Elite Event: Hello, Fog-tober!

I gotta say, I had pretty damn good time at this event. Fog City was just waiting to show off and I had front row seats.
Simply put: The cocktails were crafty, the service was stellar; the food, fantabulous. My favorite had to be the little curried lamb bite wrapped in lettuce.
Good to know there’s another spot just up the street on the ‘Dero.
Hats off to Fog City and Abby!

What a way to celebrate my first Unilocal Elite event! Thanks Abby and team Fog City Diner for a tasty, generous, and all-​around fabulous evening.
What would have been an ordinary, ho-​hum, Tuesday afternoon evolved into tasty bites and sips galore! The craft cocktails were on point and I loved the variety. The passed apps were solid, too. Everywhere you turned, appetizers appetizers everywhere! Loved the grilled cheese, tuna tartare, fried chicken slider. Super friendly waitstaff and bartenders to top it all off.
Was grateful to be able to bring my boyfriend, too. I know he enjoyed it just as much and now I have some pull to give FCD a go for a fun Friday date night :)

Amazing event! Thank you Abby for organizing such a great event! And a big THANK YOU to Fog City for taking such great care of us!
The staff was so sweet and amazing. We never were left with empty glasses or mouths. Drinks were great, food was even better. I’m coming back for dinner for sure!
Love that street parking is easy in this area as well.
I’m still thinking about those deviled eggs!

Another great elite event as usual. Fog City did a great job of serving up fantastic appetizers to the Unilocalers. There was chicken sliders, deviled eggs, tuna tartare on crostini’s, babaganoush on crackers, lamb kebab on lettuce and a frozen salted carmel custard. The drinks were also quite strong. Great atmosphere, and great way to try out Fog City.

Yay! Abby has done it again!
A fabulous event with PLENTY of bites. The staff were wonderful and made sure we had plenty to eat. It was hard picking a favorite but I loved the 1) Crab bites, they did not go cheap on the crab and the avocado sauce was delicious. 2) Dessert… Omy. I loved the vanilla ice cream with the burnt caramel sauce. SO YUM. I can probably eat the whole tub. The sauce had a hint of bitterness but the after taste was sweet. Where can I buy this sauce?
Drinks were of course the cherry on top. The Milk Drink recommended by Abby was the best of the four. It had hints of cinnamon and brown sugar.
Another thing I loved was the location. We had views of the bay and lighting that hit our tables top made it so perfect.

Absolutely loved it!!! thank you Abby for organizing and hosting it.
This was really awesome. I had never been to this location before and this really did surprise me. i think i have discovered a new place to hangout and watch the game and have some amazing bites and really strong awesome drinks.
This event was really great, the constant flow of food and drinks were amazing and we also met some fellow Unilocal elite people and hung out with them. Great social event.
Also love the check in give away, the flask looks awesome.
I wish i get picked to go to events like this all the time. Loved it!!!1

I had not been to Fog City Diner for ages. Having an Elite Unilocal event here was a great way to re-​introduce myself to the place.
Fog City Diner looks like the cool diners I remember from the East Coast. All silver and shiny outside with warm red booths inside.
At this social there were tastings of scotch and specific cocktails made just for us Elite Unilocalers! I enjoyed the Warm Rum Punch with clarified milk and fortified bourbon and brandy. Delicious.
The FCD staff served passed hors d’oevres which included a scrumptious fried chicken with slaw slider, mini crab cakes with aioli dollop, stuffed eggs with bacon, hummus on homemade bread, lamb bite on lettuce, and a dessert of frozen vanilla custard with caramel sauce.
Elite Unilocaler spirits were upbeat. I got to meet and speak with Bruce HIll, long-​time veteran of the SF food scene (what a thrill!!).
All in all another fabulous Elite Unilocal event put on by Abby and the Unilocal crew. Thanks again for this throwback to yester year. Everything looks fresh and I’m looking forward to trying Fog City Diner for cocktails, happy hour, brunch, etc etc…

