The unassuming Mr. Means creates some of the more promising recipes I’ve tasted from an up-and-coming bartender. As I judge multiple cocktail contests, his entries consistently exhibit a surprising level of sophistication, often placing high.

David Bazirgan (pictured, right) revitalized this once top-rated hotel restaurant with his New American food. He produces three menus: a casual bar menu, an a la carte menu and a six-course tasting menu ($85), which offers a beautifully executed progression of dishes, balancing tradition with cutting-edge techniques. His cooking incorporates those seemingly contradictory rustic and refined elements that only those creating at the highest level can achieve.

PL: A year ago, we did a little mini-series that followed you around as you got acquainted with the Fifth Floor. 12 months later, how did the year go?

DB: I feel fortunate. Really fortunate in a sense that I had goals set out, and accomplished pretty much all of them. Business has picked up tremendously, which was not an easy feat, but we got the Fifth Floor back on the map. It’s talked about again.

It’s been a challenge. It took me a while to get the staff up to speed, but as a whole, I think the whole thing has gelled.

Following in the footsteps of Dominique Crenn and Jeff Banker, Brandon Jew of Bar Agricole takes his turn at the Fifth Floor tonight. Let’s chat.

Dominique Crenn kicked off Fifth Floor’s heritage-based guest chef series yesterday, and today, it’s Jeff Banker‘s turn to join David Bazirgan, which means it’s Scoop’s chance to chat with Banker about life, restaurants, childhood holiday memories and so on and so forth. In late 2009, Banker and his wife, Lori Baker, took over the former Quince, and completely redid the Pacific Heights space to open their cozy three-star restaurant, Baker & Banker. Let’s chat.

Today is the beginning of the Fifth Floor’s weeklong guest chef series. Each day, Inside Scoop will interview that night’s chef, take a look back on 2011, look ahead to 2012 and break down the guest menus, which are influenced by each chef’s heritage.

First up tonight: Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn.

Chef David Bazirgan of Fifth Floor Restaurant in San Francisco shares this delectable recipe for Foie Gras Burrata.

Next week kicks off a special slew of holiday dinners at Fifth Floor. Atelier Crenn's Dominique Crenn, Baker & Banker's Jeff Banker, Bar Agricole's Brandon Jew, Zare at Fly Trap's Hoss Zare, and SPQR's Matthew Accarrino will all join executive chef David Bazirgan in the kitchen on alternate nights to create a $95 tasting menu inspired by their heritage.

Pop-up restaurants are no longer the playground of the not-yet-established. These days, even seasoned chefs and restaurants are joining the mix. Most notably, Chef David Bazirgan of Fifth Floor Restaurant in San Francisco decided to feature a different guest chef for five consecutive nights to kick off the holiday season.

Five different local chefs will be hosted by the ~FIFTH FLOOR~ from Monday December 5th through Friday December 9th. Each night, a chef will prepare a holiday-themed tasting menu.

December 5-9: To celebrate the holiday season, the Fifth Floor is welcoming five top San Francisco chefs into the kitchen to prepare a special five course holiday menu, inspired by their own culture : Dominique Crenn, Jeff Banker, Brandon Jew, Hoss Zare and Matt Accarrino

To mark the start of the season, we visited Fifth Floor chef David Bazirgan and sommelier Amy Goldberger for a preview of the restaurant's four-course white truffle dinner, available from November 15 to 30 (closed on Thanksgiving).

I usually would not hesitate to declare that fish is the least drool-worthy protein, but I challenge you to find a bloody steak that is more photogenic than this San Francisco halibut with black olive crust, chorizo, corn milk, squash blossoms and sorrel emulsion from the Fifth Floor in SF.

