The Riddler's Abby Reser on being the pregnant host of a Champagne bar

Photo Credit: Kassie Borreson

Abby Reser comes to The Riddler after her most recent role as the General Manager at the Mission’s Hawker Fare and previous jobs at Locanda, Homestead, and The Wolf. Abby lives in Oakland with her 16-year old basset hound but has a penchant for traveling to San Francisco by ferry for oysters and a good tiki drink.

Can I Speak to the Manager caught up with Abby Reser at The Riddler and picked up her tips on SF's best Painkillers and pastries, while Abby floated magically between manning the hostess stand, pouring drinks at the bar, and charming guests. (The author just peppered Abby with questions while enjoying a glass of Blanc de Blancs.)

On her ideal (non-pregnant) day off:

I like to take the ferry to San Francisco and stop at the Ferry Building for oysters from Hog Island Oyster Company with their mignonette. I’ll also start (and end) the day with champagne here. After the Ferry Building, I’ll go to the Legion of Honor to see the Klimt exhibit. I love Klimt.  Later in the afternoon, I'll head to the Outer Sunset for a fried fish sandwich from Hook Fish Company.

On the tiki scene:

I love tiki bars and tiki drinks. For Happy Hour, I’ll go to Hawker Fare for a Painkiller (dark rum, coconut cream, pineapple). I used to be the General Manager there, and I still can’t wait to go back. My other favorite tiki bars are The Kon-Tiki in Oakland, Smuggler’s Cove, and Pagan Idol. I love drinks that involve falernum. It’s a liquor that’s made with cloves and lime and ginger. It makes a great hot toddy, too!

On her Mission pastry move:

When I’m in the Mission, I’ll stop by Craftsman and Wolves (home of the famous Rebel Within). I also happen to believe their coffee is super-powered… it’s very strong!

On going to work on her day off:

On my day off, you can still find me at The Riddler drinking a glass of Blanc de Blancs and eating caviar. I know I work here, but it’s a special place. People come here to celebrate; something about the bubbly seems to make everyone happier and have a little more fun. We have a popcorn machine with 12 different seasonings. My favorites are the Scar Jo (truffle seasoning) and the Mexican Corn salt. We place a 2-drink limit on The Joan (a filled-to-the-brim glass of wine) and the Chambong, and I just want to say - it’s for your own preservation (and the preservation of tomorrow morning!)

The Riddler is fully female funded and owned. What other woman-owned spots are there in SF? 20th Century Cafe and Media Noche. We just started doing brunch and carrying Lady Falcon coffee here, which also a woman-owned company. They have a coffee cart in Alamo Square on the weekends. At The Riddler, we have 33 female investors from across the country, including Ruth Reichl. The night of the inauguration in January, we held a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood. I’m very proud to work here.

On her relationship with cheese:

I could tell I was pregnant because most of the cheeses (and wines) I love started to taste terrible! By the time I told the staff at The Riddler, they already knew because I had stopped tasting all the white wines and cheeses. I usually love the burrata at State Bird Provisions, but I haven’t been able to eat it since getting pregnant! I can still do a grilled cheese from The Melt though.

On her San Francisco pregnancy faves:

I’ve been drinking a lot of hot chocolate. At Blue Bottle, I use my baby bump as an excuse to get a little extra chocolate in my cup. At Dandelion Chocolate, the Mexican hot chocolate is particularly delicious.

I also love the warm strudel from 20th Century Cafe. The fig & raspberry strudel they were serving at the end of summer just blew me away. I recently got my boyfriend a delicious honey cake from there, too. French fries from Absinthe have also been a staple. I’m a fan of Smitten’s chocolate ice cream with almonds (the almonds make it healthy, right?). When I'm craving vegetables (which is not as often as it should be), I’ll get the vegetarian salad at Souvla.

On her post-baby dining plans:

My birthday is in late January, and I’m planning to do dinner at CDP Bar and Commis in Oakland. There will definitely be Pierre Blanc de Blancs there! I also can’t wait to go to Robin for sushi and the new Sam Wo for Chinese. (I haven’t had a taste for Chinese since I’ve been pregnant either!)

On being the pregnant manager of a champagne bar:

When I am at the hostess stand, people (women, specifically) get a kick out of the pregnant host of a champagne bar. They are always pulling me aside to congratulate me. The two pieces of advice I get the most are “You are never going to sleep!” and “Don’t take anyone’s advice; trust your intuition.”

(opening photo credit: Kassie Borreson)