Archive for September, 2014

San Francisco, CA: Zuni Cafe

Posted: September 12, 2014 in Uncategorized
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We had amazing luck with Bloody Marys in San Diego, so we were hopeful that northern California would also take great pride in their bloodies.

Again, we did a little research a head of time and headed to Zuni Cafe, where we tried their Balsamic Bloody Mary.

Zuni Cafe Balsalmic Bloody Mary

Mix: Homemade with Smirnoff Vodka, tomato juice, Tabasco, salt, pepper, spicy pepper-onion relish and… 6-year old balsamic.

Chaser: No

Fixin’s: Lemon and celery

Price: $12

The verdict? This Bloody Mary was pretty good; you could definitely taste the pepper-onion relish, which was a little strange to have a few chunks in the drink. Other than that, this Bloody definitely had a distinct taste, but if I  hadn’t known that balsamic vinegar was the key to this drink, I would not have been able to identify it.

If you find yourself at Zuni, you should definitely try it, but it doesn’t hold a candle to any of the ones we experience in the Midwest and San Diego.

 

San Diego, CA: Cafe 21

Posted: September 12, 2014 in Uncategorized
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And last but certainly not least on the trip to San Diego…Cafe 21.

Oh my gosh… I don’t even know where to begin.

First of all, another Bloody Mary MENU here. Decisions, decisions. Since I’ve had a green Bloody Mary before and the others looked kinda tame, I went for the Ol’ Yello’ Mary.

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However, I didn’t realize how big the “Grilled Multi-Cheese Sandwich Skewer” would be when I ordered it.

After I ordered my drink, I asked the bartender what he would recommend for dinner. He talked me into the Turkey Burger and I put that order in. Then the drink arrived.

Needless to say, by the time my actual meal arrived, I was pretty full. The bartender came back to check on me, my burger virtually untouched.

“You don’t like your burger?” he questioned.

“Oh no, it’s delicious! I’m just really full…”

The bartender began apologizing effusively, saying he should have let me know how much was on the Bloody Mary, or steered me in a different direction after I ordered it. I told him it was not his fault at all. I was just content. A delicious Bloody Mary and a great dinner.

But he wouldn’t have any of it, insisting on taking money off of my check for it. I was floored. Again-is everyone nice in San Diego?

Cafe 21

Mix: Homemade with YELLOW Heirloom Tomato Mix and fresh horseradish

Chaser: No

Fixin’s: Veggies galore (cucumber, radish, olive, pepper, carrot, etc.) and a “Grilled Multi-Cheese Sandwich Skewer” which was more like a full sandwich if you ask me!

Price: $15

My favorite Bloody Mary in San Diego! Thrillist ranked Small Bar, which I did not go to and Great Maple before this one, but for me, this was the best, followed by Bier Garden on Encinitas; however, it would seem that you cannot go wrong when ordering a Bloody in San Diego!

UPDATE: 9/30/15:

We found ourselves back in San Diego and made a beeline for Cafe 21 (seriously, our hotel room wasn’t ready yet so we headed straight there from the airport). This time, we  tried the California Greenin’ and it did not disappoint:

Cafe 21 Bloody Mary

We also squeezed in another visit to try the Prawn Star…This one was still good, but was our least favorite, most likely because it felt like we were being watched:

Cafe 21 Prawn Star Bloody Mary

All kidding aside, their house red mix was flavorful, but we preferred the yellow mix the best. We also saw another patron order a “regular” bloody mary while we were there and that one looked divine. If you’re going to try a red mix bloody at Cafe 21 and aren’t a huge fan of prawns, that one looks like a winner as well. Cheers!

San Diego, CA: Bier Garden of Encinitas

Posted: September 12, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Still in San Diego, the next stop was the Bier Garden of Encinitas, another place with a Bloody Mary Menu.

They make their own house flavor-infused vodkas (horseradish-infused, basil, rosemary & garlic-infused, bacon and cheddar-infused, etc.)  AND they are all served with a chaser, something that I’ve found is rare outside of the Midwest.

In talking with the friendly bartender (is everyone in San Diego friendly?), I was told that someone on staff is from Wisconsin and had developed some of these recipes. Ah, that explains it.

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I am a fan of all things Mediterranean, so I chose the Seasonal on this trip, but surprise, it was made with RUM!

Bier Garden Encinitas Bloody Mary

Mix: Homemade with roasted red bell pepper-infused RUM.

Chaser: Yes!

Fixin’s: Shrimp, Goat Cheese, Pickled Asparagus, Tomato, Onion, Cucumber, Lemon, Lime, Olive, Celery, Pickle

Price: $12

This was the early front runner for my favorite, but there was one more stop… Cafe 21. Stay tuned!

