Food Friday: The Alembic

The Alembic 1725 Haight Street 


Ha. You guys probably thought I'd never resurrect this series, eh? Well...fooled you! Despite the months and months and months of no Food Friday posts, I assure you that I was, in fact, still eating. (If you follow me on Insta, you know this to be true.) Nevertheless, dry-spell over. Bringing this baby back and restarting with a bang.




Last weekend, I made my way to the Haight for some mellow thrift shopping and Saturday shenanigans. I had always heard such rave reviews about The Alembic, but never found the time to go in. Luckily for me (and you), I made some time to stop in and sit down. What was supposed to be a simple stop for a refreshing drink and possibly an appetizer or two, turned into hours of nomming. But, hey, it's what I do best.

Pork Belly Slider with smoked honey mustard, pickles and mizuna

The "Switchback" Cocktail 

Artisan Cheese Plate

Eagle Rare Chocolate Pudding with drunker cherries and almond mousse 

Bacon Studded 4505 Hot Dog with fennel “kraut,” peppadew relish and chicharrones

We started with drinks - I ordered the Switchback, a tasty vodka cocktail with fresh strawberries and lemons. If you're like me and you like 'em sweet, this one is your go to. What are drinks with a little something to munch on, ya? Naturally, we were compelled to try the cheese plate. Now, I may be lactose intolerant, but I never let that stop me from eating some good cheese. My motto? If you cheese me, you please me. Not sure that makes too much sense, but you get the thought. I am inclined to say that the cheese and specialty jams rotate. Sadly, I cannot for the life of me remember all the specialty cheeses we tasted that afternoon, but I can tell you that by the time our meal was over there was no cheese left. So if that doesn't say everything you need to know, I don't know what will.

After the cheese, I said to myself, "Why not more?" So, more happened. I ordered an absolutely mouthwatering Bacon Studded 4505 Hot Dog with fennel “kraut,” peppadew relish and chicharrones (from 4505 Meats!). It was everything that a hot dog should be. A little sweet, a little tangy, a little spice, with just enough meat. Perfection in a bun. I had a bite of the pork belly slider (only $5 each, y'all!) and I knew that next time, I'd have to order one for myself. The pork belly was fatty just the way you'd want pork belly to be - not greasy, not heavy, just right.

We ended the meal with chocolate pudding because there is always room for dessert (and don't let anyone convince you otherwise). We somehow missed the part that the cherries were drunken, meaning soaked in rum, but believe you me, we found out quick. Aside from that misread on our part, the chocolate pudding was lovely and the almond topping (which really tasted more like salted pretzels) was the right balance for the sweet taste.

All and all, I'm glad I made time to stop in. Our meal came to around $30 each, which isn't bad considering how fresh and fabulous the meal was.