Flambéed dishes and drinks mix primal fury and campfire comradeship with old-school elegance -- that taken-up-a-notch flair (or, more accurately, "flare") that tells us we are having something special. It's good to get primitive sometimes.

White-clad servers cruised the room proffering Chicken McNuggets on trays. They also offered fluffy sweet Canadian-bacon treats on sticks, and fresh lettuce wraps.

Everyone was wondering what would come after cupcakes in the culinary saga of low-culture-meets-high-culture and kiddie-classics-go-ironic. Sugary cereals made a run for it, but popcorn might have the edge, if San Francisco chefs get their way.