News from the Heart & Soul of San Francisco
By Donna Domino “There’s a very special energy here,” says Kathy Nelsen, longtime director of the Kabuki Springs & Spa, explaining why the cultural fixture has endured for nearly 40 years. “The communal baths are really what differentiates us. We have some of the only ones in California and the U.S.” Nelsen, who has carefully…
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…
The number of sales in March 2009 increased slightly, from nine to 10 properties. However, we are still well below the number of sales recorded during the same time last year, when 31 properties closed. This is more than a 65 percent decrease in volume. The change can largely be attributed to buyers’ fears about…
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…
LOCALS | JAMES CARBERRY “I was standing right here when it hit,”says Ed Nahigian, the veteran owner of San Francisco Boot & Shoe Repair, occupying his usual position behind the front counter where he greets customers. It’s the same place he was standing shortly after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 17, 1989, talking to a customer who…
February 2009 was another slow period for home sales in the neighborhood. With the economy looking gloomier every day and the stock market reaching record lows, it would appear, at least at first glance, that our housing market is moving in a similar direction. However, the most recent activity in the local market suggests this…
By Syed Ali Bud Martinez comes to work most Monday mornings at the garage at the Shell gas station at California and Steiner Streets, just as he has for more than 50 years — and more than a decade after he sold the station and vowed to retire. In 1952, he started working at the…
In its literary star turn, the Presidio Branch Library, at 3150 Sacramento Street, was transformed into a fictional repository for unpublished manuscripts placed on the shelves at all hours of the day and night directly by the writers themselves. Yet except for one easily overlooked display case near the checkout desk, there is no evidence…