Tasty Starlite Cocktails Shine, But Service, Food Can be Dull

Por Christy Scannell

One of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco is The Slanted Door at Ferry Marketplace. The “Vietnamese fusion” menu is terrific, as is the view out to the bay. Rieslings dominate the wine list – they pair well with spicy food – but the creative cocktails are what wet my whistle, particularly those with ginger and citrus, such as the Ginger Limeade (lime-infused vodka, ginger juice and lime).

So imagine my delight a few months ago after an Old Globe performance when my partner in crime and I lilted (one doesn’t just “walk” after theater!) into the Starlite and found a cocktail list brimming with ginger-inspired drinks. Plus many were based in bourbon, my latest liquor obsession.

With happy memories of that visit, we stopped back a couple of weeks later but couldn’t get near the place because it was a holiday weekend. We parked blocks away only to discover no seats when we got there.

Since late-night places such as the Starlite tend to be ghost towns at happy hour, I decided to see what 5 p.m. was like in trendy-ville. Sure enough, we parked right outside the door and were the only customers on arrival.

“Fine with me,” I said contentedly to my friend as we sunk into white plastic chairs at the restaurant’s low, U-shaped bar. Except for some Americana music, the Starlite was quiet and cool, the evening sun angling in the glass entryway and crafting an artistic burst across the dark, candlelit room – a nice respite after a busy day.

We swiftly placed our beverage orders but it still took the bartender too long to make our drinks – a Sazerac and a Starlite Mule. And even though there was a sandwich board outside announcing happy hour from 5-7 p.m., there was no happy hour menu or table tent to tell us the specials. We had to ask the bartender, who seemed reticent to inform us and had to check with the kitchen on the food specials. In any case, Starlite’s happy hour is $3 wells, $3 drafts (all craft beers) and $1 off premium cocktails. There are two different half-price appetizer specials every evening – on our visit it was mussels and sausage bruschetta (each regularly $11). Not interested in those options, we ordered french fries ($5 any time, served with ketchup and aioli).

On Mondays – which happened to be the day we were there – Starlite Mules are $5 all night (normally $8). This is probably my favorite drink they make, a combination of Rain organic vodka, ginger beer, lime and bitters served on the rocks in a copper mug. Its sister drink, also a winner, is the Kentucky Colonel ($8) – bourbon, ginger beer, lemon and house-made cherry vanilla bitters. I love feeling the burn of the ginger combined with the tartness of the citrus that happens with both of those concoctions.

Interestingly, the Starlite’s Sazerac ($8) is served “up” in a martini glass, providing even more punch to that mix of Sazerac rye, sugar, Herbsaint liqueur and bitters. One captivating drink I didn’t get to try – trust me, a Mule and a Colonel are sufficient for provoking a spontaneous rendition of “My Old Kentucky Home” – is the Cleopatra (gin, Lillet, saffron and golden raisins, also $8).

In fact, although the imposing center-space chandelier, wood-slate hexagon foyer and black vinyl booths work to create a sensory ’60s feel, I find the most compelling aspect of the Starlite is its drinks. Due to the cocktails’ fresh ingredients, there is a colorful, fragrant line of cut fruits and vegetables along the front of the bar – limes, lemons, cucumbers, blueberries, mint and so on. And did I mention the ingenuity that comes with that farmers market? Just how often do you see a cocktail made with Velvet Falernum or Pimm’s No. 1?

Still, with all of that going for it I found the Starlite’s service to be lackluster overall. When we first arrived, the staff was concerned over a to-go order that included several $100-plus gift certificates. (By the way, if the guy who called in that order is reading, I sure would like to know why you bought gift certificates for a place from which you order takeout because you say – to the server taking your phone order – that the service is so bad. Do your dislike your friends or do you expect them to get takeout too?) Our fries came quickly, but we had to ask for everything – our drinks, water, our check and our receipt. While the place was beginning to hop by 6:30, it certainly wasn’t busy enough for that level of disregard.

As for the Happy Hour setup in general, I again was unimpressed. This is a place with an inventive menu from start to whimsical finish, including organic raspberry popsicles, ice cream sandwiches and house-made candy. So why not entice early birds with more of those options? Why just a buck off the bar’s distinctive drinks? And why advertise happy hour outside but offer no information inside?

Bottom line: If you’re a hipster, you’ll be very happy any hour at the Starlite. But for those of us looking for a mix of service and value with our early evening libation, the stars have not quite aligned at this India Street hot spot.

Starlite

www.starlitesandiego.com

3175 India Street

San Diego, 92103

(619) 358-9766

Happy Hour: Monday-Thursday, Saturday 5-7 p.m.; Friday, 4-7 p.m.

Ratings:

Bebidas: 5

Fresh and fun.

Food: 3

The menu is fine but not really conducive to Happy Hour munchies.

Valor: 3

A buck off the specialty drinks is not worth going early, and everything else can be had elsewhere.

Service: 3

Maybe takeout guy has a point.

Duración: 3

Two hours is average.

Note about the ratings: Each category is based on 1-5 glasses, with 5 being best. Drinks and food are rated as to quantity and quality, while duration is based on the number of days and hours Happy Hour is offered. Value and service are self-explanatory.

Want to make me happy? E-mail Dr. Ink about your favorite Happy Hour and I’ll drop by with my stethoscope: [email protected].