Union Restaurant

Looking over Union Restaurant's snazzy drink list on a recent blustery evening, I was intrigued by the Yeh Yeh Yeh ($9). Named in honor of a regular customer, this concoction is made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, both Lillet Blanc and Lillet Rouge, bitters, and a twist of orange. I sampled some of the French aperitif Lillet Blanc on its own and found it warm and clean. The happy-hour bar menu (available daily 5–7 p.m. and again 10 p.m.–midnight; all plates $8) features a rich and tasty beef tartare: soft sirloin dressed with capers and shallots, and just enough mayo to hold it together, spiced with a touch of mustard. We indulged in half a dozen delicate Totten Virginica oysters, naked but for a bit of horseradish and red wine dressing. The tender Dungeness crab salad was wearing a tall frond of frisée. My friend sipped an Alpine Pilsner ($4) from Oroville, Wash., and I enjoyed a Limon Fresca cocktail ($8): Tanqueray gin, lime juice, and ginger beer, with a lime wedge. On this rainy night, we found the bar cozy, the service friendly and well-informed, and the eats tasty. Yeah, yeah, yeah. ADRIANA GRANT