Bar Agricole To Open In Soma On August 16 Veteran Food, Wine And Cocktail Team Join Forces

Bar Agricole is a contemporary tavern conceived of by Thad Vogler, a long-time cocktail industry innovator who conceived of the bar programs at Slanted Door, Jardiniere and Beretta among others. The cocktail renaissance, the great European caf�s, ingredient obsession and natural wine bars are some of the inspirations for Vogler's urban gathering spot. Situated on an industrial block of San Francisco's SOMA district, Bar Agricole is fabricated by some of the Bay Area's most innovative designers.

Most of Vogler's stellar team are partners in Bar Agricole and include Wine Director Mark Ellenbogen, Chef Brandon Jew, Bar Manager Eric Johnson, and Manager Andreas Willausch. They have welcomed a larger community (see below) of farmers, architects, artists and artisans, many of who are investors.

Bar Agricole is located at 355 11th Street between Harrison and Folsom. It opens in August 2010, serving cocktails, wine and food from 6:00 PM to 1 AM. Daytime service will be added in the near future. Plenty of parking options are available, including valet and nearby parking lots.
>Thad Vogler, owner of Bar Agricole has also worked in Paris, Ireland, Tokyo, Guatemala, Cuba and Belize. For nearly two decades, he has worked to design, open and manage the bars at more than ten top Bay Area venues. Vogler traces drinks to their agricultural roots. This sensibility led him to choose the name Bar Agricole (Farm Bar), which also refers to the famous Agricole Rhums made from sugar cane in the French Caribbean.
Wine Director and Forager Mark Ellenbogen has created wine lists for a range of cuisines, such as the Vietnamese food of Slanted Door, Moroccan food of Aziza and the Mediterranean dishes of Camino. As forager, he visits farms in a wide loop from the Central Valley to Mendocino, where he works directly with farmers planning what is raised for Bar Agricole. He also grows herbs and flowers in the tavern's front garden.
Chef Brandon Jew is a San Francisco native, who staged throughout Northern Italy, spending most of his time in Bologna at Ristorante La Pernice e La Gallina. Returning to San Francisco, he worked at Pizzetta 211, cooked under Judy Rodgers at Zuni Caf� and Michael Tusk at Quince. Most recently he has been at Magnolia, Camino, Adesso, and Bar Jules.
Bar Manager Eric Johnson has been a San Francisco bartender for fifteen years at venues such as Bourbon & Branch, Heaven's Dog, and Beretta, San Francisco's first 4-star-rated cocktail program.
German-born Andreas Willausch manages the front of the house. He worked most recently as Restaurant Manager at the Michelin one-star Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant in Forestville. In San Francisco he has worked at China Moon Cafe, Masa's and Farallon.


Mark Ellenbogen's wine list features natural wines from 15-20 estates, many of which have become his favorites through years of travel and wine buying. The list encompasses wines from California, France, Spain, Italy, and Austria. Four to seven wines will be offered from each estate, so that guests can "taste the place" and enjoy the characteristics of the wines' regions.
<>Mixed Drinks
Bar Agricole offers traditional mixed drinks from spirits that celebrate the rich tradition of farmhouse distilling. The spirits have a clear lineage, from the earth where the ingredients are grown to the still. Thad, Eric and Mark have worked with local producers to create custom distillates, including a farmhouse Cura�ao, Biodynamic brandies and California pure cane rum. (See opening cocktail list below)
A Bite to Eat
Brandon Jew describes his food as "Northern California Cuisine." He is as enthusiastic about butchery and nose-to-tail cuisine as he is about cooking with the day's foraged produce