Artisan Hangover

Thermidor, San Francisco

Last weekend I escaped from my life in Seattle and headed out to San Francisco for a little getaway with a few of my besties. Every now and then, I have to ditch my kids and husband to stay sane, only to run home a day or two later because I miss them so much. Pathetic, I know.  When asked about my activities over the weekend, I kindly kept it vague because I knew my husband's reality was juggling bowls of macaroni and breaking up toddler brawls in Spiderman costumes.  We just had some dinner and did a little shopping; nothing crazy, really...   Well, I can't hold it in any longer, so here's my public confession.  During my domestic breakout, I had one of the best damn meals and nights out boozing ever!  Even better?  The ability to sleep off my artisan hangover in the morning.  The culprit: Thermidor, classic American cuisine, and really, really smooth handcrafted cocktails. 

Kathleen & Molly

Anyone who knows me will vouch that I like to have a good time, and it's not a stretch to say I'm an easy sell on a stiff cocktail.  Keeping in the spirit, I started my evening off with The Cordeliere, comprised of tequila, pineapple syrup, yellow chartreuse, lemon and soda.  Having lived in San Diego for 8 years, I normally don't like a bunch of crap in my margarita (my initial take), but this was absolute refreshment, and a perfect blend of kick, sour and sweet.  With no children to account for at sunrise, I moved on to the Warsaw Mule, which boasts bison grass vodka (I have no idea what that means), organic apple juice, lime, sunshine bitters and ginger beer.  Our server adamantly insisted we try this drink, and I must confess that I sampled this baby three times over just to make sure it was really that good.

Emily & Angelique

Dinner?  Well, my friends and I each ordered something different- sole, lobster, filet mignon and chicken kiev.  Anything stuffed with a stick of butter is usually pretty spectacular in my book, so it was a treat to find this old classic on the menu.  I don't have a lot to say about my friends' dishes because everyone devoured their heavenly meals before offering the opportunity to share (myself, included).  Absent of a taste, I got the absolute impression that my friends adored their main courses.  Dessert?  Well, we drank ours that night, and then some. 

Footnotes: 

-I grabbed a copy of the menu, which is the only reason why I'm able to recite the ingredients of my savory snifters.  Overconsumption does not typically fare well with my menu memory... 

-Don't feel too bad for my husband, as he is currently in Chicago while I write this blog, relishing in his 'Heavenly Bed' and uninterrupted ESPN debauchery, amidst steak dinners and deep dish pizzas. 


Thermidor
8 Mint Plaza
SF, CA 
http://www.thermidorsf.com/