Hi all, I know there are several San Francisco threads on here, but I had two specific questions: 1) What's the best place to find Russian River bottles near Union Square (I'm staying at the Marriott Marquis) - I'm looking to take some home to MI. 2) What are some good casual places to eat with decent tap lists in the same vicinity? Thanks in advance for any help.
City Beer gets Pliny on Wednesdays at around noon, limit 4. It's as much as you'll get in one place without driving up to the brewery. Other places, it comes and goes irregularly, and usually sells out immediately. The best way to ensure taking bottles home with you is to set up an in-person trade in advance of coming out. I'm less familiar with casual eats options in that area these days, especially with decent tap lists. You'll be a close Uber ride to Monks Kettle in the Mission, and the Potrero Hill Whole Foods has a pretty good beer bar on the ground floor. People talk a lot about The Crafty Fox, which is also a close Uber ride. Lastly, the bar at the Hilton in Union Square (Urban Tavern?) usually has both Pliny and Blind Pig on tap, the latter being increasingly hard to find (except for at Toronado). EDIT: The Public House at AT&T Park is surprisingly great, for food and taps, not sure if/when they're open on non-game days, but might be worth checking out.
As of Thursday night, CBS also has bottles of Redemption and Supplication on the floor, which is unusual. I rarely see their Belgians/sours outside of Russian River brewery.
Also I'm sure you know this but... Marriot Marquis is one of the very few places you can get Pliny the Elder on tap. Make sure you get to try it fresh!
Mikkeller Bar is pretty casual, food wise (maybe not so much price wise), and has an interesting tap list most of the time.
