News from the Heart & Soul of San Francisco
By Tess Minsky Life and times have presented Kirk Webber with plenty of opportunities to test his mettle — or to turn toque and run from Cafe Kati, the restaurant he founded nearly 20 years ago. He got robbed eight times, went through some tumultuous personal periods and, most recently, survived a bout with an…
Story and photographs by Carina Woudenberg Yoshimi Oune, owner of Maruya Sushi at 1904 Fillmore, never had any ambition to own the tiny take-out shop her mother opened in 1965. She says she just gradually took over as her mother got older and became less able to handle it on her own. Today, with the…
THE BARISTA BAROMETER | Cheryl Lurie How has the economic downturn affected business in local coffee shops? According to several general managers of the neighborhood’s mocha meccas, sales may not have increased dramatically, but the customer base has. More people now have the freedom to hang out on the street, even if they don’t necessarily…
David Lawrence, executive chef and co-owner of the high-class soul food restaurant 1300 on Fillmore, is featured in a hot-off-the-press new book, Sexy Dishes: A Guide to Who’s Hot in the Kitchen. “David is tall, dark and handsome,” the guide notes, with “a British accent, a great smile and dimples.” His philosophy: “All food is…
By Joanne Weir It all started several years ago when an invitation arrived in my mailbox on Pine Street beckoning me to the launch of a spiffy new tequila in a sexy square bottle. It took place at Tommy’s, the well-known tequila bar out on Geary, and was mostly men who were sniffing and swirling…
By Barbara Kate Repa At the Grove, at 2016 Fillmore, customers get more than latte in their cups. They get the sun and the moon. Or a flower. Or a fire-breathing dragon. Manager Dave Harmon says the Grove always served a good cup of coffee, but he wanted a way to give customers more, to…
SALOONS | Chris Barnett Cars streak south on Gough toward the freeways. Unless snagged by the red light at Sutter, they pass a majestic Victorian hotel with landmark status and, to locals, a rollercoaster reputation for service, style, cuisine and cocktails. Built in 1902 as the private home of railroad baron and state senator Milton…
Inside the double-height construction site with the massive windows opening onto the corner of Post and Fillmore, a team of craftsmen are grinding smooth the top of the expansive bar made of recycled glass, mirror and mother of pearl. It’s immediately clear the dynamic young couple creating their dream restaurant here have fully embraced architect…
SALOONS | CHRIS BARNETT In my 35 years of libational research, I’ve found few saloons where women consistently outnumber guys at the bar. One is the Elite Cafe, the eating and drinking den at 2049 Fillmore, busy since the day it debuted in 1981. It opened across the street in 1928 as the Lincoln Grill before…
By MARJORIE LEET FORD Like Robin Hood and his band of merry men, Mary Risley and her crew of Food Runners take from those who have too much and give to those who don’t have enough. It all started when she realized she had a problem at Tante Marie, her cooking school: Her student chefs…