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Tanforan Mall Closing

lizard said:
Chris, the owner. This was WAY before his shop became popular that saw him expand to Satan’s Row.


since Straits Cafe got popular. It always sucks when something goes mainstream.
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Back in the day, that guy was a hairdresser.

Then suddenly, he was on television.

Just a personal opinion. The food of Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei...... extremely difficult to find a good interpretation. There are a few restaurants. Some are passable. But it crosses the line when you are charged $$$XXX for something as simple as "chicken-rice". Almost as bad as paying high dollars for "high end Vietnamese"........ What do you want me to pay for spring rolls?

I remember going to Ana Mandara. Back when they 1st opened. The chef was making rounds in the dining room as we were seated. He greeted us, and proceeded with the usual chat-up. My ex girlfriend spoke to him in Vietnamese. We didn't have to order. The chef sent out a few classic vietnamese dishes at his discretion. As I recall, those were not dishes on the official menu. We got a whole fish with the head and tail attached. A clay pot with catfish. Sticky rice with the Chinese sausage.
 
AdamFiveFive said:
Back in the day, that guy was a hairdresser.

Then suddenly, he was on television.

Just a personal opinion. The food of Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei...... extremely difficult to find a good interpretation. There are a few restaurants. Some are passable. But it crosses the line when you are charged $$$XXX for something as simple as "chicken-rice". Almost as bad as paying high dollars for "high end Vietnamese"........ What do you want me to pay for spring rolls?

I remember going to Ana Mandara. Back when they 1st opened. The chef was making rounds in the dining room as we were seated. He greeted us, and proceeded with the usual chat-up. My ex girlfriend spoke to him in Vietnamese. We didn't have to order. The chef sent out a few classic vietnamese dishes at his discretion. As I recall, those were not dishes on the official menu. We got a whole fish with the head and tail attached. A clay pot with catfish. Sticky rice with the Chinese sausage.
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+1

Been twice to Slanted Door. First time was out of curiosity. Second time was the my date wanted to check it out :rolleyes

The original Slanted Door helped usher in the gentrification of the Mish. Back in the day, the Mish was gritty and legit. Dug going to La Rondalla, Mexican joint on Valencia. Christmas lights 365 days a year. I don’t recall any other restaurants on Valencia at that time. I felt like I was splurging when I went there instead of taquerias on Mission. And Mission Street? It was like you were in a different world. Loved it.

My vietnamese “go to” back in the day was Cordon Blue on California(?). Been so long I don’t remember.

Nice story on Ana Mandara. Best part of the fish is the head - thats where the gill meat and eyes are. I know you know this; just FYI-ing the KSers who are repulsed by the sight of a whole fish.

Chris was a hairdresser? :wtf
 
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Slanted Door is way, way overrated and overpriced. Dude just opened a sandwich shop in the Mission and is selling Banh Mis for $17.
 
Agent Orange said:
Slanted Door is way, way overrated and overpriced. Dude just opened a sandwich shop in the Mission and is selling Banh Mis for $17.
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If I had that chef's rep I'd be doing the same thing. Because fools in the mish will pay for a $17 Banh Mi.

The best restaurant service I've ever had was at Slanted Door. Was hosting a dinner there for a person's 40th birthday, we had a party of around 15 people. I casually asked the waiter of a dish had onions in it - I have an allergy to onions.

They made separate small portions of every single dish the entire table had ordered, at no additional charge.
 
Agent Orange said:
Slanted Door is way, way overrated and overpriced. Dude just opened a sandwich shop in the Mission and is selling Banh Mis for $17.
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Sing Sing is my “go to” in the ‘loin. If you’re been there, you know.
 
When the minum wage was $5, I think that there were $5 burgers and sandwiches. So if a San Francisco restaurant is paying minimum wage of $17 - it almost makes sense. Almost.
 
AdamFiveFive said:
When the minum wage was $5, I think that there were $5 burgers and sandwiches. So if a San Francisco restaurant is paying minimum wage of $17 - it almost makes sense. Almost.
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Did you ever venture to potrero hill? There was a torta shop a block or two from O’Connell. Owner baked his own bread. My “go to” was a carnitas torta. The guy would use one hand and hold the bread like a baby then drop a large mound of carnitas onto the bread. Then he dip a serving spoon into his bowl of chilis including the liquid and then pour it over the carnitas. One bite and face on fire but so delish can’t stop eating.

Then ‘89 quake. His building was damaged. Never saw him again. One of the best sammies I ever ate.

Then there was the deli on Fell(?) across from sacred heart - $1.50 per sammy.

And Scandinavian Restaurant on upper market across the funeral home. More on that joint and how the owner flew in babes from northern europe to staff his restaurant. He’s porbably dead now. Bromance for Ernst.
 
