During the 2010 campaign to elect a new District 2 supervisor, I invited the three major candidates to my house for interviews. The reason was a personal one: My pit bull, Jazzy, w... Read More
Part 1: The Mendocino Coast On the unseasonably warm evening of Oct. 9, 2017, my friend Sara and I stepped into the backyard to enjoy a cocktail. “It smells smoky,” I said. “... Read More
In the October 2015 Marina Times, I wrote a column about tech-investing billionaire Ron Conway’s influence over Mayor Ed Lee (“Project Political Runway: In Mayor Lee’s regim... Read More
STATE FOLLOWS CITY’S LEAD, BANS PET STORE SALES OF NONRESCUE ANIMALS Almost one year ago, San Francisco’s animal angel and District 4 Supervisor Katy Tang received unanimous s... Read More
(Part 3 of a 3-part series on the complex relationship between animal shelters and activists.) PUTTING POLITICS ASIDE TO WORK FOR A COMMON CAUSE Activists often accuse shelters of... Read More
I’ve interviewed numerous chefs for my column “10 Questions with … .” Some of my favorite memories include sipping espresso in the French Laundry courtyard with Thomas ... Read More
When my stepmother, Kickie, passed away last February, I had to go through closets full of clothes, shoes, and handbags she began purchasing when she moved to California more than ... Read More
(Part 2 of a 3-part series on the complex relationship between animal shelters and activists.) WHO WILL STEP UP FOR THE ‘PROJECT DOGS’? When Oakland Animal Services (OAS) post... Read More
Fall is my favorite time of year, and Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday (it’s like Christmas without all the hustle, bustle, and hassle). Many cooks prefer the seasonal bountie... Read More
A year ago, San Francisco Examiner reporter Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez sent shockwaves with one big number: 45,000. According to data he received from the San Francisco Treasurer’... Read More
(Part 1 of a three-part series on the complex sometimes contentious relationship between animal shelters and activists.) OAKLAND ANIMAL SERVICES DIRECTOR REBECCA KATZ CONTINUES CRU... Read More
When you ask politicians if they’re running for office, you expect coy deflection or a flat-out no, even if that no really means yes, but that’s not how Angela Alioto rolls. �... Read More
It started with random channel surfing where I stumbled upon the show TMZ on TV as they interviewed comedian Marlon Wayans about Michael Vick, the former NFL quarterback who went t... Read More
When the fall chill hit the air and the days grew shorter, my mom would often make one of my favorite comfort pastas: Romano — cream, butter, and cheese — or burro — with but... Read More
When my Irish and Ukrainian father married my mother, it didn’t go over well with my Sicilian grandfather, but when he decided to move her across the country from Rhode Island to... Read More