Pomeroy Bar & Grill (Formerly Shovels) — Restaurant in San Francisco

The best way to get a feel for any city is to explore its bars. San Francisco is the sort of city that's almost schizophrenic, so many different iterations of itself all over. For some, that's great, and others a drawback, but I love it. Shovels embodies that perfectly. From the exterior it has the feel of a real dive, almost sketchy, but like the city as a whole, looks can be quite deceiving. Inside, the bar has a throwback vibe that feels much more sophisticated than its exterior would lead you to believe. A well curated drink menu offers some impressive options, all very well made. Now, I get that a lot of bars don't want to mess with the added complications of serving food. Sure it brings in extra revenue, but also means more staff and a kitchen space that eats up already scarce square footage. Though Shovels actually figured out that really good food is actually a game changer. While I was visiting on a random weekday afternoon, multiple orders came in over the phone for pick up orders for food, meaning a mostly empty bar on a weekday afternoon, was bringing in more money than just the patrons inside. I had the fried pickles, which were the best I've had, and enjoyed them tremendously. I will be back, for sure, and suggest you...

It's a local pub with old-guard decor and staff, located just on the edge of the Tenderloin and walking distance from Hastings School of Law. Patrons range from button-down-businessmen to inner-city-denizens. Pull up a stool....order a pint. There's no telling who you're going to wind up talking to.....be they up-and-coming or down-and-out, you'll find an interesting range of opinions, outlooks, and life experiences. Prices for this neighborhood are a tad on the spendy side, but the beer taps are well maintained while the owner and staff are fanatical about the precision of their Guinness pour. No food, but management is carry-in friendly and there's a decent Chinese deli about 4 doors to the South. There's a quiet mix of eclectic elders during the day, and a younger crowd at night. Check it out if you're in the 'hood, but don't expect anything specific (other than a perfect Guinness pour, if that's your thing). It's...

I was very impressed with the beer list, creative and well considered. The burger was flavourful and well cooked, with fresh tomatoes, lettuce & Onions. Poutine was tasty, but not Montreal tasty. The fries for the Poutine were crispy and delicious. The Tenderloin area was a bit sketchy, though it gave the overall vib authenticity to the experience. There are signs of gentrification which will pair well with this cool bar. There is a pool table of good condition surrounded by retro leather chairs and live edge tables and great music playing in the background. One thing that stuck out was the outstanding whisky offerings, from Bourbon, Scotch, Canadian, Irish and Japanese. I was impressed with the professionalism of the Staff and there knowledge of the history of the area. Big shout out to Kelly the Manager for making me feel welcome and accomadating...