Where to Find the Real Debauchery of the Barbary Coast in San Francisco

by David Farley on
I once interviewed writer David Sedaris for a San Francisco weekly newspaper. My boss had one request: you have to ask him one or two San Francisco-related questions. So when I asked his thoughts on the City by the Bay, he said: “It’s one of the most volatile, tense cities I’ve ever been in.” This was a lot coming from someone who’s on a constant book tour and has probably visited every city in America dozens of times. “The last time I was in town,” Sedaris added, feeling compelled to give me an example, “my friend and I had just come out of movie and suddenly a guy was running at us swinging a chain over his head.”

It’s uncertain whether this chain-twirling lunatic was indirectly inspired by the legend of the Barbary Coast, but, as Daniel Bacon said in a previous post, the legendary neighborhood has imprinted its DNA onto the city. From the current strip clubs and peeps shows that line Broadway (which were once part of the Barbary Coast drag, Pacific St.) to the openness with which the city welcomes people of every stripe. But besides the obvious – like those strip clubs – where else, I wondered, could I find spiritual remnants of the old neighborhood. Specifically, where to find the real debauchery of the Barbary Coast in San Francisco?

There’s the Tenderloin. Specifically one block on Turk Street, which the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported was the most dangerous block in the city. Violent crime is 35 times higher on this block. Just 438 people live on the city block, yet in a six-month period there were 248 crimes reported. I wanted to go see it for myself, but I like my health and my wallet.

So instead I went to the Saloon, the oldest bar in San Francisco, and right on the medallion-guided Barbary Coast Trail. I started to think I was on to something when 28-year-old Sophie, sitting next to me at the bar, announced she was a heroin addict. “Oh look,” she said, studying a pea-sized black dot on her thumb, “how did some junk end up on my finger?” She picked off the tar-like substance and deposited the remnant into her pocket. Soon enough her dealer showed up and he whipped out a bag of heroin, stuck it in her face to smell and said, “This is for later.” But before that, a procession of characters were dispatched into the place that felt like central casting was having a busy day. There were trannies. There were guys with headbands and leather jackets playing Bob Dylan songs on a harmonica. There was Tommy, a flamboyant homeless guy who would blurt out random statements like “Let’s all wait until daddy’s butt gets flat” and “I’m not a hanging uterus.”


As I sat there taking it all in, sipping a vodka and tonic (and at $3, a bargain), I realized that this kind of debauchery has been going on in this space for the last 160 years. The real remnants of the Barbary Coast are not necessarily the physical remnants of the neighborhood, but instead living in certain people. It’s in Jonny Raglin at the Comstock Saloon and Daniel Bacon who started the Barbary Coast Trail. It’s in all these people in the Saloon who are screaming and laughing and slamming their empty drinks down while demanding another.

I emptied my glass, said farewell to Sophie and the rest of the Saloon regulars, and walked out into the fading San Francisco day, the weak sun splashing me in the face as I walked away from the Barbary Coast for the last time.

Random Acts of Debauchery on San Francisco’s Barbary Coast

by David Farley on
In the 1850s, the San Francisco Herald published a story that began like this:

“There are certain spots in our city, infested by the most abandoned men and women, that have acquired a reputation little better than the Five Points of New York or St. Giles of London. [It] is crowded by thieves, gamblers, low women, drunken sailors, and similar characters, who resort to the groggeries that line the street, and there spend the night in the most hideous orgies.”


In Herbert Asbury’s “The Barbary Coast: An Informal History of the San Francisco Underworld,” he writes about random acts of debauchery on San Francisco’s Barbary Coast. Some favorites include a saloon called the the Fierce Grizzly, literally named because there was a live bear chained by the door. The bar served a milk cocktail, usually mixed with gin or whisky. When a preacher showed up one day at the Fierce Grizzly hoping to get some material for a future sermon on the den of iniquity that was the Barbary Coast, he was offered a glass of such “milk.”
“What do you call that?” he asked after taking a sip and then a larger sip.

