Daniel Webster Elementary at Waterbar

We recently welcomed Daniel Webster Elementary to our Oyster Give Back family. However, unlike other partners, Daniel Webster Elementary and some of its lucky students got to take over (kind of) Waterbar. 

It started with a little lesson with Eric Hyman. He talked fish and crab and lobster AND THEN he showed them his bee gear and a little piece of bees wax from our rooftop bee hive. Next they made cookies with our Executive Pastry Chef Angela, (just in time for Mother's Day!). And finally they made T-shirts with our house artist Sophie Tivona. All in all we were lucky to have them and hope they had as good a time as us!

Above we have a little slideshow of what the kids were up to when they were here. And yes, that is a real fish painted for t-shirts they made!

Kristi Yamaguchi's Red, White and Blue Ball

Waterbar and Kristi Yamaguchi team up for a wonderful cause!

Chef de Cuisine Justin Baade, Kristi Yamaguchi and Executive Chef Parke Ulrich at this years Always Dream Foundations Red, White and Blue Ball.

This event took place last weekend, and as supporters we thought we'd share in the fun that was had by our team and the guests at the event. It was hosted at the California Academy of Sciences, and the venue was perfect for the thousand guests that met with former Olympians Carly Patterson, Brian Boitano and Jonny Moseley among many others.

Proceeds from the event will support Always Reading, a literacy support program for schools that help provide 21st century technology to classrooms as well as benefiting Raising a Reader's award-winning parent engagement program. Needless to say we were happy to be there, and think these pictures prove it!

Our Mother's Day Inspiration

Mother's Day is a time that people come together. Last year in celebration our pastry team dedicated desserts inspired by their own mothers and this year we are doing the same. Here's a little peak at what we'll be offering, and a glimpse into our pastry team's influences and imaginations.

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Chef Angela on the right and her mother Clara...

"The Clara" by Chef Angela: Mega Dark Chocolate Entrement - Bittersweet mousse and cocoa nib crunch

A little Chef Dottie and her mother Vivien...

"The Vivien" by Chef Dottie: Classic Carrot Cake - Ginger Ice Cream and Cream Cheese Frosting

"The Chimnaz" by Chef Farzad: Rose Ice Cream Sandwich - Pistachio Praline Crust and Vanilla Chantilly

Chef Eric in the middle and his mother, Debi on the right

"The 'Lil Debi" by Chef Eric: Peanut Butter Fluff Tart - Peanut Praline Crust and Vanilla Chantilly

Chef Angel and her mom Angela, not our Angela, her Angela

"The Angela" by Chef Angel : Coconut & Almond Milk Tapioca - Mango Sorbet and Candied Pecans

Daniel Webster Day at Waterbar

Daniel Webster Day at Waterbar

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This Oyster Giveback Campaign we have going on here at Waterbar is pretty awesome. We've been doing it around 2 years now and have raised over $50,000. With each beneficiary being either rooted in land or inspired by water, we have cultivated relationships we hope to have for years to come. 

Our current partnership with the local Daniel Webster Elementary School, located in Potrero Hill is one unlike any other. Not only are we contributing cash money to help develop programs and support extracurriculars, we are hosting a Daniel Webster Day at Waterbar! A lucky class will be coming to the restaurant on Monday, May 2nd, and test their skills at cookie making with our Executive Pastry Chef Angela (just in time for Mother's Day), fill their brains and maybe even their mouths full of some oyster/shellfish knowledge with Eric Hyman and finish the day with our house artist Sophie Tivona making T-shirts to commemorate the day. 

All in all the day will be filled with contagious positive vibes and we are thrilled. Stay tuned for some inspiring pictures and videos from the day!

Check Please Bay Area

Waterbar is going to be on Check Please Bay Area!

One of the best ways to find out the hot spots throughout the Bay Area is through the local based show Check Please! Bay Area. Shown on KQED channel 9, this weekly show brings people together to discuss locals favorite places to eat, drink and be merry!

Waterbar was lucky enough to be chosen for a spring show! We will be on April 28th at 7:30pm. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, there is a panel of 3 guests with the lovely Leslie Sbrocco as host. One guest chooses their favorite restaurant while the other two give it a go and they all come back to a table and share in their experiences. It's always fun seeing how people react to things they wouldn't normally try, fall in love with something or, not. We look forward to our show and hope you'll catch it. Again, it's on April 28th at 7:30pm on local channel 9, KQED with encore showings on April 29th at 8;30pm and April 30th at 12pm. CHEERS!

