Victory Hall & Parlor, Little Skillet's Cocktail Den

Victory Hall & Parlor
330 Ritch St., SOMA
Phone: (415) 543-4255
Web: victoryhallsf.com
Status: Open

Little Skillet just got a whole lot bigger. On New Year's Day, the popular SOMA takeout window that dispenses fried chicken and waffles to local office crowds opened up its new expansion, Victory Hall & Parlor, in the former 330 Ritch nightclub next door. Closed after a shooting earlier this year, the spacious club has been transformed by Deanna Sison Foster (Farmerbrown, Little Skillet) and Mia Weening (Mini Bar, Mission Bowling Club) into a relaxed cocktail spot, serving special bar fare from Little Skillet.

The food menu features Little Skillet offerings that go beyond the window's standard chicken and waffles but still maintain a Cajun theme, with options like Cajun-fried oysters on a bed of collard greens, smoked turkey chili-cheese fries, and a kale caesar salad. There's also a duo of burger sliders, with blackened fries. Here's the initial dinner menu; options will expand as the kitchen settles in. For weekend brunch, diners can enjoy maple-braised pork belly with two eggs over grits, chicken-fried steak, a crabcake benedict, and pear and cream cheese-stuffed French toast. Here's the brunch menu.

The cocktail menu was designed by Foster and Weening in collaboration with Farmerbrown barman Jonny Cimone, and features a few riffs on classics like a Hemingway daiquiri and a paloma, as well as quirky house creations like the Admiral Yi, with kimchi, lemongrass, and gin, and the Avenger, with bourbon, maple amaretto, chai, and oaked cherry bitters. There are also a couple of punches that serve 2-3 people, like the Sergeant's Salute with pilsner beer, cider, grapefruit, ginger nectar, and white grape. Here's the full cocktail menu.

The sizable 100-seat space (with an additional 50-seat private dining area) was designed by Brian Sullivan of Industry Works, who was also responsible for Farmerbrown. It features an industrial-meets-nautical theme, with a studded bar, oil lamps, and plenty of bar and lounge tables. The bar is open from 12 pm-12 am daily, with food starting at 4 pm on weekdays (and served straight through until the closing hour, giving the area a nice late-night option). As of this weekend, they'll open at 10 am on Saturdays and Sundays for brunch.

· More on Victory Hall & Parlor, Little Skillet's New Bar [~ ESF ~]
· Little Skillet Expanding Into 330 Ritch [~ ESF ~]
· 330 Ritch Closes For Good After Shooting [~ ESF ~]