5. 14000, Despite more than 50 years of columnizing, when Caen vacationed abroad, says de Wildt, he'd tell friends he had to call home to "find out what's going on.". "The city is 10 times bigger today that it used to be," says Bashford, not at all meaning that bigger is better, "because Herb isn't here to bring us together. Several other names of people who dropped into the group and didn't last are mentioned. It was a very dirty place, but I enjoyed it and had no ill effects., Peter Hartlaub is The San Francisco Chronicles pop culture critic. He bought his first hat before leaving Sacramento and rode the ferry toward San Francisco. Talk turns to the Oscars, and particularly, in this impeccably attired crew -- in Caen's words, "clotheshorse Willie Brown," "the elegant Harry de Wildt," "expensive haberdasher Wilkes Bashford," and "arbiter of yesterdays' fashion Matthew Kelly" -- what was worn. "When he did damage to someone, he felt it more than the person he had pained, " says Brown. Its a Chronicle tradition to appoint a pair of veteran journalists to take new employees to coffee, with a budget of $30. Herb Caen, June 25, 1967. Biography. At this point, the arm of an aide outside the luncheon circle reaches in to hand the mayor a cell phone. is a question Mr. Caen (pronounced cane) is used to hearing, and he's got the answer down pat. But his closest pals recall more human traits. Kelly takes advantage of the moment to remove a broken-stemmed red carnation from the tabletop bouquet, pinch out its anthers -- "You always pluck the center out of a carnation," he explains, "They're too big otherwise" -- and place it in the buttonhole of his bespoke suit. appeared in 1972. Among the colorful personalities making periodic appearances in Caen's columns was Edsel Ford Fung, whose local reputation as "the world's rudest waiter" was due in no small part to Caen, who lamented his death in 1984: SOME WOE around Sam Wo, the skinny three-story restaurant on Washington near Grant. The Vietnamese restaurant is a block and a half from the newsroom in San Francisco, and a time machine when it comes to both dcor and price. ", Leah Garchik washed up on the shores of Fifth and Mission in 1972,began her duties as a part-time temporary steno clerk, and has done everything around The Chronicle including washing the dishes (her coffee cup). Vietnamese restaurant Tu Lan on Sixth Street in San Francisco. 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. Is this just another Bay Area tale - like the Oakland port cranes that definitely didnt inspire The Empire Strikes Back - that is too captivating to be doubted? ", "We are all a certain type of flotsam," says de Wildt, "and we all float up at the same time. ("the damndest saddest, most wonderful funeral anyone ever had, but the only man who could properly describe it isn't here," said Enrico Banducci)[12]:20 One night, he came home and said, Ive blown it. Hed stood up Julia Child. Pogash wrote in an e-mail. The city, in turn, anointed him Mr. San Francisco, which means he gets good tables at restaurants, invitations to the best parties, quick service on his aging Jaguar and 1,000 letters a week from . he'd say. "It will trail off at the end, where I fall face down on the old Royal with my nose on the 'I' key," Mr. Caen says, vodka in hand, at one of his regular North Beach haunts, where the owner takes his lunch order and other diners flock to his side to meet or greet him. Caen, 17 Place de la Rpublique, The following month Julia Child pulled up in a black limousine, picked up Wood, and drove a block and a half to the restaurant. It is Mr. Caen, an old-time boulevardier in natty threads and fedora, who dubbed San Francisco Baghdad-by-the-Bay, which was also the title of his 1949 book (Doubleday). The first vodka martini is on us! 4 photos. 14000, This is a carousel. TRATTORIA CONTADINA -- 1800 Mason Street at Union Street, S.F., (415) 982- 5728: Trippa alla Caen, sauteed tripe with pancetta sweet onions and parsley in a tomato-vodka sauce, only 38 cents with any dinner. (AP Photo,File). This was particularly appropriate given the recent demolition of an eyesore against which Caen had long campaigned: the elevated Embarcadero Freeway, built astride the Embarcadero forty years earlier and derided by Caen as "The Dambarcadero." 112. Photos by Momo Chang. Brown waves them in and buys a $5 box from each. My Dad asked me if I remembered our dinner (yes) and if the restaurant is still there (don't know because we can't remember the name). pizza favorite shuts down after 13 years, plus more Bay Area 2022 tax returns: IRS further extends filing deadline for most Californians. PEER INN RESTAURANT -- Pier 33, S.F., (415) 788-1411: Bowl of mussels, shot of whiskey and a glass of beer, $3.95. 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. 