Cover Story
Tammy Nelson plays the role of a lifetime in Beach Blanket Babylon

As the starring lead in the most successful live music revue in history, Tammy Nelson is thrilled to be on the stage at Club Fugazi in North Beach. Five nights a week she plays a wide range of colorful characters for Beach Blanket Babylon, the show created by the late Steve Silver over 36 years ago.  But the role of her life didn’t happen easily or overnight. Before assuming the major lead last summer, Nelson worked as an understudy for 17 years, backing up the original longtime lead, Val Diamond. It’s been a long road and many years of patient waiting to become the number-one diva in the longest-running musical show in the world, but Nelson is comfortable in the role after nearly two decades preparing for her time in the spotlight... read more



The Inquisitive Traveler
Berkeley: Go for the culture, stay for the food
This oft-repeated mantra for Berkeley rings true. As a destination it is sometimes overlooked, but should be on any list of Bay Area getaways. On a recent trip, my husband and I found Berkeley to be just as dynamic, unique and entertaining as ever. BART is the calm, quick way to get there, especially on a Friday night. From San Francisco, it took 20 minutes to downtown Berkeley and the epicenter of the Arts District. One block from the station is the Hotel Shattuck Plaza. The landmark property was built in 1910 in the Mission style and boasts being Berkeley’s first hotel. Now after a multimillion-dollar renovation, it is a modern boutique hotel in the middle of a vibrant neighborhood. The lobby leaves no doubt you’re in Berkeley — a marble peace symbol is... read more


Naomi Emmerson brings Edith Piaf to life at the Eureka Theater
Piaf: Love Conquers All is a highly-acclaimed one-woman show featuring multitalented Naomi Emmerson. A celebration of Edith Piaf, the most celebrated female entertainer of her time, the show appeared at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2005. The production then toured Ontario and Quebec to great success, moving on to win the Outstanding Musical award at the New York International Fringe Festival in 2007. Followed by a limited Off-Broadway 10-week engagement, the company then traveled to more than 10 cities before coming to San Francisco this month… read more


The Tablehopper:
Hotel restaurants checking in (and out)
I had a chance to catch up with Michael Mina about his plans for the former Aqua space at 252 California Street. His return to the space, where he was named chef de cuisine at the young age of 21 and where he worked for 13 years, is certainly a personal one. Mina has reassembled many individuals from the original team of architects, designers and project managers that worked on Aqua when it opened in 1991 and who obviously know the space well. Mina plans to create a newer and more accessible version of Restaurant Michael Mina, which is currently in the Westin St. Francis on Powell Street, but will be wrapping up in August or so. At the California Street location, Mina will offer an à la carte menu that’s built for sharing instead of individual tasting menus, and he will swap out the white tablecloths for walnut tabletops. And yes, the big mirrors will stay... read more