 

8/10/16 Update:

Two years later, we returned to Biergarden of Encinitas around the same time of the year and found the seasonal Bloody Mary to be the same, so we decided to try another one for the sake of review. We asked the bartender what his favorite was and he recommended the Spicy.

Bier Garden of Encinitas

Holy cow! He wasn’t kidding… this was delicious but definitely lived up to its name. So spicy we could barely finish it! Of the two we tried,  the Seasonal Mediterranean was definitely the best. We’ll just have to keep visiting until we’ve tried them all!

San Diego, CA: Great Maple

Posted: September 12, 2014 in Uncategorized
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In my last post, I mentioned that I was visiting San Diego and working off a previously established area Bloody Mary Bucketlist of sorts provided by Thrillist.

My next stop was Great Maple.

Let me first just say I was bummed that when I went there I was only planning on having a drink (i.e. I had already had a meal) because their menu looked great and the food looked even better.

Here, I discovered not just a great Bloody Mary, but a whole Bloody Mary MENU (something kind of common for San Diego I would come to find out).  I have to admit, I was a little overwhelmed. So many Bloodies, so little time!

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I asked the bartender for her recommendation and she said that the Pickle Bloody Mary was a favorite, so that’s the one I went for:

Great Maple

 

Mix: Titos Vodka with homemade mix

Chaser: No

Fixin’s: One gigantic pickle

Price: $10

This Bloody Mary was great, but I wish I had the change to try some of the others. Had I been hungry, Johnny’s Hangover Mary, which comes with, basically, a loaf of bread on top. 🙂

San Diego, CA: Island Prime/C-Level Lounge

Posted: September 12, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Recently, I found myself in San Diego. Before I travel anywhere–for business or pleasure–I make sure I research good Bloody Marys in the area.

Fortunately, I found this guide from Thrillist. I quickly mapped where these locations were in relation to the places I would be going and was happy to discover that four of the six were close by. Game on!

The first stop was Island Prime/C-Level Lounge.

I hadn’t been to San Diego in 10 years and I was really glad I came here right away. This restaurant has an amazing view of the city.

Their seafood tacos were amazing and their bartender was extremely friendly, even giving me a dessert on the house.

 

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C-Level Island Prime Bloody Mary

But what I enjoyed the most about my visit was the seafood Bloody Mary. Made with Svedka and a house-made spicy mix, the giant glass is garnished with olives, onion, lime, peperoncinis, a giant shrimp, and a crab claw.

A drink that comes with a seafood fork? Yes, please!

Mix: Svedka & house-made spicy mix

Chaser:No

Fixin’s: Olives, Celery, Lime, Pepperoncinis, Shrimp and Crab Claw

Price: $?

Milwaukee, WI: Saz’s State House BBQ Bloody Mary

Posted: September 11, 2014 in Uncategorized
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I’m not sure when it started, but suddenly it seemed like everywhere I went, I was seeing images of the Saz’s State House‘s BBQ Bloody Mary.

Seeing that mouth-watering photo of a 20-oz Bloody mary, along with the differentiator–a Baby Back Rib–quickly led to me visiting the restaurant.

Zing Zang is one of the better mixes out there, so the overall flavor of this drink was good; I am also a fan of salted rims, so the smoked sea salt was a nice touch. However, as I surmised, what sets this Bloody Mary apart from the competition is the Baby Back Rib. Afterall, how many Bloodies are served with a wetnap?

Saz's BBQ Bloody Mary

 

Mix:Zing Zang

Chaser:Yes

Fixin’s: Smoked Sea Salt Rim, Pickle, Olive and Baby Back Rib

Price: $12

 

Milwaukee, WI: County Clare Inn

Posted: September 11, 2014 in Uncategorized
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One Sunday morning the ladies went to brunch at the County Clare Inn near Milwaukee’s East Side.

The County Clare is a very cute bed and breakfast, with a fantastic Irish Pub and, I had been told, excellent Bloody Marys.

County Clare Bloody Mary

Indeed, these Bloodies lived up to their reputation. There are two different Bloodies to choose from on their Brunch Menu, the County Clare Bloody Mary and the Bloody Maire, which adds a splash of Guinnesss and Whiskey. During this visit, I reviewed the classic version.

CC Brunch Beverage List

Mix: Homemade

Chaser:Yes: Guinness

Fixin’s: Beef stick, string cheese, pickle, three olives, a homemade pickled potato, lemon, lime

Price: $?

This is a cute little place to come for brunch and it’s also great for live music on the weekends; the atmosphere is cozy and fun. I would definitely recommend checking it out and grabbing a Bloody while you’re there!

 

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