2012 Chefs of the Bay Area Calendar
What: Twelve of the city’s hottest chefs (Fifth Floor Restaurant’s David Bazirgan, Kara Lind of Kara’s Cupcakes, Humphry Slocombe’s Jake Godby) strike a pose for Meals on Wheels (all proceeds go to the charity).
Why: See the chefs in the flesh, nibble on sweets, and grab a calendar of your own at the kickoff event at Macy’s Cellar Kitchen.
When: Wed., 6 p.m.
Where: 170 O’Farrell St., at Stockton St. (415-397-3333

Say hello to the 2012 “Chefs of the Bay Area” Calendar, as created by (and for) Meals on Wheels of San Francisco. You’re welcome.

The first annual calendar is a fundraising effort, with all proceeds going to Meals on Wheels SF, and as you can see, there’s a local chef posing for every month. The 11×17 wall calendar will also include a special recipe from each pin-up boy or girl.

What an exciting and busy season it has already been at Fifth Floor! We’re gearing up for the fall season ahead full of unbeatable local flavors and ingredients.

Since our menu is continuously changing, we hope to keep you as inspired by the beautiful Bay Area seasons as we are!

Also, don’t miss the details below regarding our special offer for booking holiday events with us this month.

He also now trains Kimpton Hotels' bartenders around the country, including at its Sable Kitchen & Bar in Chicago and the Fifth Floor in San Francisco.    

San Francisco's Fifth Floor is among more than 160 restaurants around the country taking part in the Summer of Riesling, a nationwide effort to enjoy and promote the white grape, and has noted a healthy interest from customers.    

Replaced your toothbrush lately? You'll wanna do that (hey, you should anyway, says the ADA) to prep your sweet tooth for the cupcakes, donuts, ice cream, and other sweet morsels you'll be enjoying at the ~11TH ANNUAL DESSERT FIRST~ fundraiser event benefitting Project Open Hand on Sunday August 14th at the InterContinental San Francisco.

En route to writing about Fifth Floor, the subject of this week's full-length restaurant review, I talked to David Bazirgan, who's been the chef of the restaurant since November. What I wanted to know: In the era of the small, idiosyncratic restaurant, why take a job at a hotel?     

In today's review, Jonathan Kauffman says that although "the moment does not belong to the hotel restaurant," Fifth Floor in the Palomar Hotel, is an exception. David Bazirgan has received loads of praise since he came on board as chef. Kauffman falls in line, waxing eloquent about "exquisitely balanced" lobster agnolotti.    

One of them is Fifth Floor at the Palomar Hotel, where turnover in the kitchen has paradoxically kept the restaurant fresh. The newest chef is David Bazirgan, who earned a strong rep for his food at Baraka and Chez Papa Resto.    

A creamy lobster roll that's very generous with the Maine lobster chunks is on the restaurant's summer New England-themed lounge menu.    

Every evening, they offer a rotating selection of three $5 cocktails in the lounge, plus free bites like crostini, gougeres, and beef tartare. Feel like staying for dinner? They're running a special "Homage to New England" menu for the summer, with treats like lobster rolls, clam chowder, and clam cakes available only in the bar.

The Black Friars Pint at The Fifth Floor in San Francisco has Plymouth Gin, Cardamom Spiced Guinness and East India Sherry, shaken with egg white and Angostura bitters.    

Chefs continue to pop up around the city: Tablehopper shares that Fifth Floor's David Bazirgan will be at the Ferry Building Tacolicious lunch stand tomorrow, and La Cocina's Maite Catering will be at El Rio for Salsa Sundays on July 24.    

Chef David Bazirgan has also launched an Homage to New England menu at the bar, which includes a Maine lobster roll ($25) on Firebrand brioche with celery and Old Bay chips, Rhode Island clam cakes ($12) with tartar sauce, New England clam chowder ($8/$12) with housemade oyster crackers, and succotash ($12) with housemade chorizo, corn, favas, and Padrón peppers.

