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1/14/2021 0 Comments S3E47, Part 2: Gillian Fitzgerald
Photography by Michelle Kilfeather
In this podcast, Gillian picks up where she left off in Part 1, with some bartending jobs she had while she went to college. After she graduated, she took up an offer to go to the Dominican Republic. What started off as a trip turned into four years on the island. Next came her move to The City in 2005. Gillian shares some of her first impressions of San Francisco, contrasting those with ideas she had formed mostly from TV and movies growing up. Upon moving here, she immediately fell in love with the "artists and dreamers" she was lucky enough to meet. Then Gillian shares the story of opening Casements. She met her eventual business partner, Séan O'Donovan, when they both worked at Nickie's in the Lower Haight. The two often talked about opening their own place back in the day. Gillian left Nickie's to help open Virgil's on Mission about 10 years ago, and she left Virgil's to go into business with a friend making Bloody Mary mix. She then helped Wes of Wesburger and also helped open a few other bars around town, but she always held onto the idea of opening her own Irish bar. After getting support from Séan and another bar owner, Gillian asked the owners of Gas Light if they would sell. They did, and Séan and Gillian got the keys in early November 2019. They had a soft opening and ran for a couple of months, having their official opening on Jan. 19, 2020. Six weeks or so later, COVID-19 hit and they had to shut down. Now that we're on Lockdown 2.0, Casements is offering food and drink for pick-up every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Please support this rad indy bar and help it ride out this storm so that it can open on the other side of the madness. We recorded this podcast at Casements Bar in the Mission in December 2020.
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1/12/2021 0 Comments S3E47, Part 1: Gillian Fitzgerald
Photography by Michelle Kilfeather
Gillian Fitzgerald was born in Hospital (a town in Ireland). In this podcast, the owner of Casements Bar in the Mission traces her lineage back to when her Irish parents met. The family moved from County Limerick in the southwest to County Meade, just north of Dublin. That is where Gillian did most of her growing up, smalltown stories she shares in this episode. In addition to playing many sports, Gillian also had her own horse: Flash Gordon. She tells us a wild story about Flash that you really have to hear to believe. After talking about her time in high school and college, which brought her to Dublin, she ends this episode with some of the family bars and pubs she worked in as a young adult back in Ireland. Please join us Thursday for Part 2, when Gillian will talk about leaving Ireland, her arrival in San Francisco, and her opening Casements just before the pandemic took hold. We recorded this podcast outside of Casements Bar in the Mission in December 2020.
Photography by Michelle Kilfeather
In this podcast, Marcell picks up where he left off in Part 1. He talks about work he almost got before landing a dream job. Marcell shares the story of how he got started taking pictures when he was a kid. He goes on to talk about people's reaction to his art over the years and the film he's in the process of making about his life as a Black father, photographer, father, and yes, filmmaker. Please visit Marcell's site and be sure to check out all the photos and videos he's collected there, of the Bay Area and other parts of the country and the world. He ends the podcast talking about why he left San Francisco to live in the East Bay and his hopes for The City moving forward. We recorded this podcast in Yerba Buena Gardens in December 2020.
Photography by Michelle Kilfeather
Marcell Turner found his home in San Francisco. In this podcast, the photographer shares the story of his childhood in Southern California. He skateboarded, loved punk rock music, and breakdanced in his teen years. Then, a road trip up north with a friend was all it took for Marcell to relocate up to the Bay Area. Check back Thursday for Part 2, when Marcell will tell us all about his life in The City after he moved here. We recorded this podcast in Yerba Buena Gardens in December 2020. 12/23/2020 0 Comments S3E45, Part 2: Ike Shehadeh
Photography by Michelle Kilfeather
In this episode, Ike picks up where he left off in Part 1. After a short time in Davis, he came back to The City and found work in a market at 16th and Mission. He would make sandwiches for himself on the job, and one day, a customer who caught a whiff of what Ike was cooking up asked for a very specific type of sandwich. It was the origins of his now-famous "dirty sauce." Fast-forward a few years through various odd jobs. Ike was at a personal crossroads when he decided to open a breakfast and ice cream place in the Castro that also happened to make sandwiches. Ike's Place was born. Eventually, the sandwiches Ike sold eclipsed all the other products, and expansion was on the horizon. Ike now has more than 50 sandwich shops located in several states. We end this episode with Ike sharing his thoughts on San Francisco in the near future. We recorded this podcast at Ike's Love and Sandwiches in the Tenderloin in November 2020. 12/21/2020 0 Comments S3E45, Part 1: Ike Shehadeh
Photography by Michelle Kilfeather
Ike Shehadeh has pretty much always made sandwiches. In this podcast, the founder of Ike's Love and Sandwiches takes us back to 1968, when his dad arrived in San Francisco from Saudi Arabia. A decade or so later, his dad met his mom, and Ike, the first of a few kids for the couple, was born. He describes what it was like to grow up going to various schools in The City, especially the parts involving playing sports. He enjoyed baseball and soccer, but to learn to take hits in football, Ike started martial arts classes in The Sunset. We end this podcast with Ike explaining the unique living situation he had in college at UC Davis, and how that would later play a significant role in his business. Check back Wednesday for Part 2, when Ike will share the story of his decision to open a little sandwich spot on 16th Street. We recorded this podcast at Ike's Love and Sandwiches in the Tenderloin in November 2020. 
