with steaming broth and rice noodles, and served with a fragrant, fresh bunch of basil, lime, slices of hot peppers, and cold, crisp bean sprouts. The hot broth, the spicy chili sauces, and the fresh brewed tea were exactly what the doctor ordered. Any memory of a few too many beers was erased after we walked through those doors.
Further down Clement Street is a great bookstore, so we had to stop in at Green Apple Books. I found a copy of Maureen Ogle's "Ambitious Brew" for only $5.98. I love this place! Kellan picked up a Spanish book and we were on our way.
I said farewell to Kellan and headed to the Clift Hotel for check in. But I didn't stay long. What is that saying about roads being paved with good intentions? After dropping my bag, I walked up Columbus Street to San Francisco Brewing Company and had a seat. (I know, I know, I broke my pre-race rule of no alcohol. Bear with me.) The brewpub was just opening, and the bartender was setting things up when I walked in. Bing Crosby played on the stereo, and tourists and businesspeople walked by the open doors as the breeze wafted in and freshened the air.
San Francisco Brewing Company is housed in an old building that was formerly the Andromeda Saloon (circa 1907), dating back to the days of the 49'ers and the Barbary Coast and later became the Albatross Saloon in the late seventies. Its period fixtures and antique ceiling fan and wall art provided a fitting backdrop as I listened to the bartender, Emily Anne, tell me about the early days in San Francisco and the loveable miscreants who worked and drank here.
Miss Emily, also a jazz singer and a student in San Francisco, was busy coordinating gig setups in between entertaining me with stories and beer. (Her myspace page, linked here, has some great music samples!) She poured me a few tasters of their different beers, and it was a delicious way to start the afternoon. After walking past this brewery every day on my way to work, I can't believe that it took being a tourist to actually get me inside.
The first taste (starting in the upper left corner) was the Albatross Lager, and my second favorite of all the brews. A slight hop finish, and lots of delicate lacing. So delicious. Next up, the Emperor Norton Lager. Totally bland, and not one I’d try again. Third in line, the Hugh Hefnerweizen. Huge points for the clever name, and a great cloudy golden appearance. Yeast dripping down towards the bottom of the glass, and a mild, lemony taste.
In the bottom left corner of the photo, and not my favorite of fresh hop varieties, but not the worst either, their Fresh Hop Ale was not overly hoppy, and had a mellow taste to it. Probably wouldn’t order it again, though. The Oofty Goofty Barley Wine, on the other hand, was truly interesting. Pruney, with a sweet taste and a tart finish. Apparently this barley wine was named after a Barbary Coast-era street performer who got his start by tarring and feathering himself with horse hair to look like an ape and locking himself in a cage. As people walked by, he would growl "Oofty Goofty, Oofty Goofty". However, as Miss Emily relayed to me, Oofty Goofty was legendary most of all for allowing people to hit him with a bat for a few cents a strike. According to legend, he could feel no pain. Eventually, his antics caught up with him when he let a man beat him with a pool stick, breaking his spine and leading to his untimely death.
Oofty Goofty also billed himself "The Wild Man of Borneo" - which was particularly funny to me. As a kid, my parents would refer to our post-nap or post-bathtowel mussed up hair as "Wild Man of Borneo" hair. I had no idea that one day I'd be sipping on a barley wine of the same designation.
And lastly, the Shanghai.P.A. was amazing. Definitely my favorite in taste and smell. Low carbonation and plenty of grapefruity goodness. I'd take home a growler if the kind folks at TSA allowed that kind of thing. I think they might change their minds if I let them sip it first...
Sadly, my sampler was finished and I had to get going. Something about having a race the next day? The evening rolled on, and I met up with my friends and sisters for a pasta dinner at Macaroni Sciue Sciue in North Beach, and lots and lots of water. Another great day of walking all over the place, refreshing beer, good food, and wonderful friends. I love this city.
There it is! Yeah for PHO CLEMENT!!!
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