Tag Archives: san francisco

Boozy luncheon with Sherman #1 – “Arlequin”

Sherman is my lunch companion. Once a week we have a long boozy lunch to soften the bitter edges of life. Usually it’s somewhere moderately nice; on occasion it’s a dive. The destination is dependent on our moods and, to a lesser degree, whether or not Sherman has a groupon for the place. A beer and wine license, however, is the one absolute requisite.

Sherman is a big deal in the media industry. Media, you ask. Which medium? I’m not going to tell you. He’s also a lascivious old fuck. That, on the other hand – sex is infinitely more interesting than work – is completely within bounds.


Arlequin Cafe & Food To Go
384 Hayes St. SF 94102
At first he wasn’t too keen on me blogging about our boozy luncheons but when I told him I’d disguise him, his deep-rooted narcissism took hold and he slurred me his blessing. We’d polished off a nice bottle of Sonoma rosé by that point and had progressed halfway into a curious central coast Monastrel, so technically he was drunk and in no condition to make agreements.

How could I not take advantage of a golden opportunity like that?

Reuben-esque perfection

For years I’ve been trying to find a decent reuben in San Francisco. Not too diligently, mind you; mainly when it came to mind. Having found a supreme incarnation of the reuben at Arlequin, in Hayes Valley, I went on and on to Sherman about the corrupting tenderness of the beef and its sublime bookends of toast.

Arlequin entrance‘Coupons be damned,’ he said briskly and insisted we make a visit to sot ourselves on the patio last Friday afternoon, resplendent as the City was in the early shimmerings of Spring.

Unfortunately – and to Sherman’s blessedly short-lived annoyance – when we got to the counter we were told they’d run out of light rye. But would we like the reuben on a levain… Levain?! Sherman looked at me as if someone had just keyed his new Mercedes S-class.

Compensation in the most serendipitous of forms…

Blessedly, it only took Sherman about 15 minutes to get over his disappointment at not being able to savor such a well-endorsed reuben – we decided to defer such a tasting until they had the proper bread – at which point the rosé had begun its soothing effects. Food arrived and in no time Sherman’s fingers were dripping with tomato sauce from his meatball sandwich, served on a soft baguette-like roll.

‘This is damn good,’ he marveled, having forgotten his dismay over the reuben with nearly the mental dexterity with which he’d forgotten that he’d ever been married to his first wife.

The Unreported: Protesters march thru Tourist Zone

Anti-Prop 8 march invades downtown San Francisco

An exhilarating bit of news was ignored by local media on Saturday Nov 15, 2008—victim of editorial cut-off times on an exquisite Saturday perhaps? After a City Hall rally in which voices of inspiration, tolerance, love and inclusion were raised in opposition to the passing of Proposition 8, a contingent of anti-Prop 8 marchers took their message throughout key tourist thoroughfares downtown, clogging traffic and giving visitors a true taste of San Francisco.

According to the SF Chronicle, the march headed up Market Street and was turned around at Church Street where, presumably it fizzled:

The rally was followed by an impromptu, festive march toward the Castro by about 1,000 people. When police turned the marchers back at Church Street, they walked to Union Square, snarling traffic on Market Street. Source

HOWEVER…

market & powell

The march didn’t fizzle. It headed dead-center down Market Street and spilled onto the cable car turnaround at Powell and Market, where streams of visitors lined Powell street gawking and in some cases applauding as cable cars sat unmoving and street traffic came to a halt.

cable car turnaround

Next stop: Union Square

post street

spilling through the plaza

A shout out for the ladies at Alexandra Bridal

some of the many wonderful supporters along the way: hey brides, shop there!

To the mighty waterfront (aka Kansas on the Bay)
San Francisco has always been a place that appreciated its tourists and visitors. Unlike the inhabitants of Sodom & Gomorrha, whose greatest sin was a lack of hospitality, San Franciscans welcome our guests wholeheartedly and always like to give them a little something to take home with them.

fishermans wharf

fishermans wharf

pier 39

pier 39

horrified

shades of sodom & gomorrah: horrified onlookers on the Embarcadero

Single file between the cars…

Nobody likes to sit in traffic any less than I do. Guaranteed. So while I sympathize with the taxi drivers, delivery drivers, party-goers and anybody else who got held up along the Embarcadero on Saturday, my heart goes out to those who sat patiently and offered waves, honks, cheers and high-fives of support.

tying up traffic for a cause

tying up traffic for a cause

supporters

supporters on the embarcadero

To the Ferry Building then home…
The march consisted of probably a few hundred people. Being one of the marchers, and not a professional people counter, I don’t know exactly how many. By the time the procession ended up back on Market Street and turned into Civic Center plaza, Arvin and I dropped off.

looking back towards the wharf

looking back towards the wharf

to the ferry building

to the ferry building

up market to civic center

back up market st to civic center

The struggle goes on…

into the sun

into the sun

Coast to Coast

Yesterday’s events were part of a nationwide day of action protesting the passage of Prop 8. JoinTheImpact.com planned the nationwide protests. As best we could determine, Saturday’s post-rally march in San Francisco was an unsanctioned, impromptu act of civil disobedience and love.