The newest Oyster Give Back partner- Daniel Webster Elementary

Oyster Give Back Beneficiary : The Newest Addition

Our Oyster Give Back Campaign is something we are very proud of. We have partnered with the likes of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Glide, The Watershed Project to name a few. For this round we thought something completely local, and an establishment in real need of support would be a great addition to our already well-rounded family. Enter, Daniel Webster Elementary.

This kindergarten through 5th grade school almost closed back in 2005. In response, some of the parents went to the community and petitioned the district to keep the school open by altering the teaching staff and creating a Spanish Immersion Program. With almost 300 students and funding being cut on a regular basis, Daniel Webster has stayed open and ensured not only the building of community but also promoting neighborhood stability. With nearby families from the Dogpatch, SoMa, Bernal Heights, Bayview, the Mission and Potrero Hill itself, we are hoping to help in the development of this small community. 

This will be the most interactive beneficiary we've had. When our General Manager Rich Troiani created the Oyster Give Back program, this is what he had in mind. This school is another facet of giving back that we have yet to explore, a local public school in real need of support. We're excited to host a group of kids at the restaurant - showing them how to shuck some oysters and make truffles with our Executive Pastry Chef Angela Salvatore. We're also planning a trip to the school with our very own team of volunteers to help serve lunch to the kids and head a craft project. We'll be following up with some amazing stories, so keep checking back!

Warm Baba au Rhum

BABA AU RHUM

For those of you looking for the perfect dessert, look no further. This Baba Au Rhum is a classic dessert, made up of a super soaked brioche cake served with our very own Mt.Gay Black Barrel Rum, Apprentice Edition and housemade caramelized pineapple ice cream.

Not only is this cake the jam because it has our very own rum in it, but it is not for the faint of heart or anyone under 21, really. We also thought a feature would be great because it's so easy to make. And what's even better, is that if you ask very nicely, we might even sell you a bottle of our Mt. Gay Black Barrel Rum. If you're lucky! So here's the recipe, good luck!

The official label of our Apprentice Edition Mt. Gay Rum.

THE RECIPE

Let's start with the most important part of this recipe, the Rum Syrup......

Sugar - 2 cups                                                                                                                                       Water - 1/2 cup                                                                                                                                     Rum - 1/2 cup                                                                                                                                     

1. Bring the sugar and water to a boil, then chill

2. Stir in rum and let sit

Next let's make some Baba cakes! Here are your ingredients.......

You can use muffin tins for this recipe.

AP Flour - 1 1/2 cups                                                                                                                           Salt - 1/4 teaspoon                                                                                                                               Yeast - 1 Tablespoon                                                                                                                         Sugar - 2 teaspoons                                                                                                                             Milk, warm - 1/3 cup                                                                                                                             Butter - 1 cup                                                                                                                                         Eggs - 3                                                                                                                                                

1. Spray baba tins or muffin tins with pan spray             

2. Bloom yeast in warm milk with sugar and 1 Tablespoon flour ~ 10 minutes

3. Rub butter into salt and remaining flour - crumbly

4. Add yeast mix and eggs to flour until smooth ~ 2 minutes

5. Proof until doubled ~ 45 minutes

6. Beat again for 2 minutes with spatula or hand

7. Fill prepared pans half way with dough (will be very loose, almost like a batter)

8. Proof, covered until dough reaches rim 

9. Bake at 350° until golden and done ~ 20 minutes                                         

Last but not least we're going to soak those little cakes! Soak cake until saturated and place on sheet trays to dry.

You have now made our Baba au Rhum. We serve it with a homemade pineapple ice cream. Enjoy!!!

One last picture........

Steve's Choice

Being in the food and beverage industry we are around a lot of great products. Steve Izzo, our beverage director extraordinaire, has shared with me something he's really into right now. We're going to be asking him on a more regular basis how he feels about certain things.

The breadth of Steve's knowledge is mind boggling. If you ever have a question about anything, truly, from wine to brandy and what we asked him about this time around - bourbon, you will get enough information to fill a glass. A very large glass. So Steve, what are you excited about? What do you want to wet your whistle with? His answer? Colonel E. H. Taylor Barrel Proof uncut and unfiltered Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey. 

