T.G.I.F, Ladies and Gents. We had one heck of a week and we can’t help but anticipate a night of further tomfoolery considering the following:
1. Halloween will be running amuck without the confines of the Castro to keep things predictable.
2. Critical Mass.
3. It’s raining.
The only really promising thing on the list is the rain and not just because California is about to revisit the early 90s with its frightening lack of water (we have fond memories of bricks in toilets, buckets under faucets, and 3 minute showers), but also because it means menus across town will start to adjust accordingly.
We’ve actually been hoping for some precipitation and a drop on the thermometer because colder weather means we have an excuse to wear more clothing, but more importantly, it means we also have the excuse to drink more hot beverages.
It’s supposed to rain through the weekend and if you’re planning on being out in the rain in your “sexy” [read: skimpy] costume tonight you may want to check out our suggestions for concoctions sure to warm you up.
If it’s a hot cocktail you’re after, Toronado serves mead when it gets chilly, Luna Park does a Hot Buttered Rum, and The Buena Vista has their famous Irish coffee.
For an innocent, yet richly delicious cup of hot chocolate, check out Tartine Bakery for a house-made recipe, or one of the many hot chocolate bars in town including Bittersweet The Chocolate Cafe on Fillmore, CocoaBella Chocolates in the Marina (they also have a location in the Westfield Mall Downtown), Christopher Elbow Chocolates in Hayes Valley and the recently opened Coco-luxe Confections on Upper Haight.
Even Starbucks is getting in on “Artisan” cocoa with their new Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolates—we had a sample of the Salted Carmel Hot Chocolate and surprisingly didn’t see much need for improvement (the smoked sea salt is a nice touch) except maybe calorie intake.
So while we have our Mouseketeer costume all ready to go for tonight, it won’t take much to convince us to trade in the mouse ears for fuzzy slippers and cuddle up indoors with some cocoa and a copy of “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”
Toronado [MenuPages]
Toronado [Official Site]
Tartine Bakery
Tartine Bakery [MenuPages]
Tartine Bakery [Official Site]
Luna Park [MenuPages]
Luna Park [Official Site]
[Photo: Via P_R/flickr]