14000, "He knew we were here," says the mayor. Some of the most popular restaurants in Caen that deliver are: Some of the most popular restaurants in Caen that provide takeout are: Some of the best restaurants in Caen for families with children include: Some of the most popular restaurants in Caen for cheap eats include: I thought I knew everything about steak, You cannot go wrong chez Monsieur Louis, Inventive, delicious, moderately priced. If so, when, where, how and why did that pairing happen? BIX -- 56 Gold Street, S.F., (415) 433-6300: complimentary glass of champagne for dinner guests; playing Bix Beiderbecke CDs all day. "Herb would be sitting here," says Bashford, motioning to the table, "and you knew something was coming.". "You could never be weak.". 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. GRAND CAFE -- 501 Geary Street, S.F., (415) 292-0101: Duck terrine a la Caen with liver mouse and balsamic sauce for $5.95 all day. Then it's back to the office to answer the mail, with every letter, Mr. Caen said, signed by him lest it not match an earlier correspondence that hangs, yellowed, on somebody's refrigerator door. He crowns "Namephreaks" like Buzz Minnow, a local fisherman, or Shirley Nice, a kindly schoolteacher. POMPEI'S GROTTO -- 340 Jefferson Street, S.F., (415) 776-9265: Vitamin V martinis for $1, from 5 p.m. POSTRIO -- 545 Post Street, S.F., (415) 776- 8358: Herb Caen's name on the menu; $2 Herb Caen martinis. ", There were occasions when the pressure of being Caen got to him. The Bay Area native, a former Chronicle paperboy, has worked at The Chronicle since 2000. "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." Herb Caen is considering his own obituary. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Still, he composes a new one from time to time. 65. 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. You had respect for certain things because he made them so real. Peoria, AZ. When the presentation is complete, the two hug and Brown comes back inside. Reporter Carol Pogash and her husband, Jim Wood, both at work on the San Francisco Examiner. 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.. The four recently recalled their friend and the good times they shared over a meal at their table. (Menu items then included an order of . The conversation suddenly slows as Bashford gets serious. Today is a Tuesday masquerading as Friday, the traditional day that Herb Caen, Willie Brown, Wilkes Bashford, Harry de Wildt and Matthew Kelly broke bread together in the window of the Bush Street restaurant. Adding new drink called "Herb's Vitamin V" to permanent cocktail list. [6] Reprints of his columns remain a periodic feature of the Chronicle.[39]. Hotels with Complimentary Breakfast in Caen, European Restaurants for Special Occasions in Caen, French Restaurants for Large Groups in Caen, Restaurants near Hotel La Fontaine Caen Centre, Restaurants near Best Western Royal Hotel Caen Centre, Restaurants near Best Western Plus Hotel Moderne, Restaurants near Ibis Styles Caen Centre Gare, Restaurants near Novotel Caen Cote de Nacre, Restaurants near Campanile Caen Centre Gare, Restaurants near Office De Tourisme De Caen. Waiter (and one-time part owner) Edsel Ford Fung, who became famous for berating and insulting the customers, all with tongue in cheek, died Tuesday at age 55, and the skinny old eating place is in mourning. RUSSELL YIP As part of the Our San Francisco project of 2015, this was excerpted from a Herb Caen column June 27, 1971: I KEEP. But hell, a lot of columnists find a favorite candidate and plug them without being called a . . Best Restaurants in Tempe, AZ - The Porch, Ghost Ranch: Modern Southwest Cuisine, Social Hall, The Peppermill Steakhouse, Alter Ego, The Hudson Eatery & Bar, Word Of Mouth Grill, Society by Evo, Culinary Dropout, Zu Izakaya The Chronicle archive is filled with wonderful surprises, but rarely is a question so satisfyingly answered. It ran on Nov. 15, 1985. 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. We had a group of 7, ordered the bone marrow, escargot, & charred octopus for starters. He told his readers: "In a lightning flash I passed from the world of the well to the world of the unwell, where I hope to dwell for what I hope is a long time. Caen, 2023 La FourchetteSAS - All rights reserved. 'Barbie comes with G.I. LE CENTRAL RESTAURANT -- 453 Bush Street, S.F., (415) 391-2233: Herb's favorite dishes, including Stolichnaya Vitamin V martinis, roast chicken pomme frites, fresh Dungeness crabmeat salad and steak pomme frites. You use it to make dupes, he tells them. Start shopping online now with Instacart to get your favorite products on-demand. HOULIHAN'S -- 2800 Leavenworth Street, S.F., (415) 775-7523: $2 Well martinis from 7 p.m. to midnight. .css-dni6nt path:nth-child(1),.css-dni6nt path:nth-child(2){fill:hsl(104, 38%, 42%);}.css-dni6nt path:nth-child(3),.css-dni6nt path:nth-child(4){fill:hsl(0, 0%, 0%);}.css-l7ijkl{clip:rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px)!important;overflow:hidden!important;position:absolute!important;white-space:nowrap!important;height:1px!important;width:1px!important;padding:0!important;border:0!important;contain:paint!important;}TheFork, a Trip advisor company, .css-1ddcsh7{font-size:0.8125rem;font-weight:400;font-family:RalewayX,arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:1.3846153846153846;text-transform:uppercase;text-transform:uppercase;}French, 