The Bloody Mary at Laszlo

By Lou Bustamante Fri., Apr. 27 2012 at 12:45 PM

Categories: Cocktails & Spirits, Drink of the Week, Mission

Lou Bustamante

It's hard not to love weekend brunch. Besides the lazy limbo of the hours it typically runs, it's the only morning meal where cocktails are encouraged and often necessary first aid. The most brunch-worthy is the Bloody Mary, fortifying with savory tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, and celery salt, with an added liquid defibrillator's jolt of horseradish, hot sauce, and distilled liquor. It's delicious with or without a hangover.

You won't find a better version than the Bloody Mary ($8) at Laszlo, a bar which brilliantly combines the casual Mission vibe with attached sister restaurant Foreign Cinema's high quality ingredients. Brunch bartender Jill Webster mixes up exceptional renditions, giving her Bloody Mary a boost with a little balsamic vinegar and crowning each with a tangle of crunchy pickled vegetables from the Foreign Cinema kitchen. These add the perfect flourish without obstructing the enjoyment of the drink--as other "salads in a glass" can. Tangy and perfectly salty, you can practically feel the excess of the previous night slipping away.

Along with the outstanding Bloody Marys, the whole brunch menu from Foreign Cinema is available at Laszlo bar including the sweet and salty brown sugar bacon. Get one of each and call us in the morning.

Laszlo Bar, 2532 Mission (at 21st St.), 648-7000

Lou Bustamante tweets at @thevillagedrunk. Follow SFoodie at @sfoodie, and like us on Facebook.