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Way, way, way, back...... so many memorable spots. My memory is prejudiced by nostalgia. In truth, those places were probably not as good as my memory wants them to be. Sam Jordan's on 3rd, before the family ran it into the ground. The Lucky Penny on Geary and Masonic. Doggie Diner. Clown Alley. Zim's. The old "Cliff House" when the mechanical museum was still there. The Pierce Street Annex on Fillmore. Liverpool Lil's at The Presidio Gates. The old Sam Wo's, across from the old Golden Dragon - back when the owner's daughter worked there. Club DV8 where guys could meet a LadyBoy without flying to Thailand. The 24 hour Video Cafe on 21st & Geary. The Kanzaki Lounge in J-Town. Cesar's Latin Palace - where the owner was always running for mayor. Trader Vic's in Cosmo Alley. Original Joe's on Turk & Taylor. Tunnel Top Bar, where Bush roofs Stockton - where Miles Archer was done in by Brigid O'Shaughnessy.

The old San Francisco is gone. The corner store at Clay & Taylor is still there. But Frank Bullitt isn't going in to buy frozen dinners, and walk across the street to his apartment. There will never be another chase with a Mustang and a Charger, going from The Marina Green to Guadalupe Canyon Parkway. We will never see an open air market of prostitution like when Slick Willie was 'da Mayor.

We have to live in the current San Francisco. Learn to like the shops and Farmers Market @ The Ferry Building. Appreciate The Exploratorium on The Embarcadero. Watch a Warriors game @ Chase.
 
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Last Chance For Romance

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AdamFiveFive said:
Way, way, way, back...... so many memorable spots. My memory is prejudiced by nostalgia. In truth, those places were probably not as good as my memory wants them to be. Sam Jordan's on 3rd, before the family ran it into the ground. The Lucky Penny on Geary and Masonic. Doggie Diner. Clown Alley. Zim's. The old "Cliff House" when the mechanical museum was still there. The Pierce Street Annex on Fillmore. Liverpool Lil's at The Presidio Gates. The old Sam Wo's, across from the old Golden Dragon - back when the owner's daughter worked there. Club DV8 where guys could meet a LadyBoy without flying to Thailand. The 24 hour Video Cafe on 21st & Geary. The Kanzaki Lounge in J-Town. Cesar's Latin Palace - where the owner was always running for mayor. Trader Vic's in Cosmo Alley. Original Joe's on Turk & Taylor. Tunnel Top Bar, where Bush roofs Stockton - where Miles Archer was done in by Brigid O'Shaughnessy.

The old San Francisco is gone. The corner store at Clay & Taylor is still there. But Frank Bullitt isn't going in to buy frozen dinners, and walk across the street to his apartment. There will never be another chase with a Mustang and a Charger, going from The Marina Green to Guadalupe Canyon Parkway. We will never see an open air market of prostitution like when Slick Willie was 'da Mayor.

We have to live in the current San Francisco. Learn to like the shops and Farmers Market @ The Ferry Building. Appreciate The Exploratorium on The Embarcadero. Watch a Warriors game @ Chase.
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Sam Wo? You went there? Thats like me saying I go to Shandong in Oakland CTown.

Man I miss Golden Dragon. Their chun kern had actual meat. ACTUAL MEAT!

Back in the day char siu bao did not have the slit on top. Who the fuck came up with that idea. There is still one shop where you can get CSB the way it used to be made. Forgot the name but its on Clement.

DNA Lounge… RC boats at Spreckles on Sunday… Ah yes, Pierce Street Annex, you hung out there? The triangle was a little yuppy for me. Witnessed my friend fall in love with a girl that walked into Balboa Cafe w her BF. They made the mother of all eye contact. When the BF went to take a piss my friend walked over to her, introduced himself. They went out a couple weeks later. Married. Kids.

Summers I’s take the L train up to 19th. Forgot the name of the theater. Parkside or Fox? Anyway, every summer to keep kids out of trouble they showed a different movie every day for 25 cents. Attack of the Crab Monster. Valley of the Gwangi…

Back to Scandinavian Restaurant on upper market. Late 80s I ate there once a week. I’d park for free across Market in the funeral home parking lot.

The restaurant was cafeteria style. Grab a tray and walk down the assorted dishes and tell Ernst what you wanted. Best deal for I think $6? Swedish meatballs if you want. Always say please if you want lingonberry sauce. His soups were delish along with his meatloaf.

He employed 3-4 girls. They were always changing. Young blondes from his native northern euro country. Don’t recall if it was Sweden or Finland. Girls were smokin’. I could never crack the code goddamnit.

For breakfast I’d stop by John’s Cafe on Mission. Chili cheese omelette. If I was in the Sunset I’d sometimes stop for lunch at that cafe on 19th. Forgot the name. He’s roast a turkey every day. His fresh roast turkey sammys were so good. Then there’s that diner on lower California near that motel. Took my beautiful half Japanese cousin there for lunch once.

Second floor at Vesuvius with the window table looking down at Columbus. That was my go to seat. I stopped going there after some Colorado import bartendress got uppity with me. Whatever… I’m an OG Sunset Boy.

Nostalgia makes the food taste better than what it was.
 
I'm guessing that nobody is nostalgic for the Panda Express in the food court of rundown mall.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any store at the mall that anyone would miss when Tanforan becomes housing. I guess we will just have to go to another mall for Gap, Forever 21, Victoria's Secret, and Wilson's Leather. There are other outlets for Hot Dog on a Stick and Orange Julius.

