Jeff Burkhart

Nuevo León

Columnist at Marin Independent Journal

Journalist at Freelance

Columnist, author, bartender, bon vivant

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Articles

Jeff Burkhart: Making things harder than they need to be

6 days ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

“May I get you something to drink?” I asked the standing woman, just like I had asked the previous three standing people who had been in front of her. One chardonnay was ordered, poured and served. Everything was as it should be. “That’ll be $16.75,” I said to the woman — as simple and normal a transaction as ever there was. “I’d like to run a tab,” she said. “I’m waiting for a seat.”Completely normal. It’s a request we get, literally, a dozen times a night.
After closing Novato brewery, Moylan moves forward with spirits

1 week ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

Earlier this month, Moylan’s Brewery & Restaurant in Novato closed its doors for good after 30 years of award-winning operations. And then, less than two weeks later, Moylan’s Whisky, produced by Stillwater Spirits in Petaluma, swept all the “traditional” categories at the U.S. Open Whiskey and Spirits Championship, capturing the Grand National Champion’s Trophy. “We destroyed the field this year. It wasn’t even close,” said owner Brendan Moylan, a longtime Novato resident.
Jeff Burkhart: Going forward is the best option

1 week ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

The lights were bright and blinking everywhere I turned. In the labyrinth that is a casino floor, one can quickly become disoriented, which almost seems like the point. The only thing not readily visible are the exit doors. They exist like a timeless row of mirrors along the wall, just past the slot machines, card tables and poker machines — the point is, one must really look for them and look for them hard.
Jeff Burkhart: Taking the path of least resistance

2 weeks ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

On two ends of the bar, there were two completely opposite dynamics. One couple was just starting to date, and the other was just starting to do something else. And the only constant was the bartender. “Would you like another drink?” asked that bartender, pointing at the nearly empty glasses. “Of course,” said the young woman, beaming. “That one was delicious.”“And for you, sir?” asked the bartender. “Absolutely!” said the man. “Are you enjoying everything?” asked the bartender.
Bubbles, please: 4 great sparkling wines from Northern California

3 weeks ago | mercurynews.com | Jeff Burkhart

Marin County and its immediate appellate environs — Carneros, the Petaluma Gap, the Sonoma Coast, etc. — produce quite a few pinot noirs and plenty of chardonnay. So, it’s odd that there isn’t more sparkling wine available from the area, since both of these grapes find their way into champagne. And sparkling wine is the universal solvent when it comes to wine-food pairings.
One person can ruin it for everyone

3 weeks ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

It wasn’t her first Mother’s Day. In fact, the discussion between the couple revolving around child care had already been happening even before the first Ramos fizzes were ordered. A brief discussion about egg whites, the cost of eggs and aquafaba briefly ensued. Often with drinks, the specifics get lost in the muck. “Does anyone know what makes bourbon bourbon?” asked a presenter at a local whiskey-tasting event recently. Not one of the gathered aficionados raised their hands. Not one.
Jeff Burkhart: Love triangles make quite the mess

1 month ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

The couple was fighting. It was obvious to anyone who looked. Her shoulders were pulled back in her short-sleeved black shirt and the look on her face could only be described as tense. It was a restaurant buyout and people were milling around, as people at parties often do. Does anyone else feel uncomfortable standing around while trying to balance both a plate and a glass? I know I do. But just because one is uncomfortable doesn’t mean that one is unobservant.
Bartender who created tequila sunrise at Bay Area restaurant dies at 77

1 month ago | mercurynews.com | Jeff Burkhart

On April 14, we lost bartending legend Robert “Bobby” Lozoff, one of the two Trident bartenders who created the tequila sunrise at the Sausalito restaurant in the 1970s. Lozoff had been living in Hawaii since he left Sausalito in 1976. He died at age 77. More than a bartender, Lozoff came to Sausalito from Canada in 1970. Afterward, he moved to Hawaii to help open the Blue Max nightclub, famed for its rock and roll connections.
Bobby Lozoff, bartender who created tequila sunrise at Marin restaurant, dies at 77

1 month ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

On April 14, we lost bartending legend Robert “Bobby” Lozoff, one of the two Trident bartenders who created the tequila sunrise at the Sausalito restaurant in the 1970s. Lozoff had been living in Hawaii since he left Sausalito in 1976. He died at age 77. More than a bartender, Lozoff came to Sausalito from Canada in 1970. Afterward, he moved to Hawaii to help open the Blue Max nightclub, famed for its rock and roll connections.
Jeff Burkhart: Some people shouldn’t work in the service industry

1 month ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

It was a lovely spring afternoon, the kind of afternoon that just screams spring cleaning — or spring repairs, in my case. I was the only person standing in line at the local lumber/hardware store, balancing a board in one hand and a box of screws in the other. It wasn’t your run-of-the-mill home repair store because that balanced board was much more specialized. And if you want special, you need to go to the special store.