July 21
Chef: David Bazirgan, Fifth Floor
Taco: tongue and cheek (halibut cheek and crispy duck tongue with garlic scape kimchee, smoked aioli, charred cabbage, lime and avocado crema

The SF Chefs 2011 launch party was held at Vessel the evening of June 8. The event featured tastes from Mourad Lahlou of Aziza, David Bazirgan of Fifth Floor, Adam Carpenter of the soon-to-open Jasper's Corner Tap, and Marisa Churchill, author of Sweet & Skinny.

As San Francisco restaurants pull off intricate tasting menus and wine pairing contortionism in their dining rooms, the bar area continues to be a place for chefs and bartenders to loosen their (purely proverbial) ties.

The Celebrity Chef Challange is a co-category involving "eight culinary masters" whose sandwiches are now in competition (voting is open at the website). The winner will get to choose a charity that will receive a $10,000 donation.

The traveling throwdown of pork cheffery and heritage-breed swine known as Cochon 555 descended upon San Francisco yesterday on its last stop before the Grand Cochon faceoff at The Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.

Chefs Dave Varley of the Michael Mina Group (who took home the King of Porc crown at last year's Grand Cochon), and David Bazirgan of Fifth Floor (who everyone knows as the Hottest Chef in America), both let Grub Street into their kitchens this past week to observe the arrival and butchering of their heritage pigs, prior to this Sunday's Cochon 555 competition. 

Winning Sandwich Celebrity gets $10,000 donated to their charity. Vote through this summer to help Chef David Bazirgan win $10,000 for Family House Charity. 

Celebrity chefs and home cooks across the country will once again take to their kitchens to create the best sandwich recipe as Mezzetta Specialty Foods, America's number-one producer of imported and domestic peppers and olives, kicks off the Fourth Annual Mezzetta Make That Sandwich Recipe Contest. The Grand Prize winner will receive $25,000 and a trip for two to Napa Valley, home to Mezzetta. Celebrity chefs stepping up to the sandwich plate include David Bazirgan from San Francisco, CA, Executive Chef of critically acclaimed Fifth Floor Restaurant, who competes for Family House with his "Open Faced Grilled Eggplant Tartine with Mezzetta Pesto, Mezzetta Roasted Peppers, Fresh Mozzarella and Arugula."

Five chefs, five pigs and five winemakers will gather to promote heritage breeds while offering up some pig-a-licious morsels. The chefs will be competing to create the best pork dishes from snout to tail. The winner will go on to compete at Aspen Food & Wine for the grand title.

This year, the competing SF chefs include David Varley of Michael Mina SF, Ravi Kapur of Prospect, Brandon Jew and Salvatore Cracco of Bar Agricole, Matthew Accarrino of SPQR and David Bazirgan of Fifth Floor Restaurant, and the event will take place in the Julia Morgan Ballroom at the Merchants Exchange Building.

For an indulgent threesome, get yourself to the Palomar Hotel's Fifth Floor restaurant's lounge. Their $25 "Burger, Bourbon, Beer" cure-all includes a glass of Buffalo Trace boubon (neat or not-so), a chaser of Lagunita's IPA, and chef David Bazirgan's macho burger made of more than a half-pound of ground beef from Golden Gate Meat Company.

 Earlier this year I got to sample Bazirgan's food in his new digs and loved what I found, including a salad of “heirloom chicories,” which means ruffly little lettuces that tickle the tongue, tossed with Pt. Reyes blue cheese, hazelnuts, pomegranate seeds and a Chardonnay vinaigrette; and a succulent risotto done with slow-braised oxtail, fresh horseradish and winter savory. (I also loved my hotel room which was spacious, stylish, comfortable, quiet and, in my opinion, one of SF’s best bargains at about $200. The Palomar is part of the Kimpton hotel group.)

This year’s SF competitors are David Varley of MICHAEL MINA, Ravi Kapur of Prospect, Brandon Jew and Salvatore Cracco of Bar Agricole, Matthew Accarrino of SPQR, and David Bazirgan of Fifth Floor. The winning chef will compete against other regional winners at the GRAND COCHON finale to be held in Aspen on June 19th.