Me? I miss Sears and Radio Shack. Sears really did have halfway decent boots and hand tools. Radio Shack was the only place to buy small electrical parts. I think that the closest Sears store is now an hour away from San Francisco. And we will never see Radio Shack return.
 
Sears…. My old man would take me to Sears - is the building still there? That’s why I have a shitload of Craftsman tools. Made in the USA. Now they’re made of Chinesium - rickin’ Big Six killed the full lifetime guarantee. Their screwdrivers are still American made. When I need a Craftsman tool, I buy used American made on CL.

I’d stop by that Radio Shack on Market after work when i worked on Oak St near Van Ness in 82. It was a legit computer supply shop back then. Customers always looked like computer nerds. I often wondered if any of them hit it big. 1982. A few years later my CPA old man bought an IBM pc for $5K.

Wilson’s House of Suede, there’s your wayback machine. I think Johnson’s Leathers is still around. They relocated from Polk a few years ago. I’ll be buried in my Johnson’s jacket. The old man must be dead by now.

Btw, I never watched one episode of Nash Bridges and you probably know why.

Streets of San Francisco was my show.
 
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Johnson is still on Polk. My jackets came from Golden Bear. Back then, you could buy from the Golden Bear sewing factory - where some of us had relatives working there. Allegedly a discount price.

I'm having lunch at Pork Chop House right now. Usual collection of colorful locals. The Whit Crane building across the opposite corner now has cell phone towers on the roof. That's good extra rental income.
 
AdamFiveFive said:
Johnson is still on Polk. My jackets came from Golden Bear. Back then, you could buy from the Golden Bear sewing factory - where some of us had relatives working there. Allegedly a discount price.

I'm having lunch at Pork Chop House right now. Usual collection of colorful locals. The Whit Crane building across the opposite corner now has cell phone towers on the roof. That's good extra rental income.
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I was going to mention Golden Bear! I used to sell letterman jackets to SI and Sacred Heart made by GB. GB also made jackets for LL Bean.

Matter of fact, in their lobby they sold defects. I bought a defective LL Bean flight jacket from them for $100.

Marty, the owner, said he had to cut out the LL Bean label and I begged him not to. Nice guy so he left it alone. Size 38. Fits like a fucking glove. Its OG - fitted by size (38, 40, etc.), made of goatskin, and the back piece is one piece. New LL Bean jackets are made of frickin’ Chinesium, baggy AF because only available in S, M, L, etc. and the back piece is comprised of two pieces - seam right down the middle. And they’re long and go down past your ass. Its a piece of shit.

I walked many times thru the room with all the seamstresses. Probably saw your friends. Is Golden Bear still around?
 
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I went to school decades ago. Even then, there was a version of "cancel culture". History was omitted selectively. I remember being taught about the bravery of the 442nd Infantry Regiment. Internment camps were not mentioned at all.

Such was the condition of the public school system at the time. It is vital that the next generation is taught an unredacted version of history. Memorials, even small plaques like that, are important.

Maybe, even something as insignificant as a slight mention in an online forum like this, will draw another person's attention. Maybe someone else, out of curiosity, will want to learn more about the internment of Japanese Americans. Such a painful event, that even in my own family, it's not a topic for conversation.
 
Matter of fact, in their lobby they sold defects
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Some defects you can live with. A crooked stitch. The wrong shade on one panel which doesn't match well. The wrong lining was used. A bad zipper, which they then replaced with a good zipper.

They also sold jackets which were not defective. Salesman samples. Over-runs on production. Canceled orders.

I remember a lot of "designer" labels on the jackets in their little showroom. As a contract manufacturer, they produce the item for the designer brand.

They also supply police motorcycle jackets used by CHP, SFPD, and other police departments. It's the same double breasted, cross zip, that is sold by Johnson, Cal-Leather, San Diego Leather, and when they were still in business, Just Leather in San Jose.

The A-2 style aviator pilot jacket was a big seller from what I recall. People will argue over authenticity, as few records exist from contracting and subcontracting during WWII. What records that do exist only show a small handful of government contracts awarded. I would guess that maybe even if Golden Bear was not directly awarded a federal supply contract, they could have been subcontractors. When the war effort demanded such a significant increase from the military's suppliers, there must have a lot of subcontracting.

I have a gun from the era which has "Uderwood" stamped on the barrel. Underwood was a typewriter company. It wasn't stamped on the receiver. But during the war, I don't think the government would have rejected an order of 50,000 guns because the stamp was in the wrong place, or because Colt or Smith & Wesson subcontracted the work to a typewriter company. There were guns stamped "Singer Sewing Machine".
 
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I went to Tanforan today. The CVS counter inside of Target has a supply of the federal government's free masks. Since distribution has been hit or miss, I took a drive out there.

The mall is dead. It's like a ghost town. Empty retail spaces. The only foot traffic is in the food court. There are still people who like eating there. Target has some customers, but not many.

About what I expected. Since the decision has already been made to tear it down. With any luck, the merchants in the food court will find another suitable location to operate. Most of them are probably mom & pop franchisees who have their life savings invested.
 
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