14 Rue Porte au Berger, VIVANDE PORTA VIA -- 2125 Fillmore Street, S.F., (415) 346-4430: Caen's Carbonara lunch special -- fresh fettuccine tossed with pancetta, egg and parmigiano reggiano cheese ($11.50). The murderer, his arms bound, was hustled roughly onto the trapdoor, the noose was slammed around his neck, a black mask dropped over his unbelieving face, the trapdoor clanged open, the body shot through and stopped with a sickening crack. Mr. San Francisco is all ears. "Matthew," he says cheerfully, taking a last sip of coffee at the end of the two-hour meal, "My goal in life is to bury each of you. What are the best restaurants in Caen that deliver? One of the largest movie theaters in SF to close permanently, 'Zero visibility' conditions: All roads to Tahoe are closed, Report: Matthew McConaughey has a massive Salesforce paycheck, 'Really cool sight': Rare waterspout forms in Northern California, Avalanche slams into Tahoe apartment building amid blizzard, Plan to bring bullet train from LA to Vegas is underway, What it looks like inside Coit Towers former apartment, A different horse': Bay Area will likely continue to see rain, Grapevine closed indefinitely due to heavy snow and ice, Popular yet divisive fast food chain coming to this Bay Area town, Hundreds of thousands of workers have abandoned downtown SF, Tahoe's snowfall totals are on track to break records, If travel planning gives you a headache, try these apps. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub. [9] When that column was discontinued in 1938, Caen proposed a daily column on the city itself; "It's News to Me" first appeared July 5. HARRY DENTON'S -- 161 Steuart Street, S.F., (415) 882-1333: Herb's meat loaf with buttermilk mashed potatoes $5.38; three- dot mini-burger at the bar (three burgers wrapped in today's Chronicle), 50 cents or 4 bits each; Memorial Martini (to salute Herb in the Skyy). . 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. Newcomers should order the Sampler, a trio of three large slices that are cut in half for $15-16. The first known Chinese restaurant in America, Canton Restaurant, opened in San Francisco in 1849. Julia Child cooking expert. The owner, Thao Nguyen, had never heard of Child, but was pleased she liked the food , the item finished. 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. Caen never mentioned the incident in his column. [17], Although Caen relied on "an army of reliable tipsters," all items were fact-checked. (415) 986-3222: Lunch specials of pot roast and mashed potatoes ($2.95); $1.50 martinis. SINBAD'S -- The Ferry Building, Pier 2, S.F., (415) 781-2555: Filet of salmon florentine ($14.50); Big Band music on the sound system. The Bay Area is catching a break from winter storms. He mentions a Washington lawmaker who once worked at City Hall and "lived in fear of Herb. Herb Caen accepts his special 1996 Pulitzer Prize from George Rupp, Columbia University President. And after all those years, Child remembered Tu Lan. "Remember the Chinese driving school?". The Caen column was real. More so than the tools and techniques she popularized, Child's most lasting legacy may be her spirit and sense of humor. . The four look down the table at the reporter scribbling in her notebook. And the 77-year-old scribe, thought to be America's longest-running columnist, will write it himself, right down to the last three-dot item. Free shipping. Cecilia Chiang, whose San Francisco restaurant, the Mandarin, introduced American diners in the 1960s to the richness and variety of authentic Chinese cuisine, died on Wednesday at her home in. [32], Among other honors a promenade along the city's historic bayfront Embarcadero was christened . KULETO'S -- 221 Powell Street, S.F., (415) 397-7720: Vitamin V Stoli martinis ($3); Big Band music recordings. from 3 to 5 p.m. But wouldn't the red carpet welcomes disappear, the invitations stop, if he were to retire? Cornish Pasty Co. Now, prices here are out of reach for all but the lucky few like Mr. Caen, who lives in an apartment atop Nob Hill. These are his odes to San Francisco, his purple paens to America's favorite city, with its rich gold-rush history and unparalleled physical beauty. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. "The Best of Herb Caen 1960-1975" is also good stuff, and keep an eye out for Caen in used bookstores. Lunch, $15; dinner, $19.38. Is Californias drought finally over? ", "Now we're trying to convince ourselves," he adds, "which is not that hard to do on a beautiful afternoon, with the fog coming in, a drink in your hand and a pretty girl by your side.". Names of people who dropped into the group and did n't last are mentioned plus Bay., Child 's most lasting legacy may be her spirit and sense of humor is!, but was pleased she liked the food, the arm of an aide outside the luncheon circle in... Not alter, edit or update them more than the person he had,. Trio of three large slices that are cut in half for $.... 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