Bars: Shaking it up with a vegetarian twist
The best bars are an exercise in democracy — gathering places for all walks of life to escape from the everyday bustle. So, it should come as no surprise that Bay Area bars are placing more emphasis on vegetarianfriendly food — although, oddly enough, the rise of fancy cocktail culture has often made it tricky to navigate a drinks menu, given ingredients like egg whites, Worcestershire sauce and bacon infusions. The Alembic reopened last year with an expanded kitchen. The food, famous for meaty decadence like duck hearts and bone marrow (both still on the menu), also features vegetable-forward dishes like a summer vegetable succotash with purslane and spicy miso. You won’t find chicken nuggets, but you will find sprouted lentil croquettes. Across the bay, the 5-month-old Analog is a low-key bar from Sean Asmar and Arianna Alcala, where half the menu is dedicated to vegan sandwiches like
“The Young and The Breastless” (buffalo “Chick’n” with ranch dressing). But the godfather of the vegfriendly bar food scene is neither fancy nor new. The Mission’s Bender’s Bar & Grill — where Asmar used to cook — has long been a happy place for all eaters to drink beer and shoot pool. It’s also where seitan can get swapped for pork, and where the beef burger rivals the umami-laden vegan burger. Even a Philly cheesesteak gets the vegetarian treatment. Nothing is fancy. But like the best bars, it’s for everyone.
The Alembic: 1725 Haight St., San Francisco; (415) 666-0822. www.alembicbar.com
Analog: 412 14th St., Oakland; (510) 858-5964
Bender’s: 806 South Van Ness Ave., San Francisco; (415) 8241800. www.bendersbar.com