Lucky's Roadside stays on mission with—say what?—a liquor-free cocktail menu.

How do you open up nine restaurants in a close-knit community and live to tell about it?

The short answer: moxie and madness.

Bill Lee would know.

As I wrote in breaking word he was introducing his latest project, Lucky's Roadside, "Lee’s local restaurant career has covered 44 years in the industry, seemingly dozens of new (and often landmark) eateries, three separate stints at the Sardine Factory and 1 or 2 billion employees hired, give or take."

A one-time busboy like me would not know. But I can offer a 30-slideshow peek at the place, and an operational insight into what helps quite a bit: resourcefulness.

In opening restaurants ranging from Bahama Billy's to Kula Ranch Island Steakhouse, Lee has evolved a formula to make it work, at least until he can sell the spot (partly to be free to open another): lively bar areas, smart and bright and clean design, upscale comfort food emphasizing grilled meats and island flavors.  

A key piece of it is fancy cocktails, often tropical, with nice profit margins.

But thanks to a non-compete with his former partner Joe Loeffler, with whom he started Kula Ranch—he's not allowed to activate a liquor license (or skew too island-style). 

That hasn't stopped him from putting together one of the more dynamic new drink lists in the area, including cocktails.

Here's how:

He carries around 13 or 14 California white wines like Au Bon Climat Chard ($38), J Lohr Reisling ($22) and Neyers Chardonnary ($48) and another 18 reds like a Spanish Las Rocas Rosé ($24), McIntyre Pinot Noir ($46) and Trefethen Cab ($70).

It helps when your exec chef is a decades-long oenophile like Michael Whalen.

Five sparklers too.

There are 13 wines by the glass, including house Chard, Cab or White Zin  by glass, half or full carafe ($7, $13 and $25, respectively).

White or red sangria infused with fresh fruit also runs $7 a glass or $13 and $25 for half and full carafes.

The eight beers include Lost Coast Great White Escape, English Ales Dragon Slayer IPA and Lost Abbey Judgment Day Strong Ale ($6 each) and 16 more in the bottle ranging from Napa Smith Hopaggeddon Imp IPA ($8) to Tripel Karmeliet ($10). 

An all too uncommon nonalcoholic selection is nice—with Paulaner NA beer ($4), a house limey rickey with fresh lime juice, simple syrup, club soda ($4), three kinds Bunderberg brewed drinks (ginger beer, root beer or sparkling blood orange ($4).

Also rare: a pair of ports—Graham's Six Grapes ($9) and Graham's 10-year tawny ($10).

The real wacky and wild coup: agave wine- and Petrov fermented "vodka"-driven specialty drinks like the sunrise, cosmopolitan and lemon drop ($8-$9).

Grub Street provides some illumination on Petrov: "Now we learn that the beverage industry has a newish category of lite booze to hawk: 'vodka,' 'rum,' and 'tequila' made from orange wine and agave wine. The so-called advantage? These babies clock in under 24 percent alcohol, or 48 proof—the legal limit for a beverage served under a beer-and-wine license in California and a number of other states."

The Lucky Margarita ($9) rocks La Quinta Agave wine, triple sec, housemade sweet and sour, fresh squeezed lime juice in a salt-rimmed glass. The Bloody PranQster North Coast ($8) combines PranQster Belgian Golden Ale and housemade spicy Bloody Mary mix ($8).

New lunch and dinner menus from Whalen are also out.

Lunch includes a wood-fired veggie sandwich ($11), popular Reuben with house made corned beef ($14), a smoked salmon-capers-creme fraiche pizza ($15), a burrata-arugula-pear-prosciutto salad ($14).

Dinner does Parmesan-crusted chicken ($19), a lamb burger and fries ($14) and baked salmon in a dill-Dijon cream sauce ($23). 

The hit-and-miss service experience continues—as it does with the food—but that's what the new sangria can help out, temporarily, at least. 

Now that they've had a few months to work out kinks, anticipate a review from the Weekly food team by the end of the month.