I went into work at 7:30am (and with my 1.5 hour commute, I had to wake up a little before 6am) just so I could leave early for this event. And it was totally worth it! Although Fog City is almost two miles from my work, I can say I got my exercise done for the day. Plus, the walk is nice, and if you walk along the Embarcadero, it’s even nicer!
Once you checked into the event, you received a Unilocal flask. Score! This was the one Unilocal swag that I was looking forward to.
— Fried Chicken Sliders with cole slaw and ranch. I’m not usually a fan of sliders, but these were delicious! The fried chicken inside was cooked perfectly. It was a little messy to eat. One of the guys from Fog City laughed at the mess Gary was making and offered him a plate. We later find out he was the owner. Gary felt so embarrassed, hah! But we had a good laugh afterwards.
— Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with hatch green chili and housemade American cheese. The green chili definitely gave the sandwiches a nice kick in the mouth. (It was too greasy to eat a lot of though!)
— Grilled Lamb Skewers in lettuce cups with vodouvan yogurt. These were my favorite! Lamb was not gamey at all, and the whole thing tasted healthy. so of course, I had a couple!
— Ahi Tuna Tartare with Asian pear on top of sticky rice cakes. These were my second favorite because how can I not love food that features ahi tuna? The sticky rice cakes were a little different, but after you got used to it, it was yummy!
— Mini Crab Cakes with basil aioli. I don’t really care for crab cakes, but these were a hit with a lot of Unilocalers around us. I really liked the basil aioli though!
— Besides the Unilocal Elite menu, they also showcased one of their famous dishes, deviled eggs. Mmm, eggs and bacon. Fog City sure knows the way to my heart!
— My tummy was already full and happy, but then they surprised us with dessert! These Frozen Custard with Egg Yolk Caramel Sauce were so bomb. I had a few, and I have no regrets!
— We got to try four house special cocktails. They definitely don’t skimp on the alcohol! ;)
They have booth seating on the sides, and a V-​shaped bar area with TVs. The restaurant has an open kitchen so that’s always fun to watch! Service was impeccable — I always had food on my plate (or napkin) and my drink was always filled. The servers always had a smile on their face, so I’m super pleased about that!
Another fun thing: I got to meet Donna T. at the event. It turns out, she was sitting right next to me the whole time! :)
Thank you, Abby S. and Fog City for a super fun happy hour event!

Imagine in the distance a silhouette draped against a curtain of fog. The figure moves closer and closer. Suddenly, the wind sweeps away the mist to reveal a hand directed towards you. A whirlwind of emotions takes you aback. Then you hear the phrase that brings you back to earth, calms your senses, and soothes your soul, «Here is your cocktail.» One sip. Ahhh, refreshing.
No, that is not what happened at Unilocal’s Elite Event: Hello, Fog-​tober, but arriving at this hip, former dinner, my imagination roamed to the setting of a sexy film noir, but with hipsters and FiDi professionals.
I first heard of Fog City from my summer internship. I interned a mere two blocks away and had both my welcome lunch and a team lunch at this same restaurant. I was told to come for cocktails, and so I was determined to attend this YEE.
I was not disappointed! The cocktails were absolutely delicious. Not too sweet or too strong. The bar manager seemed to be an expert at mixology. I had the ‘Inside Job’ and the ‘Vodka Fix.’ Let me tell you, it must have been an inside job because I definitely had my vodka fix. But in all seriousness, Fog City is the place to get a cocktail done right. My favorite had to be the ‘Inside Job.’ It was sweet, smooth, and crisp. Sitting at the beautiful bar, I felt like Casablanca’s Ilsa.
The food was absolutely delectable. I enjoyed every single appetizer. My favorite was the ahi tuna tartar on the fried sweet rice cake. Second favorite was the deviled egg — rich, savory, and cooked to perfection. The other food was great, too, including the chicken sliders, grilled cheese sandwiches, lamb wraps, babaganoush on toasted flatbread, and crab cakes. Although the crab cakes could’ve used a kick like wasabi instead of the basil. The bar nuts were even show stoppers, cavorting in a medley of paprika and bacon bits! Unfortunately, I left a bit early for the frozen custard, but I will be back!
Overall, this was a fantastic happy hour event showcasing a wonderful restaurant. Of course, I had to take home a Unilocal beach towel and flask from check-​in. Thank you to CM Abby S. and everyone at Fog City for making it spectacular. So, here’s looking at you kid. Walk into the distance and be immersed by the fog.

