Foodievents

Perry’s Goes Big on 40th Birthday

Photo: Perry’s

We never really thought of Perry’s as a game-changer before, but according to the Chron, the restaurant — which turns 40 today — is at least partly responsible for the rise of nice-casual dining in this city. Ten years before Zuni Cafe started cranking out the best hamburgers and martinis ever, Perry Butler saw the open bar-and-grill niche and filled it. “[In 1969] all the bars were so dark, and you couldn’t go to a nice restaurant for dinner and just have a hamburger and a glass of wine,” he told the Chron. Forty years and a second location later, the original Marina District spot is throwing itself a party. Today and tomorrow they’ll have celebrity bartenders (including Willie Brown — no teetotaler, he!) mixing drinks. Then on Sunday, they’re having a block party in front of the restaurant with food for $2 to $8. On August 25, the hamburgers go for half price, while wine is half-off daily through August 31. Also discounted through the end of the month: Pints of Michelob ($2) and 12-oz New York steaks ($19.95). Happy Birthday, Perry’s.

Perry’s celebrates 40 years in S.F. [SF Chronicle]

Perry’s Goes Big on 40th Birthday