Fifth Floor Restaurant has just unveiled their own version of a Happy Meal. Swing by their bar/lounge Monday - Saturday (5pm - 10pm; through the end of June) and you can enjoy a gourmet burger, a shot of Eagle Rare Bourbon, and a Firestone IPA for just $25. The signature Fifth Floor burger (made of short rib, chuck and skirt steak), is served with Comte cheese, bourbon braised onions and a tomato aioli spread.

The 2011 lineup for the San Francisco edition of Cochon 555 has arrived, and as in years past, there’s plenty of cooking firepower. Last year, Perbacco’s Staffan Terje took the San Francisco crown, and earlier this year, Duskie Estes of Zazu won the Napa competition. The complete list of five SF chefs is below, and one thing to note is the inclusion of Michael Mina’s corporate chef, David Varley, because he currently holds the 2010 title for “King of Porc.”

The all-you-can-eat (and drink) event takes place on Sunday June 5 at 5 p.m.; tickets cost $125 for general admission and $200 for VIP. More information can be enjoyed on the Cochon website.

San Francisco is such a food mecca that there's always a free food demonstration happening somewhere in town. And today I squeezed in two in the span of three hours.

First off it was the weekly Saturday morning demo put on by CUESA (Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture) at the Ferry Plaza farmers market. The featured chef was David Bazirgan, executive chef of the Fifth Floor restaurant.

Chef Bazirgan was at the market this week picking up flowering mustard from Knoll Farms and Zahidi dates from Flying Disc. Zahidi he says, “have great flavor and more restrained sweetness than the Medjool variety.” Also on his list were fresh pecans from the K & J Orchards stand. These would be lightly candied and served with roasted baby beets, pomelo from Hamada Farms and house-aged Humboldt Fog cheese. “We dry out the Humboldt Fog in the wine room until it becomes slightly hard,” he told me. ”It’s the perfect thing to grate over the earthy beets and sweet pecans.”

Since executive chef David Bazirgan recently climbed aboard, there are a number of noteworthy dishes here — particularly the Mendocino uni flan. It arrives unceremoniously, resembling a little bowl of foam. Dig into this "saffron air" and underneath you'll find Dungeness crab fondue and a silky uni flan. Heightened by aged kaffir lime and Sichuan pepper, you'll be dreaming about it all week.

Newly hired chef David Bazirgan is bringing French inflections to his modern California menu at Fifth Floor, and one of the highlights are these earthy, decadent ravioli garnished with hedgehog mushrooms, sage, brown butter, pistou, and wilted chicories, and filled with the triple-cream brie from Normandy named for famed eighteenth-century gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.

Restaurants that appeared on older Top 100 lists that were re-promoted after being demoted: 6 (À Côté, Bistro Aix, Farallon, Fifth Floor, Gitane, Ubuntu).

CUESA is proud to host Fifth Floor Executive Chef David Bazirgan. Chef Bazirgan was just awarded three-and-a-half stars by the SF Chronicle for his exciting and delicious new menu at Fifth Floor. He shops the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market at least once a week and we can’t wait to see what he comes up with for his demo. Complimentary recipes and samples for attendees. Located in the CUESA teaching kitchen under the North Arcade.

I could spend an entire evening delving into the fine dining aspects of Fifth Floor…but that is not this article’s purpose. As the SF Burger Examiner, I would be remiss if I did not direct our attention to Fifth Floor’s $25 burger, bourbon and beer deal. Every month Fifth Floor pairs a different bourbon and beer with the resident burger for just $25 buckaroos – little more than a yoga class in the city. Just make sure you are sitting in the Fifth Floor lounge as the deal is only a feature of the bar menu.

The intimate Chef's Room is perfect for a party of up to 14. Chef David Bazirgan provides elegant a la carte and tasting menu options. Watch a video of Bazirgan making a delicate sea urchin flan.