“Just milk,” said the bartender.

“Ah!” the preacher exclaimed. “What a glorious cow.”

Not to be outdone, the Boar’s Head also offered entertainment involving the animal kingdom. Asbury writes, “The principal attraction was a sexual exhibition in which a woman and a boar participated.” He didn’t go into detail, leaving it to our wildest imaginations.

In the next few days, I’ll go searching for the debaucherous spirit of the Barbary Coast in San Francisco today. Let us hope there are no pigs or bears–at least not of the animal variety–in my future.

Five (almost) labor-free recipes for Labor Day

by Laurel Miller on

I love to cook. Just not for myself. What I truly enjoy is feeding family and friends, but indoors or out the last thing I want to deal with is a labor-intensive meal–especially when it’s hot. So, in honor of the upcoming holiday weekend, I’m sharing five of my favorite, late summer recipes. They feature easy-to-find ingredients, regardless of where you live, but if you can purchase the produce and meat at your local farmer’s market or from another sustainable source, so much the better. In my opinion, the key to great food (especially where home cooks are concerned) lies in the quality of the ingredients. Even if you’re visiting friends, local ingredients can be adapted or found for these travel-friendly dishes.

The following require little in the way of skill, prep and clean-up, leaving you more time to enjoy the final days of summer with the ones you love (or want to impress). All of the following serve two, and can be easily increased to serve a large dinner party or barbecue.

1. Pancetta-wrapped pears (or peaches) with blue cheese
Allow one piece of fruit per person, and be sure to use ripe, but not mushy, produce–softer pear varieties such as Bosc, French Butter, or Warren are ideal. Halve each piece of fruit, and core or remove pit. Brush cut surfaces lightly with olive oil, and wrap each half in a piece of good-quality bacon, pancetta, or prosciutto (you may want to use a wooden skewer or toothpick to secure it during cooking). Grill over medium-hot coals (start with one half of fruit; if it’s taking too long, wait until coals are hot) until bacon or prosciutto is crisp, and fruit is slightly caramelized. Serve with lightly dressed bitter greens, and garnish with a creamy, non-assertive blue cheese such as Original Blue, Blue d’Auvergne, or Bleu d’Basque.

[Photo credit: Flickr user Pink Thistle]2. Panzanella
I can’t claim credit for this Tuscan classic, but it should be in every cook’s repertoire. Tear a loaf of day-old, country-style bread into 1-inch pieces, drizzle with olive oil, and toast until golden brown. While bread cools, halve one pint of miniature tomatoes, and cut 2 to 4 medium-size tomatoes (I prefer to use a mixture of heirloom varieties for the best color and flavor) into chunks. Place bread in large bowl, and add tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and one tablespoon of good Balsamic or Sherry vinegar. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss with hands until ingredients are combined. Just before serving, tear basil leaves into small pieces and toss into salad.

3. Fingerling potato and haricot vert salad
Scrub 1-1/2 pounds of fingerling or new potatoes, halve or quarter them, and place them in a large saucepan or stockpot of cold water. Boil until tender, and drain. Pinch stems from 1/2-pound of haricot vert, blanch until tender (the younger and thinner they are, the better they’ll taste), and drain. Finely mince one medium shallot, and one clove garlic. Add shallots and garlic to small saucepan with 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil and heat on low until the the shallots and garlic are lightly sizzling (they shouldn’t brown) and the oil is fragrant. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of Champagne or white wine vinegar, and add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard (optional). Coarsely chop one large handful of Italian parsley. Place the potatoes and haricot vert in a serving bowl, and add enough of the shallot vinaigrette to coat potatoes without making the salad soggy. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, add parsley, and toss to combine.

4. Grilled ribeyes with mustard-herb butter
Heat grill until coals are hot. While grill is heating, take a 1/2-stick of room temperature, unsalted butter, and place in small bowl. Add 1-2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard (or as needed), finely minced herbs such as chives, parsley, or chervil, teaspoon minched shallot or garlic and a pinch of salt. Mash ingredients together with a fork until desired flavor is reached.

Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on counter, and place butter at one end of the plastic wrap, shaping it into a log. Roll the butter up (be sure not to roll the plastic into it) to form a tube, and twist the ends of the plastic. Chill until ready to use. Pat steaks dry and generously season both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and grill until medium rare. Arrange a small mound of bitter greens in the center of each plate, add a steak, and top each with an ounce of butter. Serve immediately.

5. Grilled peaches with raspberries and ricotta
Heat grill until coals are hot. Halve peaches, and brush cut surfaces very lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking. Grill until the cut side of the fruit is soft and caramelized. Serve in a shallow dish or bowl with raspberries and a large dollop of good-quality ricotta, Greek yogurt, unsweetened whipped cream, or fromage blanc. Garnish with chopped, toasted pistachios.

All recipes except panzanella copyright The Sustainable Kitchen®

[Photo credits: tomatoes, Flickr user wayneandwax; greens, Flickr user burntfat]

London day trip: Oxford

by Sean McLachlan on


London is one of the most popular destinations in Europe because of its eclectic shopping, crazy nightlife, and world-class museums and galleries. It can get a bit tiring and stressful, though. For those who want to get out of the Smoke and see a bit more of England, Oxford makes an easy and enjoyable day trip.

Getting there
The best way to get to Oxford from London is the Oxford Tube, which has regular bus service from various points in London up to four times an hour. There’s train service from Paddington station too, although it’s more expensive. There are also direct buses from Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

What to see
Oxford is famous for its university, one of the oldest in Europe. The Gothic and Victorian architecture of its more than two dozen colleges give Oxford much of its charm. Most are open to the public and feature beautiful quads with ivy-covered walls, and medieval chapels with stained glass and soaring roofs. Be sure to take a guided tour of the Bodleian Library, one of the largest in the world and home to some ornate medieval interiors. In the photo above courtesy Tejvanphotos, you can see the ornate Radcliffe Camera, one of the library buildings where I do research in the summer. If you see a guy in a Gadling t-shirt buried in a pile of books on medieval history, take him out for a pint.

Being a seat of learning, Oxford also has several good museums. Three of the best are the Pitt-Rivers for its ethnographic collection, the Ashmolean for its ancient artifacts, and the Museum of the History of Science. The River Thames passes through town and is locally called the Isis. There’s a pleasant riverside walk you can do, or you can strike out on the water by going punting. The best way to get orientated to Oxford is to go on one of the many tours. There are regular walking tours, bicycle tours, charity fundraising tours run by Oxfam, and ghost tours.

%Gallery-131760%Eating and Drinking
Oxford is filled with restaurants, many of them rather disappointing. Here are some of the better ones. The Grand Cafe is on the site of England’s first coffeehouse, built in 1650. Today it serves Continental cuisine in a refined atmosphere. The Vaults and Garden Cafe under the Church of St. Mary serves up healthy food and good coffee under the medieval vaults that give it its name. Chiang Mai Kitchen serves excellent Thai food. High tea at the Randolph Hotel is an Oxford tradition. For a more diverse selection, head down Cowley Road for a variety of Arab, Indian, Caribbean, and Slavic restaurants.

If you like English pubs, you’ll feel right at home here. The White Horse on Broad Street is popular with visitors as well as scholars who flee the Bodleian for a mid-afternoon pint. The Turf just off Queen’s Lane is another popular spot and has outside seating. The Eagle and Child on Saint Giles is famous for being the drinking spot of the Inklings, a writers’ group that included J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.

Hiking
Oxford makes a great base for hikes to nearby villages and ancient monuments. You can walk along the Thames Path to Abingdon, visit the Rollright Stones (a stone circle), see a folly, and hike England’s oldest road–the Ridgeway.

