15 Romolo has been quietly situated up a nondescript alley in North Beach for years, happy to give nightlife seekers a pleasant refuge from the pubs and strip clubs that give North Beach it’s after-dark flavor. After a hiatus, it's back with a food menu (pdf) and more complicated drinks than ever.
It seems appropriate that the re-opening launch this week showed off Romolo’s speakeasy vibe with all of the bartenders sporting thick handle bar mustaches and attire reminiscent of the era. But don’t be fooled by the suggestion of bandwagon-jumping if you’re thinking you’ve had your fill of Bourbon and Branch or The Alembic disciples—15 Romolo is in it to win it. Their game? Pimms.
Popular in Britain, Pimms has lately been making inroads here states, and Romolo aims to be the place for the Pimms Cup. The one we had last night reminded us a lot of a mojito only, if you can believe it, even more labor intensive.
In fact, all of the drinks take some considerable time and skill to make. When we sampled the Fiscal Agent (bourbon, sweet vermouth, chartreuse, maraschino and cacoa nib tincture) we were impressed to see the ingredients dripped, stirred, and lit on fire all for the sake of our drinking pleasure.
But then, Romolo has always been keen on the specialty cocktail, the real addition is the new kitchen. You can now order tasty bar fare to go with your entree-like drinks. The food has a New Orleans feel, which seems to be all the rage (Miss Pearl’s or Picán, anyone?), which actually goes quite well with the drink menu. We particularly enjoyed the Smoked Pork Sliders (not too heavy on the sauce and a nice vinegary, crunchy kick from a top off of cole slaw) and the Jambalini—mini jambalaya croquettes filled with andouille pork, rice and shrimp.
All this seems like a welcome edition to the North Beach neighborhood. Romolo even hopes to start a rooftop garden to supply ingredients to their drinks and we can’t think of a better way to add to what already looks like a good thing.
[Photos by Alexis Wright]