Photography by Michelle Kilfeather
In this podcast, Brenda and Libby pick up right where they left off in Part 1, with the story of their meeting. It involves Delessio Market and Martuni's, two San Francisco spots we love. The bulk of this episode is the story of opening a restaurant in San Francisco that was an almost-immediate smashing success. Brenda's French Soul Food (2007) begat Brenda's Meat and Three (2014) begat Brenda's Oakland (2019). The couple discuss how they have pivoted all three of their restaurants during COVID-19. And we end the podcast with a mental-health check-up. (As a sign of how quickly things took a downturn COVID-wise, there's talk in this episode of the then-recent shutting down of all indoor dining in The City, but outdoor was still allowed. Of course, at the time of publication, we're back to take-out and delivery only.)
We recorded this podcast at Brenda's Meat and Three on Divisadero in November 2020. 
Photography by Michelle Killfeather
Brenda Buenviaje grew up across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. In this podcast, we get to know Brenda and her life/business partner, Libby Truesdell. Brenda describes her mixed heritage (Filipino and Creole, mostly) and shares stories of growing up in southern Louisiana, fishing and foraging, among other things. Libby contrasts her Iowa upbringing with the multifaceted food and culture she was introduced to when she met Brenda. Libby left her home state for various spots on the West Coast when she was 18, eventually ending up in The City in 2005. Brenda also shares the story of how she came to San Francisco. Please join us for Part 2 this Thursday. We recorded this podcast at Brenda's Meat and Three on Divisadero in November 2020. 12/10/2020 0 Comments S3E43, Part 2: Rodrigo Ehecatl Durán
Photography by Michelle Kilfeather
In this podcast, Rodrigo picks up where he left off in Part 1. He came back to the Mission to go to middle school at Horace Mann, where he met many of his lifelong friends. He ended up at Lowell High School near Lake Merced and temporarily lost touch with those friends. From there, Rodrigo went to San Diego for college. He explains the influence on his life that came from Carlos Aceituno, a capoeira teacher he met at Mission Cultural Center, and how that affected his decision to go to UCSD. That move led to Rodrigo's time in Brazil, which he talks about extensively in this episode. He ends this podcast with his return to The City and his involvement with Calle 24 and San Francisco's Carnaval and starting his latest project, Real City Ambassadors. We recorded this podcast at the offices of Calle 24 Latino Cultural District in November 2020. 
Photography by Michelle Kilfeather
Rodrigo Durán's parents come from very different backgrounds. In this episode, the host of Real City Ambassadors shares the stories of his parents' respective moves from Mexico to San Francisco. His dad came to the U.S. from Mexico City after becoming disillusioned with the revolutionary movement in his homeland, ended up in The City, and fell in with low-riders and Central Americans here. Rodrigo's mom is from a small town in Jalisco, and her father came to the U.S. on the Bracero Program. The two met in San Francisco, where Rodrigo and his siblings were born. After a brief time back with family in Mexico, Rodrigo returned to SF, went to school in Chinatown, and got involved in the Aztec dance community through his dad. Rodrigo ends this podcast reflecting on the inclusion he felt from various communities in San Francisco. Please join us for Part 2 this Thursday. We recorded this podcast at the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District office in the Mission in November 2020. |
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