Tsk/Tsk, a pop-up bar project, plans to open its doors in the former Ziryab space at 528 Divisadero this Friday, July 17th. Ziryab closed its doors in May after almost a decade of serving Mediterranean food and cocktails on Divisadero. In June, we shared the news that a new cocktail venture called Horsefeather, from Justin Lew and Ian Scalzo, was preparing to open up in the space.
But first comes Tsk/Tsk, an interim project that will occupy the space until Horsefeather is ready to take over later this year. As co-owner Justin Lew told us last month, "We have lots of permits to do. Why keep the space dark?"
The health inspection took place yesterday, and now the team is ready to open the doors on their new (temporary) venture. The interior of Ziryab has been undergoing quite a bit of work and several coats of new paint for the Tsk/Tsk project, as evidenced by the bar's Instagram page. Though we haven't been able to get in for a sneak peek, there's at least one floor-to-ceiling piece of artwork installed in the bar:
Photo: Tsk/Tsk/Instagram
First and foremost a cocktail bar, Tsk/Tsk will offer a unique selection of drinks to the mix found elsewhere on Divisadero. The standout is a list of what Tsk/Tsk is calling "slushies," which contain an unusual blend of fresh juices, tea, and alcohol.
The Charlie Horse, for example, contains whiskey, black tea, sarsaparilla syrup, and mint. The Banana Hammock is made up of coconut cream, white rum, Giffard Banana du Brésil, Fino sherry and pineapple juice. And for those who don't mind a dash of vegetable in their cocktails, there's the Beet Down, which has gin, strawberry beet puree, lemon and rosemary absinthe whipped cream.
The highball menu is also untraditional, with drinks like the Duck Duck Mule (kaffir lime leaf infused 86 Duck vodka and ginger beer), and the McBain (Stiegl Radler, Campari and salted grapefruit). The menu will change regularly through partnerships with different liquor brands, and cocktails will be priced in the $9-$11 range.
Banana Hammock creator Mitch Lagneaux. (Photo: Tsk/Tsk / Instagram)
Food will be handled by local bacon outfit Bacon Bacon, and the menu will include bar snacks like bacon deviled eggs, french fries with fresh thyme, sage and parmesan, and chocolate-covered bacon. Sandwiches will include a bacon cheeseburger, bacon grilled cheese, and bacon fried chicken sandwich, and there'll be a bacon cobb salad and bacon corn salad, too. So, expect a lot of bacon.
Tsk/Tsk will stick around for a few months while the space is prepped for Horsefeather, coming later this fall. We'll keep you updated on when the switch takes place. In the meantime, swing by Tsk/Tsk on Friday and let us know what you think.
Starting this Friday, Tsk/Tsk will be open daily from 6pm to 2am, with the potential for earlier happy hours later in the week. Swing by 528 Divisadero St. to take a peek.