Featuring a crisp décor of cream-colored leather armchairs and dark, polished wood floors, this upmarket space feels clubby yet inviting thanks in large part to its professional and natural staff. David Bazirgan (Chez Papa Resto, Baraka) leads the kitchen in producing a seasonally shifting menu....

A growing number of gourmet restaurants and foodies see a solution to this conundrum in an unlikely source — duck fat. They consider it a healthy alternative to frying foods in pork fat, beef fat or even butter. Duck fat is high in beneficial unsaturated fats, and its chemical composition is closer to olive oil than to butter, they say.

Plus, it's delicious. "I love it," said David Bazirgan, executive chef at the Fifth Floor restaurant in San Francisco. "It has a deep, rich flavor that coats the palate."

Yelp Drinks: The good folks at Yelp are bringing back their week of half-priced drinks, a veritable Valhalla for those with expensive taste and thin wallets. From $6 Blood and Sands at Rye to $4.50 sangria at 15 Romolo, there's a drink for every palate. Other notable participants include Cantina, Hobson's Choice, Fifth Floor, Asiento, Clock Bar, and the Cliff House.

Today reveal the 26 restaurants that are new to the list this year. They’re in San Francisco unless otherwise noted....

Awesome dinner last night at the Fifth Floor in San Francisco with the SF Burger Club, organized by Anne Pao.

The service was excellent, and the fries were to die for. For $25 you can get a burger, Bourbon and beer. One of the best deals in SF, imho.

A good chef knows this; a great chef adapts just enough to meet diners' expectations without losing the creative spark.

At Fifth Floor, in San Francisco's Hotel Palomar, Bazirgan proves he is truly a great chef. He produces three menus - two in the 60-seat dining room and a shorter bar menu in the 55-seat lounge.

But this week when I paid a re-visit, can I just say that this place has been reborn? Yes, the look of the restaurant is mostly the same. But every other detail is transformed. We were greeted upon arrival to the 5th floor (not even yet to the bar or the restaurant) with a smile and a glass of wine. Soon after, we were seated and encouraged to peruse the menus -- including the most quirky, interesting wine list I've ever seen. There are pictures and funny quotes and all kinds of fun tidbits buried within.

All told, one of the best deals is the Fifth Floor, which I’m reviewing Sunday in the Food & Wine section; the six-course menu is $85, and also includes several extras along the way;  wine pairings are $50.

David Bazirgan at Fifth Floor uses uni in a light custard, blending it with saffron, kaffir lime and a surprising jolt of Sichuan peppercorns. It’s then topped with a frothy Dungeness crab fondue.

Morgan is the essence of cool. She’s the type of girl crushed on by guys and girls for her sleek style, friendly attitude and awesome job. As the Head Bartender at The Fifth Floor, you’ll find her mixing up personalized drinks after giving you a “cocktail consultation,” and inventing drinks that emulate a childhood favorite treat, Pop Rocks.

It’s hard to find anything wrong with this deal: come to the bar/lounge at Fifth Floor and you can get a burger, a shot of Buffalo Trace bourbon, and a Lagunitas IPA for $25. The burger is served with Comté cheese, bourbon-braised onions, and a spread that’s made up of tomato syrup and aioli. This particular combo will be available Mon–Sat 5pm–10pm until the end of March, when the pairing will change.

The iconic Fifth Floor restaurant in the Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar has been synonymous with elegance and creative cuisine for more than 12 years. With a new executive chef at the helm, the chic spot serves up inspired New American cuisine that will give you a true taste of the city’s culinary talent. Stand-out dishes include the Mendocino uni flan with Dungeness crab fondue; Island Creek oysters five ways; butter-poached Maine lobster, slow-cooked squab with black trumpet mushrooms, house-cured pancetta and root vegetables and roasted lamb loin with golden raisins, black radish and harissa jus.

Michael Bauer raves about Baz's pig's head consomme..."As I was sitting in the casually elegant dining room at the Fifth Floor, perusing the menu and deciding whether to order the tasting menu, the waiter began to describe the dishes and when he got to the soup it gave me pause. It was a consomme with tender packets filled with pig head and served with a small crouton topped with a slice of head cheese. While it may have been offal, the taste and look was refined and elegant."

