Wines & Spirits
The drinks list was managing partner Keegan Hicks's project, and it was longer and more considered than the room strictly required. He chose for value, quality and diversity, and the list shows it — a serious wine programme sitting directly on top of thirteen flavoured martinis.
Archived menu. The Harbor Grill closed on 30 September 2022. Prices are those printed at the time. Brand names have been replaced with the style of spirit used.
How the list was organised
The card ran in fourteen sections: martinis, margaritas, signature cocktails, beers, whites by the glass, reds by the glass, half bottles, bubbles, vibrant whites, chardonnay, pinot noir, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and blends, and rousing reds. Splitting the whites into an aromatic "vibrant whites" section and a separate chardonnay section is a small tell — this was a list built for a seafood menu, where the aromatic whites do most of the work.
Martinis
Thirteen of them, which was the fashion of the era and, on a harbour terrace, entirely defensible. The two classics anchored the section and the other eleven went off in every direction.
| Classic vodka martini — a dash of vermouth, queen stuffed olives | |
| Classic gin martini — London dry gin, a dash of vermouth, queen stuffed olives | |
| Cucumber basil martini — fresh cucumber, basil and lime with citron vodka | |
| Elderflower martini — elderflower liqueur, citron vodka, cranberry juice | |
| Sour apple martini — apple vodka, sour apple liqueur, melon liqueur | |
| Lemon drop martini — citron vodka, orange liqueur, fresh lemon juice, sugared rim | |
| Pomegranate martini — pomegranate vodka, pomegranate juice, sour apple liqueur | |
| Mango martini — mango vodka, orange liqueur, mango nectar | |
| Bikini martini — vodka, coconut rum, orange liqueur, a splash of grenadine | |
| Mai tai martini — light and dark rum, pineapple juice, a dark rum float | |
| Fresh grapefruit martini — ruby red grapefruit vodka, orange liqueur, fresh grapefruit juice | |
| Pinapolitan — pineapple-infused vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice | |
| Rosebud martini — citron vodka, raspberry vodka, peach schnapps, fresh fruit juices |
The cucumber basil is the one that has aged best, and the basil almost certainly came from the restaurant's own herb bed a few steps from the bar.
Margaritas
The header on this section was a statement of principle: all our margaritas are made with our homemade sweet and sour. In 2012, on a tourist harbour, that was not a given.
| The Grill's house margarita — gold tequila, triple sec | $8.50 |
| Mango margarita — gold tequila, orange cognac liqueur, mango nectar | $10.00 |
| The ultimate margarita — premium tequila, orange liqueur | $10.00 |
| Break water margarita — silver tequila, fresh citrus, a splash of orange juice | $10.00 |
| Cadillac margarita — premium tequila, orange liqueur, orange cognac liqueur | $11.00 |
| The fat cadillac — reposado tequila, orange liqueur, sweet and sour, a float of amber ale | $11.00 |
The fat cadillac — a margarita with a beer float — is the most Southern Californian drink on the entire list.
Signature cocktails
| Champagne strawberry cocktail — fresh strawberries, raspberry vodka, Napa brut | |
| Elderflower sparkling cocktail — elderflower liqueur, Napa brut, a splash of soda | |
| Harbor Grill mojito — rum, fresh mint, a squeeze of lime, a splash of soda | |
| Wild tea mojito — tea-infused vodka, lemon and lime, fresh mint, iced tea and a splash of soda |
The champagne strawberry cocktail crossed over to the Sunday Champagne Breakfast list at $11.00, one of the few drinks that ran at both ends of the day.
The wine list
The wine sections were organised by style rather than country, which suited a menu where the food changed hemisphere every third line. Whites were split between an aromatic group and chardonnay; reds ran pinot noir, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and blends, then a final heavier group. Half bottles and sparkling wines each had their own section, which is unusual on a list this size and useful for two people eating fish.
Regions named on the list — Napa Valley, Willamette Valley — are formal American Viticultural Areas, legally defined growing regions rather than marketing terms. The three wines the restaurant printed directly onto the oyster menu give the clearest picture of the house palate: high acid, little or no oak, and aromatics chosen to stand up to chilli and ginger as well as to raw shellfish.
Beers
A short list of Mexican, Belgian and American beers, priced from around $5.50. On a harbour, in the afternoon, this section probably outsold the martinis.