Drink up this new review by Pete

Of All the Gin Joints

by Mark Bailey and Edward Hemingway

If you're a fan of the legends and lore of old Hollywood, or of the more recent golden age of Natalie Wood, Dennis Hopper, Liz and Dick, Frank Sinatra, and Marilyn Monroe, 'Of All the Gin Joints' is a great gift book for you or that movie buff you know.

The book begins with the silent movie era with stories about such luminaries as Fatty Arbuckle, John Barrymore, Clara Bow, and Louise Brooks. Following tales of their exploits, a drink recipe is printed along with a feature on the famous bars and hotels where the stars imbibed. Here's one thing I learned after reading this book: Charlie Sheen and Lindsey Lohan did not invent Hollywood partying to excess. Tallulah Bankhead, Richard Burton, and Errol Flynn ran wild at night (and day) and staggered into their close-ups by morning. And while it may sound decadent and adventurous to take an actual champagne bath, it didn't end so happily for Natalie Wood. It seems that champagne burned rather than tickled the intended areas. 

There's also a story -- believe it or not -- about how John Wayne may have been one of the inventors of the Margarita. There's a good recipe for that classic drink as well. If you've ever had the pleasure of having a Mai Tai at Trader Vic's, you'll enjoy reading about the history of the chain. But it wasn't the first American Tiki bar. Don's Beachcomber takes that honor. If you had a drink called 'The Zombie' there, hopefully you remember it. Judging by the recipe, it's not for beginners. 

San Francisco Days, San Francisco Night: A Book Review by Pete

When I look out my window

many sights to see.

And when I look in my window

so many different people to be. 

That it's strange

so strange

The song 'Season of the Witch' by Donovan

Season of the Witch, a book by David Talbot, covers the wild history of San Francisco from roughly the Summer of Love in 1967 to the late 1980's post HIV/AIDS crisis. To refer to that era as colorful is indeed an understatement. It seemed as if everything but a major earthquake shook the city back then, and its pieces were scattered everywhere. Scott McKenzie sang 'If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.' The hippies came in droves in search of free love and drug experimentation. But the party had to end sometime, and many revelers succumbed to std's and overdoses.

The hippies weren't the only ones clashing cultures with the old Italian/Irish Catholic power structure of the time. Next came anti-war in Vietnam protesters, race riots and other civil rights demonstrations, neighborhood gentrification, porn theaters, radical anarchists, Patty Hearst, the Jim Jones cult, and the assassinations of Mayor Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. But bright spots also emerged within the cataclysm. San Francisco was on the leading edge of the locally grown food movement, grew into a place of tolerance for gay and transgender individuals, became a model for compassionate healthcare for those afflicted with HIV/AIDS, and even witnessed the unlikely rise of Joe Montana and the Super Bowl winning San Francisco 49ers. 

I've only visited San Francisco a few times, but after reading this amazing historical account I certainly need to visit again. For despite all its calamities, The City by the Bay is indeed a resilient and beautiful national treasure. 

Below, are some pictures from Miki's most recent trips to San Francisco.  Perhaps you can share with us your San Francisco experience...

Picture of the city from The Legion of Honor Museum 

View of the Golden Gate Bridge from the Legion of Honor Museum

City Lights Books and Jack Kerouac Way in China Town

A Boutique in the Haight Ashbury District