Decadent drinking
Born again: Iconic Starlite shimmers anew on top of the Beacon Grand
The revamped Starlite is dramatic, but elegant. San Francisco bars are having a blessed resurgence, exuding personality, class, and great cocktails.
Since 1928, San Francisco has sparkled and shimmered from the 21st floor of the Beacon Grand, where the iconic Starlite bar was recently reborn this winter. Formerly the historic Sir Francis Drake, the hotel underwent a massive remodel not long ago, then everyone got invited to a big reveal of the new Starlite in late January.
The newest overhaul is more gorgeous than any remodel prior, thanks to local Alice Crumeyrolle, previously a senior designer at none other than Ken Fulk Inc. I felt a classier vibe walking into the preview, with the redone digs markedly less gaudy than the old days in red and black, and more soothing than the clubbier Lizzie’s Starlite of recent years.
The new space is memorable, dramatic, but elegant. Comforting dark green dominates, punctuated by a mustard yellow, zebra print, even whispers of hot pink, vibrant floral prints, adding splashes of sass and flair. Velvet brings sexy, comfy swankiness.
From east to west views, walking full circle around the center bar through various rooms and nooks, Starlite holds spaces for dates as it does a group of friends, while nightly vinyl DJ sets from music director Nina Tarr step it up without feeling like a club as it has in the past. During the preview, she veered through numerous genres: funk, afrobeat, world, hip hop, new wave, electro, kraut, disco and soul.
Having been to three Starlite remodels in my 23 years in SF, I fondly remember the Derby Day party where Harry Denton himself (RIP) awarded me “best dressed” from numerous awards he handed out. I recall judging a cocktail competition a good 15 years ago there when many of the city’s cocktail pioneers were in their early days of bartending and competing. Today, there are multiple ways to do Starlite, whether a chill 4 p.m. sip, sunset cocktail, or full-on meal and drinks, which leads me to how good the bar food is:
It’s elevated but fun, curated by D.C.-based chef Johnny Spero, who comes from serious Michelin-starred pedigree. Osetra caviar, creme fraiche and chips always win, but oven-roasted baked oysters are more affordable, rich in herbed brown butter and garlic breadcrumbs, perfectly partnered with a glass — or bottle — of bubbly. Ditto ultra-fresh crudités or veggies on ice, dipped in Green Goddess dressing. On the lighter side, ubiquitous tuna crudo is touched with yuzu, smoked olive oil and ginger.
More filling and decadent? Cowgirl Creamery grilled cheese sandwiches in honey mustard on toasted brioche, hot fried chicken buns or, my fave, the griddled meatloaf sandwich. It’s like a patty melt but with soft meatloaf melding into the bread, smoked ketchup, stewed onions and American cheese. Furikake fries dipped in citrus crème fraîche are always a good choice, especially with drinks.
Speaking of, cocktails were created by none other than Scott Baird, who, yes, co-founded Trick Dog and was the other half of the original Bon Vivants over a decade ago. This longtime SF barman has crafted great menus over the years, including the underrated Germanic schnaps (fruit brandies) and German cocktail program at Radhaus, the kind of rare offerings I’d love to see more of.
At Starlight, Baird created a menu tributing SF bartenders, as it does local drinks 15 Romolo’s Pimm’s Cup, which Baird told me he nodded to in Starlite’s menu. In fact, he wrote a story for each cocktail’s history or inspiration: “A Man You Don’t Meet Everyday” tributes our beloved Daniel Hyatt, who passed away too young in 2018. This drink honors his uniqueness with Kerry Gold brown butter-washed Irish whisky, oloroso sherry, banana liqueur, Fred Jerbis amaro, Il Mallo nocino walnut liqueur, salt and a bracing stout beer foam.
It wouldn’t be Starlite without nodding to bar pioneer Tony Abou-Ganim, who created the modern classic Cable Car cocktail here at Harry Denton’s in the 1990s. Baird steps up his Cable Car Redux with Don Q Reserva 7 rum, Chinese five-spice syrup, local Mommenpop blood orange vermouth, lemon, gold and cinnamon sugar spice rim and “Karl the Fog,” essentially a Muir Woods-inspired, forest-scented “fog” sprayed over the drink tableside. Drink highlights are numerous, including a bracing Swedish Gimlet that lets the rosemary, fennel, caraway glory of Ahus Aquavit shine with lush, tart lime cordial.
Or a clarified Strawberry Grasshopper. My first favorite cocktail when I was 21 was the minty, creamy, chocolate-y Grasshopper. Baird turns it on its head with the ultimate Tempus Fugit creme de menthe and creme de cacao, Don Q Gran Reserva Rum, Pere Labat 59 Rhum for a blessed whisper of grassy funk, Bordiga Red Bitter Aperitivo, strawberry, lemon and milk in one clear, silky whole.
From Dawn Club to brand new Blue Room and Dark Bar, downtown bars are having a blessed resurgence, reminding me of when Bourbon and Branch opened in 2006 a few years after Rye, changing the Tenderloin and downtown’s cocktail bar crawl. This new wave is as quality as that wave was.
These bars exude personality, class and ease along with great cocktails. Add in live music, DJs or a view and they are special night out. None more so than Starlite, which also happens to be one of our longtime bar legends, reborn and better than ever.
// 450 Powell Street, 21st Floor; www.beacongrand.com/starlite
Virginia Miller is a San Francisco-based food & drink writer.
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