So what's so special about this spirit in particular? For one it's bottled straight out of the barrel. Second, it's 129 proof. That means its ABV is 64.5%. Third it's a traditional bourbon, which means it's at least 51% corn, which we love. What all these facts add up to is a one drink that is quite versatile. When a liquor has such a high alcohol content, the addition of different levels of water creates a different flavor. You might get more of a toasted oak and black pepper flavor with less water, while more water will bring the creme caramel and vanilla notes to the forefront. This range makes for a great nightcap or even a digestif. That is pretty awesome, no wonder Steve is a fan.

This is Steve Izzo.

That's it for this months recommendation. We'll be back again soon with yet another Steve Izzo referral. Cheers!

Be my Tipsy Vine with Kevin

Say hello Kevin! Kevin has been around Waterbar for a while, and what better way to introduce him than with his cocktail?!

For those of you that frequent Waterbar, we're sure you've seen this handsome gent roaming around making sure you're being well taken care of. For those of you that haven't joined us, you should and for more than just cocktails. Although, they are a wonderful way to start the evening. Today we are inviting you to try Kevin's Tipsy Vine. We're going to start with 5-10 seedless grapes muddled,  Cazadores Reposado Tequila (2.5 oz.), Agave nectar (.5 oz.) 3 dashes orange bitters. Combine, shake, pour and enjoy! Cheers to you Kevin!

Eric and his Hepcat....

The phrase it's 5 o'clock somewhere is as cliche as it is true. With that in mind, today, we recommend a new cocktail from one of our very own bartenders, Eric, the Hepcat. 

We have such a great variety of drinks coming our of our bar;  Kevin's tequila inspired Tipsy Vine, Quintin's Irish Spice to Francisco's Estrella Roja, our bar team does there best to ensure anyone that walks in that door will find something they want to try on our cocktail or wine list. 

 Happy drink making! Spirit Works Barrel Aged Gin (2 oz.), 1 packet white sugar, (1/2 teaspoon) Dash Orange Bitters. Wash the glass with St. George Spirits absinthe. Stir with ice and pour up with orange zest.

Cocktail Time with Quintin

You may have noticed this new mug hanging around the bar as of late. Meet Quintin, one of our newer bartenders that has taken over our afternoon service. He, not unlike our other amazing bartenders, has contributed to our cocktail list, and we thought it was time you met him, formally.

Quintin and his cocktail, the Irish Spice

Let's talk drinks. Quintin is a lovely gent from Louisiana - with southern hospitality coursing through his veins, it's no wonder that his cocktail would have whiskey in it. Whiskey and a certain spiciness one appreciates. 

Here are your ingredients, and enjoy! 2 oz. Bushmills Irish Whiskey, 1 oz. apple juice, 1 oz. ginger beer, .25 oz. agave nectar and 2 dashes of pumpkin spice bitters. Shake with ice and serve up. Rinse and repeat!

Chef de Cuisine Justin Baade, everyone!

Meet Justin Baade, pronounced like Warren Beatty, not to be confused with 'The Bod' Elle Macpherson.

Now that we've gotten that cleared up, it is our pleasure to re-introduce Chef de Cuisine, Justin Baade. He, not unlike Pete Sittnick our managing partner or Rich Troiani our General Manager, has his bio on our website, but with recently celebrating our 8 year anniversary, we thought it would be a great time to let you know the man behind the food here at Waterbar. Chef Justin and Chef Parke have created an exquisite sea food focused menu using nothing but the freshest, local and sustainable products available. 

Let's begin, shall we?

Q: Where are you from?

A: Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. I left there at 20 and went to culinary school in Vermont.

Q: How'd you get into restaurants? What was the attraction?

A: I started one summer working at a pizza place. And then at about 15 I was a dishwasher and prep cook at an Italian restaurant. I think I stuck with it because I could see the value in a hard days work and it was beyond satisfying watching people eat and enjoy the food I made.

Q: How long have you been at Waterbar?

A: Since the very beginning. Chef Parke and I worked together before the opening to create and test recipes. So, over 8 years.

Q: What's been the biggest challenge doing what you do?

A: The long hours and making time for my family.

Q: What's your best memory here?

A: I have a few. First thing that comes to mind is a trip to Maine for an East meets West event with Parke. And I have to say the first few days after opening. It was a trip seeing lines around the block.

Q: What are you up to lately?

A: (laughs....) Working and raising my daughter.

Q: Plans for the future?

A: Probably go back home to New Mexico and open my own restaurant.

Q: What's a food you're looking forward to working with in the upcoming season?

A: I'm excited for Spring - looking forward to Halibut, Spiny Lobster, Baby favas and asparagus.

Thank you for your time Chef!!!!!!