It’s time to put the Fifth Floor back on your dining radar (call for your reservation now!), with the arrival of new executive chef David Bazirgan and his glorious debut menu.  The former San Francisco Chronicle “Rising Star Chef” has been holding court at Chez Papa Resto in Mint Plaza, and now Bazirgan has a brand new showcase for his blend of classical French with modern interpretations.  He says, “I love experimenting with new techniques and seeing how unexpected flavor combinations can strike a surprising, and often playful, balance.

Bazirgan tells us the latest in this Q&A after winning Hottest Chef in America: "I’m using some new spices — including a dried green curry and an Ethiopian spice, berbere. Additionally, I’m on a goat kick, and really loving breaking down a whole goat and using both old and new techniques to prepare it".

The swank burger at Fifth Floor features bourbon-braised onions and Comte cheese, not to mention attractive surroundings. For $25, you can accompany it with a shot of Buffalo Trace bourbon and a Lagunitas IPA. The deal will be available at Fifth Floor's bar until the end of March, when they'll shake up the $25 offering.

Food writer Carolyn Jung swoons over her recent Fifth Floor experience: "My Liberty Farms duck breast arrived sliced and fanned on the plate, its skin salty, crisp and irresistible. The exquisite duck-port jus was thick, jammy, and almost candied tasting. Kumquats, sunchokes, celery root, rutabaga and dandelion greens completed the dish..."

"Ladies and gents, we have a winner! After tabulating all the votes in our hottest chef competition that pitted the city winners against each other - and eliminating all the fraudulent votes - we can officially crown Eater's First Annual Hottest Chef in America! The winner: San Francisco's David Bazirgan."  

Fifth Floor, Palomar Hotel: Recently hired executive chef David Bazirgan has just debuted a brand new menu with sumptuously modern offerings like butter poached Maine lobster, Mendocino uni flan, and dry aged New York steak with creamed stinging nettles. The sexy red theme continues into the bedroom.

"With its creamy, velvety broth and chunks of plump oysters and soft potatoes, this chowder is to die for. At Fifth Floor, the chef serves it in a shot glass as part of an appetizer that features oysters five ways."

"To find out, we turned to David Bazirgan, who's no stranger to sexy meals. As the executive chef at San Francisco's Fifth Floor Restaurant, he helps to set the standard for the city's relaxed fine dining atmosphere."

"Hotel Palomar San Francisco's Fifth Floor bar is kind of like the one from Cheers. Only, instead of it being where everyone knows your name, it wants to be where everyone knows your drink."

"With executive chef David Bazirgan recently on board at Fifth Floor, there's a number of noteworthy new dishes, particularly Mendocino uni flan ($16). It arrives unceremoniously, a little bowl of foam. Dig into that "saffron air" and underneath lies lush Dungeness crab fondue and silky uni flan. Heightened by aged Kaffir lime and Sichuan pepper, you'll be dreaming about it all week."

"Available starting today in Fifth's bar and lounge, this $25 threesome features a generously poured shot of Buffalo Trace bourbon, a pint of Lagunitas, and a skirt steak/short rib/chuck combo'd burger that comes on a Challah roll with whiskey onions that're marinated in brown sugar and Jack Daniels for three hours, like Charlie Sheen listening to D'Angelo."

"Chef David Bazirgan, who just recently took over the kitchen at San Francisco’s Fifth Floor restaurant, sent over this suprisingly simple recipe for turning those ugly little buggers into a beautiful kuri squash soup. Full recipe — and a bonus photo gallery of Chef Bazrigan’s food — after the jump."

5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

Chef Bazirgan is featured along with "Five Recipes for the Meyer Lemon."

