Spacious and refined, True Food provides a good setting for happy hours and cocktails that make you feel better about yourself.

Ambiance: ***1/2

Decor: ****

Cocktails: ***1/2

Service: ****

Overall: 4

A cocktail-savvy friend recently recommended the cocktails at True Food Kitchen in the Mosaic neighborhood of Fairfax.  I was a little leery – I usually equate good cocktails with gluttony, not the sort of healthy eating promoted at True Food!  But like most stereotypes, this canard didn’t survive first contact with reality, as TK offered some really superb drinks.  The restaurant itself is beautiful – the decor is very Northern California, and the place quickly filled up with lots of young professionals and lawyers, lots of lawyers.

On to the drinks – first up was the “Spontaneous Happiness” which has Ginger and Vanilla Infused Shochu (I didn’t know what that was), St. Germain, and Lime.  Man, this was a cool taste – just the other day I was thinking about how vanilla might go well in a cocktail.  Bam, I called that right, as this was a fresh and chilly easy sipperd.  Ah so good, but drink it slow to appreciate the hit of the vanilla. Next up was the “Strawberry Rum Punch” — I thought it would be another peppy, boring refresher but this was actually complex.  I think the pineapple juice –which I’ve previously denigrated as an ingredient (mea culpa)–ricochets off the strawberry and vanilla infused rum powerfully for a unique taste.

The next two were a little “harder” – the “Cherry Bourbon Sour” was my least favorite of the evening as the buffalo trace bourbon was drowned out by the pinot noir.  That’s great if you don’t like bourbon, but I like bourbon.  Interesting flavor though and worth a go.  My favorite of the evening was the “Thai Grapefruit Martini,” which is a surprise because I am not a grapefruit guy.  But my aforementioned friend insisted and I’m glad I listened – the ingredients work off of each very well and don’t overpower particularly the basil, a balance which is tricky to achieve.

I wish I had a chance to hit some of the other drinks particularly the Ginger Margarita, but it was not to be – next time.  The bartender staff was very attentive and friendly, which is important when yours truly spills half a glass of water all over the bar.  I will definitely be back and, hopefully a bit more time on my hands!