Thank you Fog City, Unilocal,and Abby! This was my first SF YEE and it was totes cool :) I was ecstatic I got in and decided to bring my bae with me. It was his first SF YEE and second YEE in general. It was also great meeting Miss Christine S. :D it was random whimsical coincidence! teehee
I had the impression it was going to be a casual, low key event, and although I was right, it was still a fun, impressive YEE! As a matter of fact, I was blown away by Fog City (FC)! FC remodeled itself and presented a new concept of a trendy, chic local joint which draws in a great tourist crowd but also offers a cozy environment for its SF locals. There is NO private parking lot so we parked on the street and paid for 2 hours via meters.
Entering the restaurant, we were greeted by the wonderful Abby! It was great to see her again and of course, she is kicking butt as SF CM :) We got Unilocal Flasks as our goodies, excitement! No. 209 Gin had a smelling competition where you had to match up the numbers to the the flavors. Their representative was very friendly and also offered us cool swag (coasters and stickers anyone?)
The lite bites and alcoholic elixirs were excellent! Bruce, the head chef, walked around and introduced himself. He has been at FC for a while and spearheaded the renovation and re-​branding of FC. I especially enjoyed the Mini Crab Cakes, Grilled Lamb Skewers, and Ahi Tuna Tartare. The Mini Crab Cakes were literally fresh, piping hot every time it came out. Although it looks like a mini hash brown, it was filled with shredded crab and the basil aioli complimented the crab very well by giving it a umami flavorful kick. The Lamb Skewers were grilled to PERFECTION. I think I ate about like five of these because the lamb was especially soft, tender, and juicy. Whatever the seasoning was, it probably has an addictive substance in it haha. Lastly, my +1 loved the Ahi Tuna Tartare because it was cooked wonderfully. He explained to me that fish tartare is difficult to execute due to the fact that fish cooks quickly. The sticky, crispy rice cake was a nice compliment to the ahi tuna as a well-​rounded harmonious bite of salty and umami flavor. Most of the bites that night were more heavy, but it was essential our dinner so I’m good!
The drinks were also pretty solid. We especially liked the Rum Milk Punch and Vodka Mix. The vodka was my favorite due its citrus taste but their milk punch was their signature drink. The other drinks, Bicycle Kick and Inside Job, are more bitter and heavier in alcohol so for the earthy-​toned drinkers, these are for you! Thanks again for a great, casual Happy Hour!

Excellent event hosted by Abby S.
I’m familiar with the old Fog City Diner as I had came here as a young child with my family. The restaurant owners decided to close down the old location, renovate it, and give it a more modern and fresh look. They have also dropped the word «Diner» from the name to match the modernized theme. I love the new look of the restaurant, the layout seems more open and the wooden walls are sleek.
An abundant amount of specialty cocktails and hors d’oeurves were offered by servers walking around, all of whom appeared to be very well trained. I really enjoyed The Vodka Fix, Bicycle Kick and Rum Milk Punch cocktails. I saw that each cocktail was created very meticulously by the bartenders, and the ratio of the drinks were spot on to prove it.
For the food, we tried all but Ahi Tuna Tartare because we arrived late. The fried chicken sliders were deliciously moist, perfectly crunchy and the coleslaw had the right amount of sauce so when you picked it up, the sauce wasn’t leaking everywhere. Their famous deviled eggs, which according to the owner, won some type of award, were excellent. The grilled cheese with spicy green pepper bites were also great with just enough heat. I liked the flavor of the Crab Cake bites, but the crab meat was a little overcooked. The grilled lamb skewers and the babaganoush bites were OK, nothing out of the ordinary.
For dessert, we were served their famous frozen custard with caramel sauce. The sauce was very sweet, but the custard was perfectly creamy and just the right portion size to wrap up the palette.
I thought it was great that both the owners/​managers and the servers were extremely attentive to service. The servers were great conversationalists and a lot of them had a good sense of humor. I loved the vibe of this event and how down to earth everyone was. I’d definitely come back for a regular dining experience.
The only thing I’m SAD about is not checking-​in early enough to get a Unilocal flask! MUST. GET. ONE.

