San Francisco's 5 Most New & Notable Culinary Destinations

The owners of The Front Porch, the popular La Lengua Cajun spot, have snapped up the former International Club across the street and transformed it into a homey neighborhood bar. The rock-covered exterior wall was the inspiration for Rock Bar's mining theme, expressed via old lanterns, stone-themed ephemera, and drinks like the Dirty Metamorphic (a dirty martini with muddled Fresno chilies) and the Basil Mudstone (bourbon, Pineau, basil, lemon, and white tea). Also on offer: eight draft beers, a selection of classic cocktails like the Vieux Carre and Corpse Reviver #2, and a nightly $5 mystery cocktail. Drinkers can order a bucket of the Porch's famous fried chicken delivered to their barstools, perfect for soaking up any sins incurred during the two nightly happy hours (5-7:30 pm and 12 am-close).