Fluid: The Best Bloody Mary

Brunch is a religion in San Francisco, where I lived for two years. SF locals fervently attend their favorite Sunday morning spot the way most of Middle America goes to church. They get up early(ish), dress in their finery, and march obediently to their holy place of worship to confess their weekend sins…over drinks. In San Francisco, you can order a Mimosa, sure. But you aren’t a true brunch devotee unless you get a Bloody Mary. No matter where you are- the Fillmore, Noe Valley, the Castro- the Bloody Mary is the reigning queen,  and is sure to jump-start any lagging constitution before noon.

When I moved back to Boston I tried to continue this tradition, but despite my best efforts over the last six years, the champion title for Best Bloody Mary is still held by Betelnut. Located in the Marina district of San Franciso, Betelnut is a Pan-Asian restaurant just blocks from my beloved California apartment*, and their Thai influenced Bloody Mary provided solace on many a Sunday morning.

Alas, I don’t know the exact ingredients in Betelnut’s Bloody Mary, but from what I can tell, this recipe from Jean-Georges Vongerichten should be a pretty good substitute. Go ahead and have your own religious experience this Sunday.

*Oh 1554 Greenwich Street, scene of so many Bloody Mary inducing Saturdays. Pictures suppressed to protect the guilty and now gainfully employed.