I’ve passed by Fog City so many times and never got the chance to dine here, so I’m glad I got to check this event out last night! Abby manages (har-​har) to kill it once again.
Upon checking in we received a Unilocal flask-​sweet! My schwag collection is now complete. :)
The interior of the restaurant is like a sleek, modern diner. Very inviting feeling. The bar stools are super comfy, it felt like sitting on a huge marshmallow! It being a happy hour event, drinks were a-​flowing. I chose to stick to the Vodka fix but the other cocktails looked enticing as well.
As for food, my favorite appetizer of the night had to be the famous deviled eggs, followed by the chicken sliders. The vanilla frozen custard dessert with caramel sauce knocked my socks off too. Although the description said light bites, Fog City staff kept the appetizers rollin’ along and we left stuffed!
Much thanks to Abby + Fog City staff for another amazing YEE. I’ll be back for dinner!

Mama love food. Mama live in City by bay. *light-​bulb moment* Bring Mama to Diner by the bay event! Huge kudos and thanks to awesome Abby for setting this up and letting us join in the fun.
What a nostalgic treat, event-​ing on a beautiful clear warm (for S.F.) day at this iconic restaurant from the ‘80s, updated for 21^st century and beyond. A gorgeous sleek renovation, lots of warm woods, stylin’ chairs and booths, down-​to-​earth and inviting. Bruce Hill and his architect, who also swung by the event, have done a superb job with the space. Food and drink are solid.
Thoroughly enjoyed the Inside Job cocktail, which consisted of Michter’s Bourbon, spicy ginger shrub, orgeat (almond flavouring), lemon and bitters. More, please. Grilled lamb on lettuce with tomato is my pick for tastiest hors d’œuvres of the hour. Micro crab cakes with basil aioli were piping hot. Ahi tuna tartare, dice of tuna and Asian pear on fried disc of sticky rice, was spicy krunchy tasty. Buttery scrumptious Grilled cheese samples contained hatch green chilis and American cheese made in-​house. Mama couldn’t resist Fried chicken sliders. Substantial cuts of golden fried chicken breast with dollop of cole slaw in tall fluffy buns. Smoked paprika bacon and peanuts mix at the bar also called her name. We exited early and therefore missed the infamously yum FCFC, Fog City Frozen Custard. ah well.
The last time I’d been here was years ago with a family friend who knew the best joints to hit late night. I’ll never forget the Diner that served me my first buckwheat pancakes. Sunk like a rock into my stomach pit; been wary of buckwheat ever since! :P (that’s more to do with my princess-​and-​the-​pea constitution than the menu offerings) Spent the years since, training my tummy via Unilocal-​lympic type eating. Which means, whatever Fog City cooks up, I can take on now.
But my favourite part? Chatting with Abby-​zabby, Kevin (king of events north of the bay) elites, and chilling with the mama in this special venue. Great vibes, great people, great event!

HOLY CATS! Ok, ok, I said this about the Pabu event, but man, these events just keep on getting better! Hands down, this has been my favorite event so far since moving to the city 6 months ago.
I’m a regular at Fog City since I live about 400 yards from it. I visit Fog City at least 4 – 5 times per month, so I’m already pretty familiar with the drink and dinner menus. (Surprisingly I haven’t been to Fog City for brunch or lunch yet– I better get on that!) Fog City is my go-​to neighborhood joint and a favorite place to take visiting out of town guests.
The passed bites were frequent and plentiful. My personal favorite was the rice cake topped with tuna. The fried chicken slider was a new one for me since I believe it’s part of the lunch menu.
BIG props to the Fog City staff! It was great to see my favorite bar tender Dustin busting his tail with a smile on his face (as usual). I also sincerely appreciated the friendly owner visiting with us all. The personal touches at these events are always such a treat and NEVER go unnoticed. Finally, Abby deserves a shutout for planning another kick-@ss event! Girl, you rock!
Final thoughts: Fog City will continue to be a regular hangout for me as long as I live in my current neighborhood. I’m so very lucky to have such a great place to visit.

