17 Comments

Oh, I so miss Brennan's-the old one, the dingy cavern with the always ample Hofbrau, it's regulars, and insanely crowded Saint Patrick's Day celebrations. I miss Hofbrau! So out of fashion these days-have to take a trip to Orinda to have some.

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La Palma is available in SF and LA via www.shoplocale.com

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Thanks so much for this! Seems like a great service. Does anyone know of anything similar in other parts of the country?

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Thank you for sharing this, Kelly!

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Great article. It was a pleasure to read it.

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I signed up for your Omega workshop as soon as I saw it in the catalog- literally. I have been a lifelong fan and as a former Omega staff member, I’m absolutely overjoyed to be hearing you speak at a place that I consider a second home. I’m so very excited. 😃

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Oh.My.Gosh! I remember that review and I remember thinking, “What is she doing?!”. I was all of 20 and an ardent high end cuisine kind of girl. And, of course, I knew Everything! Ha ha ha... My mother, who was from the Midwest, said not to poo-poo the review or cafeterias because they represent good, honest, solid American fare people can count on, know what to expect and can afford; if reviewers put some energy into these establishments, they might stick around longer. Sadly prophetic. We often went to lunch counters for grilled cheese, patty melts & malteds. I miss that.

Three Bags Full, Marimekko and Forgotten Woman! We used to drive up from Palo Alto to the Embarcadero to shop these stores. There was free parking on weekends!!

Nostalgia. Love it.

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There was a documentary on TCM about the evolution of the automat in NYC. I enjoyed learning about the cafeteria experience and was happy to have eaten at a NYC automat

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I'm not a fan of cafeterias, but I loved Clifton's. Such an amazing place to behold. I started going there in the 40's when I was a girl.

Brennan's, on the other hand was a place my husband and I went to every time we went to San Francisco. As mentioned it was a hoot on St Patrick's Day drinking the best Irish coffee with my Irish husband! I loved the mix of the crowd too. One thing I always did was get one of their turkey carcasses to bring home for soup. So sad to see it go!

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We bought their turkey carcasses to make stock for years!

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Also, Fran Lebowitz serving up Oscar Wilde realness there. Wow!

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The ad for the ladies clothier The Forgotten Woman on the last page of your article is really something. That’s what was considered a “large woman” in 1981!

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As a kid, growing up in Los Angeles, in the late 50’s, Clifton’s was a go to Saturday lunch stop. My most vivid memory was their Mac ‘n Cheese. So delicious. They also had a chocolate cake with whipped cream, that couldn’t be passed up.

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I just love the end of the article about bashing the French Cuisine.

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Another gem of a post, Ruth!

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I wish I had not read about La Palma burritos. They sound delicious, and are small enough I could finish them off in one or two seatings. Must ponder this.

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Speaking of Hofbrau, have you been to Hofbrau in Morro Bay?

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