went into sf last night to go to porkapalooza. i seized the opportunity to bookend the pork party with drinks at heaven’s dog since i’ve heard so much about their cocktails and bartenders.
pre-pork cocktail (heaven’s dog): pisco apricot tropical (pisco, pineapple gomme, apricot brandy, lime, angostura bitters). clean, refreshing. beautiful aroma. i paid special attention to the viscosity as affected by the gomme. jury’s out. i understand the principle, and this cocktail did have a fuller body than usual, but i think i might prefer my drinks to be…liquid.
jackie (we are on a first name basis! already!) poured me samples of the small hand foods pineapple gomme and grenadine. really good stuff. but i wonder if i wouldn’t prefer a fresh cube of pineapple, or handful of pomegranate arils…
my grenadine is very tart compared to the small hands version.
during-pork cocktail (bloodhound): ‘taylors old fashioned’ (bacon bourbon, grenadine, orange bitters). pretty foul. i took three sips and abandoned it. i don’t think the bacon was to blame. im not even sure there was any bacon in it.
pork products (bloodhound): corn dog; pork rinds; pulled pork sliders; pate; mortadella; and various cuts grilled, sliced and served with (excellent) tortillas, salsa, limes, cilantro. everything was superb except the sliders, which were “only” good. i was a little disappointed that i never really knew which part of the pig i was eating. it just wasn’t that kind of event. it was like a frat house meets yuppie meatmarket meets backyard bbq meets casino buffet meets pack of starving hyenas. the pork plate is set down onto the serving table. you hold a tortilla like a catchers mitt and grab at the plate of steaming, blackened bits of meat. you slop on a spoonful of the closest salsa. you cram it into your mouth.
i hung around the alleyway outside the bar, where the cooking and prep stations were established, so as to avoid claustrophobia, and to get first access to food. as such, upon me was bestowed a greasy, blistering-hot pork rib, straight off the grill. i held the rib with one hand, a taco with the other, and a mason jar of pilsner under my arm. that rib, while not fall-off-the-bone tender, was incredibly delicious.
[edit: here's a report from the line]
post-pork cocktail (heaven’s dog): pan american clipper (calvados, lime, grenadine, absinthe). a pretty good drink, lots of different flavors all working together, rotating, trading fours. maybe a little on the sweet side. it also suffered a lot as it warmed.
watched erik adkins put together a mint julep and some other things. dude took a long time making his drinks. he didn’t rush. he tasted multiple times, and made small adjustments. i was impressed.
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check it out, i got a non-spam comment!
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