Forgot to RSVP for all of this months event but luckily my buddy Mark A. brought me as his +1! Had no idea this event would be so nice until I actually stepped into this swanky restaurant.
All the food was amazing and I had about 20 grilled cheese bites. Mostly because Mark and I ended up sitting in a food desert and all that kept coming by was grilled cheeses! The green chile in them really made it. I loved the tuna tartar as well but only got to try two bites of them.
The staff was RIDIC. Everyone was so nice and friendly. God I love good service. Makes the experience so much better. They were making jokes and just so personable!
My favorite cocktail was the Vodka Fixe with the honey and Mark loved the one with rum and clarified milk. I forgot what it was called. This was also an opportunity to explore the neighborhood because apparently I had never walked along Battery St before and it was absolutely gorgeous wtf! I felt like I was in a different city or state and not the super dirty San Francisco I am used to. I work by Civic Center so all I see his human feces and crackheads and construction on the street but the street the restaurant is located on is the exact opposite. Fresh air, lots of scenery, beautiful architecture. Love love love!

Another fabulous YEE organized by our rockin’ & rollin’ CM Abby S. She’s bringing all the buzz throughout our wonderful city by the Bay!
I have rode and driven by Fog City Diner for almost the last 3 decades of my life, yet I never had a desire to eat there, knowing it was touristy. Ironically, there’s hardly any fog along the Embarcadero. I grew up by Ocean Beach where it’s foggy year-​round. Chef Bruce Hill should open up another Fog City #2 on the other side of the city ;-)
Bruce and his «A» team did a great job revamping this restaurant into a modernized, chic atmosphere for all patrons to enjoy. I love the new bar area and casual outdoor seating. The view of Pier 23 is breathtaking and the booths are great for people watching. The former Fog City Diner looked a little cheesy, same theme as Mel’s Drive-​In, Johnny Rockett, and Lori’s Diner.
The drinks were stiff, endless libations… talk about emptying your bladder. Everyone I sat with left me for the restroom at least once. I’m light weight when it comes to drinking, the milk punch gave me the Asian flush. Thanks to Kevin B. for bringing me a glass of water, as he noticed my cheeks turning super red. I couldn’t move onto the next drink or keep up with the big dawgs, as these Unilocalers can drink. I will have a glass of wine next time, I’m getting old.
The scrumptious bites kept coming, what was your favorite? Mini crabcakes and deviled eggs were my favorite, finger-​licking good! I didn’t expect anything less from Chef Bruce Hill, especially when BIX (another fine dining establishment) has thrived under his helm. The frozen custard is amazing, and I will return to try other flavors. Brunch sounds delightful here — I feel an UYE coming up Yeeps!
Thank you Abby for organizing a fun party at another timeless venue in SF. Many thanks to Fog City for hosting us with the friendliest staff. It was a pleasure meeting the new intern Monica, new Unilocalers, and always great to see Wendy from No. 209 Gin. ~ cheers!
Until next time, SYOY!!!

I loved this event because it had a happy hour-​like feeling to it from 4pm-​6pm! Lots of delicious food and great conversations at the bar. The food and drinks kept flowing out of nowhere! Props to the bartenders, servers, and the rest of the staff for keeping us entertained for the evening.
Delicious cocktails unique to Fog City and cute appetizers from fried chicken sliders to tiny crab cakes with basil aioli and vanilla with caramel sauce for dessert. Thank you Abby S. for another great Unilocal elite event! And to those who I had conversation with; you know who you are! :)

Seriously one of the better events that I’ve been too. As soon as we walked in, we were handed cocktail menus.
Throughout the event, we were constantly checked on. The drinks were never empty and food kept coming. I really appreciate the hospitality and I’ll definitely be coming back for dinner in the near future.
Thank you Unilocal staff for another fabulous event and fog city for hosting!

