Culinary Muse

BRAVO TO BRAVE ENTREPRENEURS

I am constantly dazzled by the creativity that entrepreneurs display everyday. We love the Internet for making the world a smaller place and for getting the world out to like minded enthusiasts. And being a self-employed entrepreneur myself, I empathize with the amount of determination and courage it takes to put yourself and your ideas on the line. To say not only ‘yes, I can do this’ but to show up everyday and walk the walk. Here are a few San Francisco entrepreneurs that I would like to recognize. All have taken an interesting idea that they came up with themselves and ran with it. Bravo!

HOME AGAIN

The Culinary Muse returns from hiatus to find that San Francisco is in the middle of its best time of year - Indian Summer - with a dash of rain (we prefer to think of it as a heavy fog) thrown in for good measure.  There was just enough rain yesterday to keep the tourists alert and to discourage them from thinking (realizing?) that we live in paradise.  One of these tourists, a stockbroker from Illinois, was telling the Muse that he first visited San Francisco in 1957.  He was on leave from the Marine Corps.  When he arrived he headed straight to North Beach where he spent his entire week's leave. To this day this obviously successful businessman from the era of The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit sounded wistful as he spoke of beatniks and coffee houses.  In semi-retirement, he is trying to talk his wife into moving to SF but she won't leave Illinois and their ten grandchildren.  His children have all married into old families with deep local roots so they are staying put as well.  But he is still trying to figure out a way to come back.  Maybe the phrase 'I left my heart in San Francisco' rings true for more people than the Muse realized.  People do seem to leave at least part of their souls here.  Time spent in San Francisco is transforming.  The natural beauty stirs souls but so does the underlying sense of freedom and possibility.  As Emily Dickinson might say we "dwell in possibility....".  So nice to be home.

A Wake at the Top of the Mark

My friend Jane died a few Fridays ago. She went peacefully as two of her sons, Jim, David and I sat with her. After such a momentous event is over it is hard to know what to do next. It seemed odd to just say good-bye to each other and to go our separate ways. We had witnessed a life passing. It seemed appropriate to find a way to celebrate her life in a way that she would have enjoyed.  It was David who suggested the Top of the Mark. Of course.  Very San Francisco. Very Nob Hill.  Cocktails with a view.  I could almost hear Jane’s husky laugh at the thought of it.