San Francisco

Clock Bar

at the Westin St Francis; 335 Powell St, btwn Post and Geary; Union Sqare; 415.726.4166

In the entertainment world, crossing over can yield huge payoffs -- Kris Kristofferson's acting career's virtually surpassed his musical roots, and Corey Feldman's Truth Movement is the truth. For a food star moving over to booze, hit Michael Mina's Clock Bar, open tomorrow.

Joining MM's flagship off the Westin lobby, Clock's a lavish, rosewood-walled cocktail lounge with seating for 55 in plush leather chairs/banquettes clustered around the thematic centerpiece: two hand-blown-glass-clad pillars atop which perch ticker clocks showing the time in NY, SF, Rome, Tokyo, Paris, and Chicago, where it's always Old Style o'clock. The 32-cocktail list uses hand-squeezed juice, chisled ice, & housemade tonics; ripe with jazzed-up old schoolers like the "SF Sazerac" (Old Potrero rye/St George/bitters) and the 209/orange marmalade "Breakfast Fizz", it also showcases the classically inspired whims (e.g., the lime/pineapple/velvet falernum Chartreuse Swizzle) of lead barman Marcovaldo (he could've been a Brazilian midfielder, if only he weren't Greek). Grub ranges from charcuterie/shellfish/cheeses, to Mina-mized bar bites like mushroom/spiced consume/heirloom radish short rib ravioli, and Wolfe Ranch quail w/ grilled peaches, onion, and "wild man greens" (from the people that brought you "bad boy beats").

If you're somehow left lusting for more, Clock's got loads of draft and bottled beers and over 300 globally sourced wines -- which have crossed over to the US for the huge payoff of being peed out of you.

---