Thanks to Abby and the staff at Fog City for another great YEE!
Fog City recently underwent renovations, transforming it from a diner to a casual-​swanky restaurant with a great atmosphere. It was a great venue for today’s event and would be a great location for a date! We were shown the cocktail menu right after getting our party passes scanned (and getting my Unilocal flask! yeeeah!), and each cocktail was awesome. There were four cocktails (with vodka, bourbon, gin, and run bases) that were all very tasty, two wines and two beers. I had four cocktails over the course of the event and went home very happy.
On the menu: crab cakes, tuna tartare, baba ghanoush, crispy chicken sliders, grilled cheese, and lamb lettuce wraps. Off the menu: deviled eggs and frozen custard. All were delivered via tray pass by excellent, friendly servers. My favorites? The lamb wraps, tuna tartare, and the frozen custard. If I had one piece of criticism, it’s that the tuna tartare was just a tad too salty for my liking. I like it better when the natural flavor of the fish shines.
But seriously, this was a super fun event with a great crowd. For the first time ever, I brought a +1, but we mingled with other Elites who were all very nice. Special shout-​outs to Christine R. and Andrea H. I went home happy and full. The food was great, the drinks top-​notch, and the service honestly impeccable. Plus I got a Unilocal Elite beach towel in addition to the flask! I love my swag. I look forward to returning to Fog City in the near future!

My first YEE in SF with Abby as CM was great! It looks like she’s helping put Unilocal SF back on the map with all the activity I see in the calendar. Thanks to her and the staff at Fog City for hosting and taking care of us. I got to meet Abby for the first time and SF should be very lucky to have her as a CM! Very approachable and down to earth.
CONCEPT: A rebranding of the original Fog City Diner, opened since 1985 and finished with renovations. It serves to cater the locals and tourists of SF with an upscale diner experience while overlooking the pier. Fog City provides all the creature comforts of diner food and not having to worry about questioning such things as cleanliness or how long food has been standing.
SERVICE: Phenomenal! Less than 5 minutes pass before a server is offering *something*, whether it was whatever they were having, another drink or taking something off your table. The managers and chefs also took part in serving and introducing themselves to us.
COCKTAILS
1. Rum Milk Punch (Sailor Jerry Rum Fortified with Bourbon and Brandy, Citrus & Spices, Cane Sugar, Clarified Milk): Didn’t look or tasted milky but this sweet drink was quite smooth even with the cane sugar and citrus. It was like drinking a spiked cereal milk.
2. Inside Job (Mitcher’s Bourbon, Spicy Ginger Shrub, Oregat, Lemon, Bitters). Tasted like a whiskey version of a mule.
FOOD
1. Ahi Tuna Tartare (Asian Pear, Sticky Rice Cakes): One of the better ahi tuna interpretations in part because of how much I love their sticky rice! I could eat that sticky rice just by itself.
2. Grilled Lamb Skewers (Lettuce Cups with Vadouvan Yogurt): Good lamb. Aren mentioned it was made better with butter lettuce.
3. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (Hatch Green Chili, House Made American Cheese). Boy those cheese sandwiches have quite the kick! Using chili is a good way to take the staple grilled cheese sandwich up a notch. Didn’t help that the servers were bombarding us with these sandwiches.
4. Smoked Paprika Bacon Peanuts: Served as little bar bites on the tables instead of passed out. I liked how the smoked flavors accented the paprika adding definition to the standard salted peanut snack.
5. Baba Ganoush Bites (Vadouvan Flat Bread Crackers). Baba ganoush is essentially eggplant hummus. Could taste a slight hint of mint.
6. Fried Chicken Sliders (Cole Slaw, Ranch). Serious competition with a certain chicken burger shop in Oakland (yup, THAT one) for the best chicken burger. This is a burger that is meant to be enjoyed as the sum of its parts.
7. Mini Crab Cakes (Basil Aioli): Aioli went well with the crab and breadcrumb topping. I would dunk the crab cake in aioli if given the opportunity.
8. Deviled Eggs (Grain Mustard, Crispy Quinoa, Bacon): Not on the initial YEE listing but offered as a regular menu item. Egg was so smooth and the bacon and quinoa gave it this really nice crunch.
9. Fog City Frozen Custard (Vanilla Bean, Egg Yolk Caramel): Also not on the initial YEE listing but also offered as their signature dessert. Custard is churned fresh daily from Straus Dairy Milk & Cream. This tasted like eating a liquid version of flan. Frozen custard had the texture in-​between ice cream and gelato.
Many thanks to Aren for taking me as his guest. Looking forward to more Bay Area Unilocal adventures with you.
PS: The No1DP made reservations to this place almost immediately after recapping this event to him. Looking forward to dining here when he visits me again.