Piña coladas in the fog
Rooftop bar sets a tropical mood even when the weather refuses to cooperate
Let’s be honest: There are precious few days in San Francisco that justify hanging out on a rooftop drinking tropical cocktails. Even in the Mission, ordering a piña colada at El Techo may feel more symbolic than functional.
But those rare times of balmy opportunity are precisely what the rooftop bar, five stories above sister restaurant Lolinda, is intended for.
El Techo’s piña colada is a refined variation of the classic, with a few simple tweaks to revitalize what’s typically a summer blender drink.
A combination of aged rums from Trinidad, Jamaica and Guyana replaces the traditional Puerto Rican white rum. The rum blend gives the drink darksugar depth and richness. A squeeze of lime brightens it, as does cutting the sweetened coconut cream with coconut milk. Scaling back the pineapple juice helps to concentrate the flavors.
The secret to El Techo is that the bar is open year round. I’m not sure whether it’s a defiant nature or some Pavlovian tic, but I — and judging from the crowd, a lot of other San Franciscans — find something satisfying about sitting on the roof surrounded by fog, drinking tropical drinks. In the chill, the toasty coconut is a direct line to a warmer state of mind.
It also helps that the bar is fortified with heat lamps, roof and retractable plastic walls. Those, and a piña colada complete with a little umbrella to ward off the damp, somehow manage to contain even the foulest of Karl the Fog’s moods.