Staying Overnight
With so much to do, you might want to stay overnight. Unfortunately Oxford is filled with mediocre or just plain bad B&Bs and hotels, and they’re all overpriced. I’ve found only two I would recommend. The Ethos Hotel is in a quiet residential neighborhood and an easy walk into town. Some rooms come with a kitchenette so you can stock up food and save a bit of money. The Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel is utterly lacking in atmosphere but it’s right in the middle of the action on High Street. Living on a writer’s wages I’ve not tried the luxurious Randolph but I’ve heard it’s pretty good.

When to go
If at all possible avoid going in the summer, when Oxford is crammed with tourists and English-language students. The autumn is nice with the ivy changing color, and the spring is fine too. Winter isn’t as bad as you might think. Yes, it’s gold and gray, but the university hosts a lot of cultural life such as concerts and lectures during term time.

Stepping Outside of Manhattan for a Long Island Experience

by Gadling Staff on

For the urbane traveler, New York City is thought to be the apogee of culture and excitement. But during late summer and early fall, everyone – even visitors – could use a respite from the sweaty, crowded, concrete jungle. And there’s no better place to visit than the city’s equally alluring neighbor, Long Island.

One of Long Island’s greatest draws is its southern shoreline. The best place to find roaring swells and superb fishing is at the end of the South Fork in Montauk. If you’re a beachgoer who prefers sun to surf, Montauk offers that, too. Check out the Montauk Point Lighthouse, which looks like a precarious beacon sitting at the end of the world. There are plenty of rooms in Montauk, but if you’re a camper, Hither Hills Campground puts you closer to the beach than any oceanfront property. While you’re there, stop for a savory bowl of New England clam chowder at the isolated restaurant Lunch in Amagansett. Also on the menu is the lobster roll, the now ubiquitous sandwich that Lunch claims to have originated. (Traveler beware: Before Labor Day, accommodations, even campsites, are hard to find, and traffic on Friday or Saturday out to the South Fork can be nightmarish.)

If you want a blend of the island’s high-priced Hamptons and relaxed Montauk (and desire a much shorter ride from Manhattan), jump into your car or ride the Long Island Railroad to the ferry stations of Bay Shore, Sayville, or Patchogue and sail over to car-free Fire Island. (Thursday to Saturday, you can hydrate at Blue Point Brewery in Patchogue, just a few blocks from the train station.) On Fire Island, plum trees and tall grass grow wild and create an idyllic vibe. The beaches are pristine and wild deer roam the dunes. If a peaceful day is your goal, head to the sleepy villages of Kismet or Saltaire, but if you’re looking to party, make Ocean Beach your destination. For a repast in OB, have a bite at Island Mermaid, next to the ferry, and enjoy views across the expansive Great South Bay. Sip down your meal with Fire Island’s indigenous libation, rocket fuel-a hopped-up piña colada.

For the more adventurous traveler, skip the ferry ride and drive to Robert Moses State Park. Find parking at field 5 and bike east, one mile past the lighthouse, onto Fire Island. Though at first the path is pocked with rocks and sand traps, once you reach the threshold of residential Kismet there are easy-to-traverse concrete and boardwalk paths. (You can also walk into Kismet and rent a bike in town.) After enjoying the quiet beaches, continue riding to the end of Atlantique, just a few miles down, and walk the mile along the beach to OB. The village of OB doesn’t allow bike riding on weekends. Further east and accessible by water taxi, or by ferry from the mainland, is a verdant sunken forest at Sailors Haven that is worth exploring.Another beach option that is less than one hour from Manhattan is Long Beach. This year, during the first two weeks of September, Long Beach will host surfing’s World Tour. The one-million-dollar prize purse (the tour’s highest ever) is attracting the world’s best surfers for the East Coast’s first ever Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour event. The town, which has a population of about 33,000 people, will be bustling. Expect skate parks, BMX riding, music venues, and crowds that are expected to reach the tens of thousands. (If you visit before Labor Day, purchase the “Beach Getaway” package for $21 from the Long Island Railroad ticketing machine; this includes round-trip fare and bargain beach access.)

