4 days ago
Have a Darling Cocktail Moment in the Marina With the New Bar Darling
On the heels of the gastropub Tipsy Pig's closure on May 26, co-owner and restaurateur (bar-teur?) Nate Valentine is opening his latest project, Bar Darling, on Tuesday, June 3. Located a few doors down from Tipsy Pig, Bar Darling takes over the former Squat & Gobble space at 2263 Chestnut Street in the Marina.
Valentine has several San Francisco bars under his belt (April Jean, Harper & Rye, Peacekeeper, Lost Resort, and August Hall), and he's teamed up with Jamal Blake-Williams (April Jean, Harper & Rye, and Peacekeeper), Stryker Scales (Mamanoko and Blue Barn), and Jimmy Garcia (who previously worked with Harper & Rye for 10 years) for this new project.
They've pulled in chef Deiber Tzab of Mamanoko to lead the food menu for bites the team calls 'seasonal, thoughtful, and meant to be shared,' per a press release. The vibes are 'a cocktail reception at a family wedding': Think brie puff pastry bites with rosemary-fig jam, lettuce cups highlighting sesame chicken salad and crispy rice noodles, three types of sliders, chicken skewers, and more. There's also a touch of dessert to be ordered, such as red velvet cake pops covered in a white chocolate shell and sprinkles, and snickerdoodle old-fashioned doughnuts.
Befitting a team with a deep bar background, the drinks look to be well-considered. The bar embraces what the press release calls its 'farm-to-bar philosophy, using garden-grown highlights.' What that shakes out to (or stirs out to) are vegetable- and fruit-forward cocktails that should prove highly drinkable in the summertime. On the starting drinks menu, for instance, is the Mijo Mijo!!! featuring tomato, basil, green bell pepper, and citrus, with a vodka base. Tam Tam, meanwhile, mixes gin with carrot, saffron, honey, and lemon, and Oh Darling... works a berry shrub into a cocktail with yellow Chartreuse, tequila, and lime. On draft, visitors can expect a selection of six beers, plus two wines and two cocktails; beers and wine will also be available by the can or glass, respectively. Some nonalcoholic options are also in the works, utilizing that same farm-to-bar philosophy.
For those who frequented the Squat & Gobble, the interior will most likely be unrecognizable. Gone are the crepe and sandwich menu boards; the Bar Darling team reimagined the entire space, leaning into warm woods, earth tones, and a tree mural painted by Nicole Haden. The back patio remains a fixture, of course, with the manzanita tree still holding court alongside native plants.
Bar Darling (2263 Chestnut Street) debuts on Tuesday, June 3.
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