Brunch at the Absinthe House, San Francisco - Ruby Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Brunch at the Absinthe House, San Francisco - Ruby Tuesday, July 27, 2010

This is my first time to participate in Mary T's Ruby Tuesday.  

Recently, my youngest son, Jeremy, and his lovely girlfriend, Katie, went up to the

Russian River for a memorial service for Katie's grandfather. They picked up Katie's

mom and brother at SFO, in my van, on a Friday night, and headed north for the

weekend's events. I was only too glad to let them have my van and it proved quite

handy for the large number of people who joined in the special family activities that

weekend.

To thank me, Katie's mom said they should take me out to eat ( would I ever turn
down an offer like that? ). I suggested we go to the Absinthe House in San Francisco
for Sunday brunch, a place I'd been to once before. I thought Katie might enjoy it and
maybe she could take her parents if they are in town sometime.

The Absinthe House, opened in 1998, on Hayes Street, at Gough, not far from City
Hall. It is styled after a French brasserie and serves lunch and dinner and weekend
brunch. Its bar is one of San Francisco's best and it serves some of the finest of the
old classic cocktails, along with exotic special creations.

Prices are a bit steep for someone on a budget - not a problem for me before my
job ended but it's a fun place for a splurge. I have only been there for Sunday brunch
and I haven't even looked at the menus for lunch and dinner. Reservations are a good
idea and parking in the area is always a problem!

The Absinthe House is on the corner of Gough and Hayes and traffic is quite

busy at 1PM on Sunday!

There is definitely lots of alcohol...but I wondered if the sunlight affects quality ( of course, San Francisco is often foggy - and, perhaps, there is very quick turnaround! )

This is a good Ruby Tuesday picture...pardon the glare from the sunlight!

The Absinthe House "Art of the Bar" Recipe Book

Pefect for Ruby Tuesday!

Doesn't this Bloody Mary look good?

It looks even better being held by this lovely lass, Katie!  She's not only pretty, she's

smart.  She just got her degree in industrial engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Here's my son, Jeremy ( it's the weekend, he wouldn't shave - or take off his glasses ) with Katie.  Jeremy is my 25-year-old, 6'4" baby of the family!  He does not especially

love being part of my blogs but, at least, his hand is not in front of his face this time!

My Ruby Tuesday Sazerac Cocktail - the drink of my youth in New Orleans! 

Wonder how many of these I had as a student nurse?  This is a very potent concoction!

Cheers, everyone!

Scrumptious deviled eggs with smoked salmon and caviar.

My dish - duck confit hash, poached eggs, arugula, sourdough toast - all heavenly.

Katie's wild mushroom omelet, roast potatoes, sourdough toast.

Jeremy's superb fried green tomatoes, poached eggs, roast potatoes -

better than any I've had in the South!

We didn't order dessert though we did check out the menu.  If they had been serving pavlova as they did last time - or creme brulee, I might have been sorely tempted to find room somewhere in the far reaches of my tummy to fit it in, with a three way split.

Thanks so much, Joan, for the lovely treat.  You can borrow my van anytime at all!