14000, But there is another sort of column that earned Mr. Caen welcome here when he arrived 55 years ago from Sacramento, a greenhorn in the big city, a Jew in a gentile town. "Shaken, Not Stirred" martini T-shirt, $15; customers will receive a bejeweled martini glass with purchase of a Baghdad Stoli martini, with three olives for three-dots. THE FRANCISCAN -- Pier 43 1/2, S.F., (415) 362- 7733: Herb Caen Martini Special, Tanqueray Gin Martini, Ketel One Vodka Martini, Absolut Kurant Cosmopolitan, Maker's Mark Bourbon Manhattan in a choice of two sizes: $3, $5. Most Californians can put off filing taxes until Oct. 16 but should they? The words that followed are her only published review of the restaurant. Julia Child approaches cooking in the swashbuckling fashion that has made her the darling of public television. For the professional ice hockey player, see, View a 1997 film about Herb Caen's life made by. There were public figures who couldn't take the heat. BEACH STREET BAR -- 2801 Leavenworth St., S.F., (415) 775-5110: Vitamin V martinis, $1, from 5 p.m. BIG FOUR RESTAURANT -- 1075 California Street, S.F., (415) 771-1140: Lunch special: Gemelli pasta with Vitamin V vodka sauce, peppered tomato cream, sweet onions and prosciutto di Parma, $12.95. JUDY'S CAFE -- 2268 Chestnut at Scott, S.F., (415) 922-4588: Meat loaf and potatoes ($4.95). What are the best restaurants in Caen for families with children? He involved himself in everything. Typical is Mimi Farina, sister of Joan Baez,who shouts her thanks from a nearby table because Mr. Caen recently saluted her mother's 80th birthday. ", There were lunches when Caen would bring up issues, and the Friday crew could see warning signs. As he vowed, in full voice, "to lick this town," the hat blew off his head, lost forever. He shows a guest a life-size cardboard cutout of Mr. Caen on the balcony, just above the door to the men's room, where a wobbly drunk might think it real. "You're in Caen today," one San Franciscan will say to another first thing in the morning, and even the most sophisticated among them are pleased. CHEZ MICHEL -- 804 North Point Street, S.F., (415) 775-7036: Vitamin V martinis priced back to 1938, 25 cents. Offer good until Valentine's Day. But Sixth Street has another side, one I felt sure Julia Child and her former diplomat husband Paul Child would appreciate. (415) 863-5545: Vitamin V martinis for $1 after 7:30 p.m. and Big Band music on the sound system. "No other newspaper columnist ever has been so long synonymous with a specific place Part of his appeal seemed to lie in the endless bonhomie he projected," said his New York Times obituary, comparing him to Walter Winchell "but with the malice shorn off." Brown's not ready to wallow in such sentiment. It was more important to have a favorable mention from Herb than an editorial endorsement." Caen, 18 Rue Porte au Berger, Mr. San Francisco is all ears. After a motorcade and parade ending at the Ferry Building, Caen was honored by "a pantheon of the city's movers, shakers, celebrities and historical figures" including television news legend Walter Cronkite. I decided after finding Woods write-up of the Tu Lan visit to go back and read his full Chronicle obituary, more to honor the man than continue the sleuthing. Caen, 15 quai Franois Mitterrand, The first known Chinese restaurant in America, Canton Restaurant, opened in San Francisco in 1849. PEER INN RESTAURANT -- Pier 33, S.F., (415) 788-1411: Bowl of mussels, shot of whiskey and a glass of beer, $3.95. He'd strike out at them. Caen, 5 Place Saint-Sauveur, Several other names of people who dropped into the group and didn't last are mentioned. THE MANDARIN -- Woollen Mill, Ghirardelli Square, 900 North Point Street, S.F., (415) 673-8812: Half-price martinis. PIER 23 CAFE -- Pier 23, Embarcadero, S.F., (415) 362-5125: 80-cent Stoli martinis with orange slice from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.; Melody Ann Quartet on sidewalk from 6 to 9 p.m.; $5 meatloaf plate to go starting at 5 p.m. Will provide candles for the march. Phone: +1 480-899-1111. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub. Old versions of these columns, sort of Herb Caen's greatest hits, run in the Sunday paper, in a slight concession to the weariness of age. 8/21/2022. ", Could Caen have been elected mayor? Reservations required. 