Mendocino Uni Flan ($16) jumped out at me immediately. It arrives unceremoniously, a little bowl of foam. Dig into that “saffron air”, however, and underneath lies lush Dungeness crab fondue and uni flan, heightened by aged Kaffir lime and Sichuan pepper. A layered treat for the taste buds. Equally lush is butter-soaked Maine Lobster ($35) with white beet, radishes, Meyer lemon and braised baby savoy cabbage.

"Chef David Bazirgan reminded us how extraordinary fancy food can be when it's well prepared. The seasoned chef is helming the kitchen at Fifth Floor, where he's using all of his experience to create truly notable meals. Book a table now."

The iconic SoMa spot launched a new menu from new executive chef David Bazirgan this week. The cocktails, created by master mixologist Jacques Bezuidenhout and head bartender Morgan Young, are just as good as ever.

"Ladies and gentlemen: David Bazirgan has arrived."

Says Bazirgan, "I love experimenting with new techniques and seeing how unexpected flavor combinations can strike a surprising, and often playful, balance."

"David Bazirgan settling into his role at the Fifth Floor, and now it’s finally time to see the fruit of the labor"

"Chef David Bazirgan, Executive Chef of the Fifth Floor, and the neighbors are prepping for "two days of blood and cuts" to execute their "Offally Good Xmas" theme..."

"As noted last time, Chef David Bazirgan is in the throes is putting his culinary stamp on the Fifth Floor. About 35 new dishes will arrive in unison when the restaurant relaunches in mid-January."

"When the Fifth Floor relaunches in mid-January with a while new slate of offerings from David Bazirgan, there will be about 35 new dishes on his various menus, between appetizers, entrees, a six-course tasting menu and the lounge menu."

"The Fifth Floor is only a block away from Chez Papa Resto. Granted, it’s a long block, but it might as well be miles. For a chef like David Bazirgan, going from a career spent working in independently-owned restaurants like Chez Papa to a national hotel and restaurant company like Kimpton is a world of difference..."

"At a restaurant like the Fifth Floor, the beverage program works hand in hand with the food program. Last week, Master Sommelier Emily Wines and bar guru Jacques Bezuidenhout sat down for a three-course tasting from new chef David Bazirgan..."

"Emily Wines, the master sommelier for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants who can often be found at San Francisco's Fifth Floor, shares a photo of herself with her cousins playing with their vegetables at the kids' table one Thanksgiving when she was about five-years-old, then living in Washington."

"Do not try this at home! In a video shot at San Francisco's Fifth Floor Restaurant, Jacques Bezuidenhout, the master mixologist for Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants nationwide, demonstrates in chilling detail how he can break down a large block of ice to create balls and diamonds."

This article displays photos of the Amanda Hesser/NYT Cookbook launch at the Ferry Plaza. SF Food Wars threw a party for her, billed as "The Ultimate Potluck Cocktail Brunch." Fifth Floor bar guru Jacques Bezuidenhout made a perfect Martini (page 35 of the cookbook).

Fifth Floor is marking the end of election season with its Post-Election Day Bottle-Off. On Wednesday, Nov. 3, enjoy a gastronomic battle where participants will vote for their favorite wine region. It all starts with a special three-course, wine-paired dinner.

Fifth Floor is hosting a Post-Election Day “Bottle Battle” between Sonoma and Napa on Wednesday November 3rd. Master Sommelier Emily Wines will join Fifth Floor sommelier Amy Goldberger for this three-course dinner (with a sweet ending).

Morgan Young took charge of the bar at this venerable hotel restaurant late last spring and upgraded to Happy Hour 5.0.

"If I'm at a wedding where the wine options are rough, I take a light, high-acid white like Sauvignon Blanc and add seltzer and lime," says Emily Wines of Kimpton Hotels.

The lounge at Fifth Floor is a place for martinis, scotch, and other grown-up drinks. But it's also a sweet spot to be more youthful and leave your liquid fate up to an expert.

Please contact Jamie Law at 415.955.5495 or by email at jamie.law@kimptonhotels.com. Thank you.