Lord George Brings Cocktails and Oysters to South Park

Everyone was sad to see Nova and their bottomless mimosas leave Second Street and Brannan in June, but now you can wipe those tears away because Ezra Berman and Miles Palliser, the guys behind The Corner Store and San Francisco Athletic Club, softly opened up a new spot fit for a king (or a Lord, anyway) this past Saturday.

Berman tells us that the idea behind Lord George is similar to that of their other spots in that it's "the sort of place where we'd want to spend time." He also sees it as filling a gap in the neighborhood by catering to the people who work around there (happy hour, anyone?), local residents, and "also the Giants' fans who want something a little more celebratory in feel."

And what is more celebratory than a cocktail and oyster bar? The former are in the hands of Cocktail and Beverage Director Dustin Sullivan (Fog City, Picco) who created a "high-end but approachable" cocktail menu. Berman says, "We want you to feel like the quality and knowledge is there, but you can still behave badly and have some fun. We don't take ourselves seriously... just the drinks." In addition to cocktails like Vodka Highballs and Bottle Service Manhattans (serves 4-6), there will be six wines on tap (including a sparkling) and five "food friendly" beers.

The food from Executive Chef Nick Adams (The Corner Store, Town Hall, Salt House)
is all about light and delicious large shared plates designed for a crowd that will be gathering in groups and (fingers crossed) celebrating Giants wins together. Highlights include the meat and cheese boards, as well as the selection of tartines (Whipped Avocado with goat cheese, lemon, soft herbs & blossoms and Ham & Cheese with prosciutto, gruyere, egg are just two to choose from). The full menu is served until 10 p.m., though there are late night options, including oysters and a few snacks.

Why such a fancy name for a neighborhood spot? Berman and Palliser were inspired by George Gordon, the English entrepreneur who founded the South Park neighborhood in the 1850s. Fun fact: he wasn't actually a Lord at all, but the neighborhood gave him that nickname which plays perfectly into Lord George's unofficial slogan: "You don't have to be a Lord or a Lady to be treated like one."

Lord George's grand opening is this Thursday, September 3. The hours are Monday-Thursday, 11-1 a.m, Friday, 11-2 a.m., Saturday, 10-2 a.m., Sunday, 10-1 a.m.