1. But like a Lord of the Rings movie, or perhaps a good Tu Lan meal over too many beers, there are multiple false endings to this story. You bet. Free shipping for many products! Ed Moose, the convivial owner, tidies up, schmoozes. Mr. Caen says that "people come from miles around," field-trip style, to see the only remaining typewriter in the Chronicle building. With coffee, the subject turns to the forthcoming wedding of Kelly, the distinguished elder statesman of the group and owner of a self-purchased lordship. He looks around and says, "It ain't bad, but it ain't San Francisco. The Chronicle's Herb Caen once referred to Blum's, the much-loved California bakery, soda fountain and restaurant chain, which. "If you discussed an item with him, you couldn't mislead him. Offers on alcoholic beverages are strictly reserved for adults. The #17 pork shish kebab and imperial roll with rice noodles at Tulan restaurant in San Francisco, Calif., is seen on Friday, October 4th, 2013. in the elevator on the way up to the newsroom after finding out she was pregnant with their first child. People are hungry for someone to say a nice word about San Francisco.". The Fruity Cafe 129 reviews Closed today Healthy $ "Nice coffee, juice, etc!" Caen, 21 Boulevard des Allis, The Chronicle archive is filled with wonderful surprises, but rarely is a question so satisfyingly answered. It will have a corny headline: "The Kid's Last Column," or something like that. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-9:30 p.m. GAYLORD (INDIA) RESTAURANT -- Ghirardelli Square, 900 North Point, S.F., (415) 771- 8822: Half-price Vitamin V martinis at dinner. In addition to the iconic Artichoke slice, you should order the savory Crab and the Margherita. She contented herself with spring rolls, pork shish kebabs with rice noodles, lemon beef salad, fried fish and Tsingtao beer.. NEW PISA -- 550 Green Street, S.F., (415) 989-2289: A special three-course meal including a Vitamin V martini, Caesar salad and meat loaf with mashed potatoes, $10. . Chalupa in paradise: Does Pacifica have the worlds best Taco Bell? $19.00 HAYES STREET GRILL -- 320 Hayes Street, S.F. (AP Photo,File). Sometimes he just inwardly rebelled. CAFE RIGGIO -- 4112 Geary Blvd., S.F., (415) 221-2114: Trade a clipping of Herb Caen's Friday, Feb. 7, 1997, column for a Herb Caen martini. World famous chef, cookbook author and television show host Julia Child, shares a laugh with students from her alma mater, Smith College Thursday, Oct. 11, 2001 in Northampton, Mass. You couldn't bull--." [1], A special Pulitzer Prize called him the "voice and conscience" of San Francisco. She is the author of two books, "San Francisco: Its Sights and Secrets" and "Real Life Romance.". "If he had decided to run for mayor, I would have supported him and asked to be police chief. What are the best restaurants in Caen that provide takeout? HARRY DENTON'S STARLIGHT ROOM -- 450 Powell Street, S.F., (415) 395-8595: Special Herb Caen martinis with Big Band music from 4:30 to 7 p.m. MARRIOTT HOTEL/FISHERMAN'S WHARF-LOBBY LOUNGE -- 1250 Columbus Street, S.F., (415) 775-7555: Half-price martinis from 4 p.m. PIER 39 -- Pier 39, S.F., (415) 705-5500: The Black Tie Jazz Orchestra plays Big Band tunes from 6.30 to 9.30 p.m. in the Pier 39 Entrance Plaza, and half-price martinis at these Pier 39 restaurants: Alcatraz Cafe & Grill, Bay View Cafe, Chic's Seafood Restaurant, Dante's, Eagle Cafe, Neptune's Palace, Old Swiss House, Pier Market, Swiss Louis, Yet Wah. But his closest pals recall more human traits. "You got your Christmas shopping done early," says Bashford. Julia Child pulled up in a black limousine, picked up Wood, and drove a block and a half to the restaurant. A collection of essays, Baghdad-by-the-Bay (a term he'd coined to reflect San Francisco's exotic multiculturalism) was published in 1949, and Don't Call It Friscoafter a local judge's 1918 rebuke to an out-of-town petitioner ("No one refers to San Francisco by that title except people from Los Angeles")appeared in 1953. A particular favorite is Chinese gruel (known as "jook") as whipped up by Sam Wo in his spot on a Chinatown side street; Sam's is the only jook joint in town, and he . [12]:94. ALIOTO'S RESTAURANT -- 8 Fisherman's Wharf, S.F. . VIVANDE RISTORANTE -- 670 Golden Gate Avenue, S.F., (415) 673-9245: Pasta carbonara for lunch and dinner ($11.50); Vitamin V martinis, $3. "I'd get blamed," says Bashford, whose store is practically around the corner on Sutter Street. I think it was the late 80s, maybe even mid-80s. Jim Wood died in 2002, at age 72, of complications from a stroke. "Then, as we went along," says Brown, "Matthew, Willie and Sandy (Walker) joined us." (415) 986-1886: Complimentary bottle of Fior d'Italia wine (Chardonnay or Cabernet) with meal for mentioning Herb Caen's name. It's no surprise that the cake would elicit such fond memories. "He would say, 'I screwed up,' " says de Wildt. Mr. Caen found that these columns helped an outsider win over the snooty, born-and-bred San Franciscans, the ones who went to prestigious Lowell High School and the University of California, married a Junior Leaguer and set up housekeeping in tony Pacific Heights. He crowns "Namephreaks" like Buzz Minnow, a local fisherman, or Shirley Nice, a kindly schoolteacher. Tu Lan, to me, is America with its faults and its virtues and the added little bonus you never expect - the food is just fantastic.. She drank Tsingtao beer and liked it. (Menu items then included an order of . Readers who turned to Herb on Feb. 14, 1966, learned that Willie Mays' home was on the market for $110,000. The room has emptied now, the lunch crowd mostly gone and the cocktail crew about an hour away. Fatigue caused a journalists nightmare