Caen and other established bigwigs whooped it up at Moose's in North Beach. A writerly haunt is a peculiar thing, and there's no accounting for where souls desiring to push their views on the reading public will gather. But there are certain qualities a bar must have to become a place where writers meet. It must be somewhat quiet to facilitate discussion. Dark lighting creates the proper mood for intense discussion or the swapping of scoops.
Personality is important, because the dull and ordinary are uninspiring.
And it's gotta be cheap enough for artist feigning starvation to buy a round or two. And although my research was in no way exhaustive or definitive, I've come up with a short list of bars that may or may not be the habitual watering holes of tomorrow's mid-listers. This dark, candlelit bar at 16th and Mission is a favorite with new-media types who seem to have tired of Bruno's swanky environs. On weekends, the music can be impossibly loud, but the back room offers a reprieve for those interested in speaking below a shout. House of Shields Located downtown, at New Montgomery and Market, this bar has been infiltrated by the suits.