San Francisco - August 01, 2007

Bar Some

New Watering Hole Menus

Three gimlets on an empty stomach can make a basket of stale popcorn feel like a gourmet ten-courser. Don’t do that to yourself. Here are a few new watering hole menus you can really dig into.

You’re already sold on the bottle service, bubbles, and beats. Add bar bites to the list of reasons to hit The Ambassador. A compact menu of inspired nibbles can be ordered until midnight. Think childhood cravings only better: crustless grilled Tillamook cheddar cheese sandwiches, crispy string beans with sriracha dipping sauce, homemade fries (673 Geary Street, 415-563-8192).

The new lunch menu at Otis is just the thing to curb boozy midday shopping urges. Try ham-and-Gruyere panini or crisp flatbread pizza topped with oven-roasted tomato, braised fennel, and gorgonzola. Dine al fresco on the lane, inside at the bar, or from the comfort of a plush white couch until 8 p.m. (25 Maiden Lane, no phone).

Keep your sparkle with light bites like grilled country bread topped with a fried quail egg, tomato slice, chives, and creme fraiche or a colorful quartet of infused caviars from the Bubble Lounge’s new small plates offerings. (714 Montgomery Street, 415—434-4204).

At Sugar Cafe in Union Square, cap off the night with something sweet. Share a Tuscan picnic (roasted apricots filled with goat cheese, grilled pound cake with caramel crème fraîche) or cookie sampler (fresh-baked cookies with a shot of Mexican chocolate milk) by the warmth of the nine-foot fireplace. Savory snacks like sliders and olives are served, too (679 Sutter Street, 415-441-5678).

Bon apps.