Long Island also has some beautiful parks that are perfect for families, birders, and romantics. On the North Shore are Caumsett, a historic state park in Huntington, and the densely wooded Welwyn Preserve in Glen Cove. If hiking is your forte, a moderately strenuous trail begins just behind the Cold Spring Harbor library. The 26-mile adventure (though even trekking the first few miles is sufficient) makes you feel like you’re upstate.

The pearl of Long Island, however, is further along the North Shore: Wine country. Once dominated by potato fields, the North Fork has been transformed into vineyards and is ideal for winemaking thanks to its loamy soil, generous sunlight, and location between the sound and bay, which provides both natural irrigation and winds that dry the vines.

There are two roads on the northern prong that offer visitors access to the nearly 50 winemakers of Long Island: Routes 48 and 25. You’ll have a fine time traveling both, but my top five tasting rooms sit on or near to 48. If 9 a.m., midweek isn’t too early for you, Macari hosts the region’s first tasting and showcases beautiful views of its vineyard in the Mattituck Hills. Their Bergen Road is a beautiful red blend. Stop next at the island’s founding vineyard, Castello di Borghese (open at 10 a.m., a good hour before the rest). On Thursday and Sunday, tour with the owner, and an actual Italian prince, Marco Borghese. Try their pinot noir — they are one of only three vineyards in the region that attempt growing this finicky grape.

The most oddly situated tasting room is Waters Crest. Jim Waters, a retired fireman and 9/11 hero, took his garage-honed grape-stomping skills and opened his tasting room in a shopping center along Route 48. Though it’s hard to picture a quality tasting room in a strip mall, his whites and reds are unrivaled in the region. Waters also conducts Vine University, a two-day winemaking experience for those interested in learning the art. (The next one is September 10th and 11th.)

After leaving the shopping center, turn down Peconic Lane and look for a quaint yellow storefront just before the railroad crossing. This small shop is The Winemaker’s Studio, a newly opened tasting room. Winemaker Anthony Nappa breaks rules with his white pinot noir, which is typically a red wine, and his 2010 earthy Bordo, a cabernet franc that was released rebelliously early. His tastes are unique and his prices are unbeatable. The Winemaker’s Studio includes three other permanent winemakers-including John Leo, whose Family Red is superb-and Nappa also features a rotating list of noteworthy “weird” wines.

Another must-sip is Sparkling Pointe, the only winery in the state that produces purely sparkling wine. Their winemaker, born just outside of the gates of Champagne, France, has brought that acclaimed style to this Brazilian-themed, ultra-modern tasting room. Join them Friday nights for Brazilian dancing.

For breakfast or lunch, stop at Erik’s on 48. And for dinner head into Greenport or try one of the restaurants along 25. (If you find yourself on Route 25 with some extra time to drink, The Old Field Vineyards offers tastings in a rustic setting. You can also stop in at Bedell Cellars and afterward take your receipt to their sister winery up the road at Corey Creek for a free tasting.)

There’s no better time to visit the wine region than harvest season, which begins in late September. This year also happens to be an excellent time to responsibly tipple your way around the North Fork. 2007 and 2010 were the best harvests the region has ever seen, thanks to those years’ hot, dry summers. The 2007 reds are still available and the newly released 2010 whites are a prime vintage.

For accommodations, try the brand new Cedar House on Sound, which has billiards in the great room and solar panels on the roof, or Shinn Estate. Both are tranquil B&Bs run by winemakers, which means the juice keeps flowing.

If you’re traveling with kids, fear not. While you’re wining, abate the whining with stop-offs at the myriad pick-your-own apple, pumpkin, and berry patches in the area. Most of the family farms here have everything from hayrides to candy apples. Nearby, there’s shopping at the Tanger Outlet Center and fun can be had at the aquarium or at Splish Splash water park, until Labor Day.

Whether it’s beaches, parks, farms, or vineyards, there’s something for all on the island that dwarfs Manhattan.