A Quick Checking Out of THE SECOND SAN FRANCISCO EPINIONS MEET N' GREET.
Mar 28 '05 (Updated May 02 '05)
The Bottom Line Thanks to Garrett and all the Epinions staff for their hospitality and intelligent conversation. Thanks to all the Epinonators who turned up and made the day so pleasant.
A foggy afternoon on the Frisco Waterfront, right on the refurbished Embarcadero, and the imported palm trees were shuddering in a fresh afternoon breeze. Late as usual, I leapt from a Yellow Cab at the foot of Harrison Street. [The cabbie seemed uncertain where the Bay was, and I had been forced to direct him away from Ocean Beach; the second time, he muttered something into his cellphone; I thought I might really be taken for a ride.] I checked the address: The Gordon Biersch Microbrewery, 2 Harrison Street, true enough.
About three blocks from the new Pac-Bell Stadium, Gordon Biersch's is a big brick structure with old fashioned arched windows facing the water. Inside, the decor is Barbary Coast Modern, lots of brass, copper and roughly shellacked wood. The bar area was crowded and lively. A waiter directed me upstairs, where I found the nucleus of what would become 40 Epinionators, including four or five Epinions suits (or should I say T-shirts?), gathered at a large service bar or sitting at tables, looking out at the blue-gray Bay Bridge soaring off to the north.
The day before had approached record temperatures for the date, this day was a more conventional San Francisco day, certainly for visitors.
At that moment, I recalled meeting David Biersch at a reception in THE MAD DOG IN THE FOG on Haight Street, around the opening of this first of his several Bay Area brewery restaurants. At the time, and until recently, I thought his name was Gordon, but Dan Gordon is his Munchen-trained brewmeister. Their trademark puts the last names of the beer maker and the chef-businessman together.
I glanced about.
Very nice, I thought.
It had been a good week. Not only had I knocked out a number of movie reviews well ahead of their theatrical openings, but I discovered that an Epinion of mine was to be cited in an article on influences of Othello in TOUCH OF EVIL in a scholarly magazine appearing later in the Spring. (It's an issue devoted to Orson Welles' Shakespeare films.) I also received word that I had been given an acknowledgment by Clinton Heylin (author of the definitive biography of Bob Dylan) in his new study, Despite the System: Orson Welles vs. the Studios, for my Epinion on Welles' MR. ARKADIN. [But wouldn't you know? the publishers had misspelled "Epinions"!] Finally, as a matter of speculation, a journalist friend has told me Stephan Droessler of the Munich Film Archive is using the same Epinion in constructing a restored version of MR. ARKADIN.
And so, I was in a mood to celebrate, or as close to it as I get these days.
Wayne K. Mathias, my San Francisco-born Hollywood collaborator, well-met through Epinions, was already there chatting up a succession of pretty Epinionators. He directed me to a sideboard of crudites, crab cakes, kabobs, chicken and calamari. A waiter came by and I ordered a Margarita
Soon I was in conversation not only with Wayne (waynio), but the magnificent Stephen Murray, perky adriennefoster, restaurant CL megugrrl (she of the startling beautiful freckles), judicious Tom Barnes and Dr. Deviance (the latter pair in from Washington D. C, and I believe just married or getting so) -- all nice people. A tall pretty woman proved to be, as I might have guessed, gaelkm, who was most kind and interesting. Later, I met her companion, Tom Murray, who I hope found some splendid Lobster Bisque for Gail, after their long trip from Santa Barbara.
The several Epinions' hosts and hostesses were very attentive, and they listened to our suggestions. Garrett acted as M.C. Paul, as wolfishly handsome as ever, provided facts and figures. Christal seemed in a more confident position, as pleasant as ever. Sarah asked a number of searching questions. Will Holt, a young nuts and bolts man, was typically quiet, but the delightful and delightfully named Zane Selkirk, scintillated coltish intelligence (which, as Wayne pointed out, may come with a Yale education). Late in the day, as the last time, horswhspr arrived with his guitar, and though he did not unlimber the instrument, despite much urging, his speech is like the music of sagebrush wisdom, the real stuff.
Lots of food and drink, including a number of very substantial handcrafted beers, on draught. I was awarded, as were the rest of us, with a beautiful black jacket, marked by a small, tasteful tag, "Epinions meet n'greet San Francisco," on the breast pocket. Just the thing to wear while stalking through the old fog of modern San Francisco. And of course, those Epinion dolls multiply like energizer bunnies. Most of us carried off one or more sets.
A number of people were taking pictures, but so far, I have seen none of them.
In any case, we all seemed to enjoy ourselves.
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GORDON BIERSCH'S MICROBREWERY RESTAURANT:
Address:
2 Harrison Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-243-8246
Fax:415-243-9214
Hours:
Sun-Mon: 11:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Tues-Thurs: 11:30 AM - midnight
Fri-Sat: 11:30 AM - 1:00 AM
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The PICTURES have arrived from Crystal and Paul. See such legendary writers as Stephen Murray, Gaelkm, horswhyspr, and waynio:
http://img.epinions.com/images/epi_images/meet_and_greet/san_francisco_2005/index.html
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Here is a review of another good pub restaurant, a little more rough and ready, perhaps, than GORDON BIERSCH's:
THE MAD DOG IN THE FOG PUB --
http://www.epinions.com/rest-review-4F9B-17F555C-3890FD23-bd3
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And here are the URL's of the two reviews recently singled out by experts on the work of Orson Welles:
CONFIDENTIAL REPORT/MR. ARKADIN --
http://www.epinions.com/mvie-review-7A18-458AFFD2-3A4C153E-prod3
TOUCH OF EVIL --
http://www.epinions.com/mvie-review-56EB-4CC3BE-38C95F91-prod4
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Epinions.com ID:
macresarf1
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 - Top 100 |
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Location: San Francisco, Ca.
Reviews written: 563
Trusted by: 378 members
About Me:
12/1/09: Afghanistan, again: Between the Republican Devils and the Deep Blue Dog Obama.
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