to come true. French. Impresario Bill Graham hated Caen, recalls the foursome, and de Wildt and Kelly recall being at a Napa Valley lunch where someone unhappy about his mention in the column came up behind Caen, pummeled him and wound up rolling on the ground with him. A legend rediscovered. Jim was a larger than life, brilliant, worldly and funny man, Pogash wrote. "It's like I let them down. 1 on his life's list of priorities. "All the other politicians were so envious of me. Keys & Co 262 reviews Open Now Cafe, British $ Menu "Simply perfect" "After some waiting (+/-45" 2. MAXFIELD'S -- 2 New Montgomery, S.F., (415) 512-1111: Lunch special filet mignon meat loaf with garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus and crispy shallots, and winter fruit tart with creme anglaise, $13.50 from 11.30 to 2 p.m. MCCORMICK & KULETO'S -- 900 N. Point Street, S.F., (415) 929-1730: Well Vitamin V martinis all day for $2. HOTEL GRIFFON/ROTI RESTAURANT -- 155 Steuart Street, S.F., (415) 495-6500: Herb Caen Memorial Cocktail Hour from 6 to 9 p.m. Stoli martini's Herb's Way $3. [12]:9, June 14, 1996, was officially celebrated in San Francisco as Herb Caen Day. Caen, 2023 La FourchetteSAS - All rights reserved. Caen, 17 Place de la Rpublique, [20][21][22], Caen took special pleasure in "seeing what he could sneak by his editorshis 'naughties,'" such as this item about a shopper looking for a Barbie doll: It originally arrived with the flood of . [19] Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. If youre like 99 percent plus of the world and have never heard of, much less set foot on, Sixth Street let me say its the kind of street which sometimes evokes the word denizens, a bit of dirty sidewalk and traffic jams where the wise walk without jingling their change and to look a passerby in the eye may be regarded as an unconscionable affront. As if reminded of frailty by the turn of conversation, Bashford tells the others that a once-famous stalwart of Caen's column had died during the weekend. TARANTINO'S -- 206 Jefferson Street-Fisherman's Wharf, S.F., (415) 775-5600: Meatloaf and mashed potatoes, $7.95; half- price martinis; Big Band music. The room has a painting of a young Herb Caen done by Frank Born; and Herb Caen martinis, $5. Herb Caen, April 2, 1958. Start shopping online now with Instacart to get your favorite products on-demand. The Blue Fox Restaurant. "Most of the people looked like they were wearing uniforms from hotel school," huffs de Wildt. One Mans San Francisco, Doubleday & Company Inc., Garden City, New York, 1976. home to Smith College. Meanwhile, "Mike Connolly is ready to concede that the situation in Vietnam is complex: 'Even my cab driver can't come up with a solution. Friday lunches at Le Central were legendary / Window table, boss dice, power talk, A portrait of Herb Caen hangs in Le Central restaurant on Bush Street where he and (from left) Matthew Kelly, Harry deWildt, Mayor Willie Brown and Wilkes Bashford met on Fridays for lunch and comraderie starting in 1974. Im sure Julia appreciated that about him.. [6] His many recurring if irregular features included "Namephreaks"people with names (aptronyms) peculiarly appropriate or inappropriate to their vocations or avocations, such as A drunk man walked up, bowed and said, Its Julia!. Lunch begins, as it always began, with each of the gents throwing dice for his drink tab with Toni Staiano, the bartender at Le Central. substitute teacher Mr. Fillin, hospital spokesman Pam Talkington, periodontist Dr. Rott, piano teacher Patience Scales, orthopedic specialist Dr. Kneebone, and the Vatican's spokesman on the evils of rock 'n roll, Cardinal Rapsong. (415) 931-7710: For lunch, meatloaf with apples served with Rosmarino's garlicky potatoes ($1.38); dinner appetizer: Caenfetti Herbitizer, mushroom caps stuffed with fresh herbs for 38 cents. Reporter Carol Pogash and her husband, Jim Wood, both at work on the San Francisco Examiner. The Cable Car and the Dragon, a children's picture book, was published in 1972. "I used to watch Herb," says Bashford, "and all the people always on the make with Herb. 'Barbie comes with G.I. PASTIS & FRINGALE RESTAURANTS -- 1015 Battery Street/570 Fourth Street, S.F., (415) 391-2555 and (415) 543-0573: Half-price martinis and "Make your own concoction in honor of Herb" martinis, $2.50. My Dad and I went there for dinner because we read about it in Caen's column and the place was great. "You don't think I'm washed up, do you?" BUENA VISTA CAFE -- 2765 Hyde Street, S.F., (415) 474-5044: 75-cent martinis on the rocks; BV Burger (Herb's favorite), $3 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. BUTTERFIELD'S SEAFOOD -- 202 Townsend Street, S.F., (415) 281-9001: Meat loaf and mashed potatoes, lunch $8.95; dinner $11.95; Vitamin V Elixir (vodka martini), $1 from 3 to 6 p.m. CADILLAC BAR & RESTAURANT -- One Holland Court, S.F., (415) 543-8226: 99 cent Cadillac martinis all day. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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