“A public forum isn’t a place where you should be prim and proper,” former Supervisor Chris Daly told me the other night. “You should act the same as if you were in public or on the streets.” While some might disagree with him on that point, no one is going to police etiquette in a dive bar. Which is part of the reason why Daly taking over the Buck Tavern (soon to be called Daly's Dive) is perhaps the perfect way for him to continue fighting the good fight now that he’s out of City Hall.

You probably know Daly from his proclivity for throwing punches literally and figuratively during his ten years as supervisor. He nearly came to blows with then-Mayor Willie Brown ("You want some of this? Bring it on!"), told a landlord to fuck off at a tenants rights meeting, and allegedly threatened a police officer’s job when he was arrested at a protest. He fought “tooth and nail” for affordable housing. Some people dismiss Daly as a hot head. I think he’s problematically alienating, but I’m all for a guy that’s passionate about progressive politics. Hell, sometimes I feel like screaming too.  

I whipped out my Healthy San Francisco card and asked for the half-priced drink he had advertised in his interview with SFAppeal . “That’s totally fucking awesome,” said Daly, checking out my card and pouring me a well-cocktail. Technically, however, he said they  might offer that kind of discount in the future, so it’s not official yet. (Judging by his excitement though, it’s probably worth bringing in a union or HSF card to see what you can get.) 

I asked Daly if we could look forward to bar fights, expecting a crack about his political antics. He said he didn’t open the bar to pick a fight. He’d had a hard time getting a liquor license, but it all worked out. He gave Newsom a heads up and even invited Inspector Dave Falzon, the police officer who works with the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, out for coffee. But then, Daly showed me a police citation he’d received for some small graffiti on his storefront on the night he protested Lee’s appoint. According to Daly, it seemed like more than just a coincidence. Some feuds die hard. 

What does a San Francisco political bar look like? First off, nothing like a D.C. one does.  Instead of suits making deals with lobbyists, there will be fundraisers for organizations like the Bike Coalition. Monday nights will be packed with the Drinking Liberally group’s regular meet-up. The night before I visited, Jeremy Pollock, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi’s aide, had packed the place for his last-day-of-work party. 

Around the bar were lots of longtime Buck regulars, but most were there for Daly – whether out of camaraderie or curiosity. Progressive politico mainstays, David Tornheim and Marc Salomon sat next to me at the bar, and Daly said I had just missed Mike Farrah, Newsom’s former senior advisor, who is Daly’s friend despite having worked for the man. Several friends and fans dropped in and congratulated him on the new bar. Others had heard about it on blogs and Facebook and were curious. But it was comparatively quiet, in part because Supervisor Jane Kim, who took over Daly’s spot on the board, was having a party that night. 

It’s not Daly’s first time behind the bar. Before City Hall he was a community activist by day and a Justice League bartender by night. “Bartending is like riding a bike,” he said. His persona as a politician comes through – in a good way. At one point Daly joined me on the customer side of the bar – a classic Daly move, identifying with the regular man instead of the guys in charge. I overheard a customer thanked him for his “candid advice” about the cheap chardonnay.  

The conversation that night was dominated by complaints about the last Board of Supervisors meeting and Lee’s appointment. “John and the progressives got played. People put a Chinese Nationalist agenda ahead of issue based politics.” The conversation between Chris and his friends at the bar was insider-y with the use of first names and references to stand offs over the past ten years. But instead of keeping the talk exclusive, Daly made a point to welcome anyone in to fuel the debate. 

He plans to redesign it gradually, in part because practically he can’t move any faster, but also so as not to alienate regulars with a dramatic quick overhaul. He’s a business owner now, but not a gentrifier. He’s going to bring in more locally brewed beers. Once the weather warms, he’ll introduce his favorite summer drink: Tequila and Fresca. The dusty six-pack of O’Doul’s will eventually give way to Clausthaler – Gavin Newsom’s drink of choice – although the likelihood of the new Lieutenant Governor stopping in is next to nil. 

The menu, now heavy on burgers and fries, will eventually have more hippie food. Instead of an internet jukebox he wants a real one featuring political rock from U2 and Bruce Springsteen. He's putting in big windows to literally make the place transparent and break down the barriers between insiders and those on the streets. While I was there, he started taking down some of the commercial beer ads and mirrors, which he’s going to replace with political posters.