Bellingham by the Bay
by Bruce Bellingham

Jazz at Pearl’s in North Beach appears to be closed for good. Singer Kim Nalley, who owned the club with her husband, Steve Sheraton, before they were embroiled in a divorce, was hoping she could carry on alone. It was not to be. San Francisco now loses another great jazz night club – for now. … One closes, one opens. The inexhaustible Lou Gillespie (she’s the former owner of Lou’s Pier 47) has a new place at the site of the former La Felce in North Beach, across the street from Washington Square, on Stockton at Union. It’s called Lou’s at the Square. It’s a full restaurant, featuring tapas and live rhythm and blues. She’s very proud of an ancient upright piano on the premises. It once resided in a San Francisco brothel. The familiar, friendly face of Danny Leone can be found behind Lou’s bar. …

A lot of people were surprised to learn that Julia Child was a spy for the U.S. during World War II, but it was widely known that she worked for the OSS in Paris during the war. That’s where she met her husband, Paul. And that’s where she learned French cuisine. Julia loved San Francisco. One of her favorite restaurants was Tu-Lan, the Vietnamese hole-in-the-wall on 6th at Market. Only Julia Child could discover a gem on Skid Row. Espionage and bravery aside, she was always a heroine simply for saving America from meat and potatoes. … The venerable Redwood Room in the Clift Hotel, a symbol of old San Francisco, is celebrating its 75th anniversary. … It was a jarring sight: a large stingray mysteriously appearing on the sidewalk at Market & 4th during a busy afternoon. No word on how it got there. Was it a stingray or a manta ray? Or Man Ray. Yes, the surrealists would have appreciated this bizarre scene, cops hovering over a sea creature on the concrete. …

San Francisco has avoided the cascade of foreclosures that we’re seeing in surrounding counties. Housing prices here in the City have dropped only slightly more than 6 percent, and that keeps the real estate biz buzzing. “We’ve never been busier,” says Maya Brouwer, office manager of Hill & Co. on Union Street. “Most of us were hoping for a day off this summer, but not a chance.” … The Jewish Community Center is growing so fast that staffers are opening an annex, and a new restaurant on the second floor. The site on the corner of California & Masonic that once housed a restaurant, will soon become a Pilates studio. Is that named for Pontius Pilates? Come inside and wash your hands of the whole thing. … Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom Villency has become many things to many people since she moved to New York. Kimberly’s a mother, a Fox News broadcaster, the host of Animal Witness on the Animal Planet network, and a frequent patron at various film festivals. One society blog describes her as “a well-heeled cinephile.” Some heels, too. … Cosmo Sostenuto says he’s disappointed that Winona Ryder’s wedding has been called off: “I was all set to shoplift a gift at Saks for the happy couple.” …

Phil Ryan, the famed attorney, read from his new novel, All Sins Remembered, at Book Passage at the Ferry Building last month. It’s an exciting story that revolves around the murder of an S.F. socialite (Phil’s dad was a court reporter). The book includes all sorts of bits of local history, such as the 1906 quake, the beginnings of the Bank of America, the early days of the S.F. Opera. This is the first novel in a trilogy. Phil’s next book is called “Bella Cora,” and we all remember who she was, right? Right! She was a notorious madam from the Barbary Coast days. Cora kept a bagnio on what is now Waverly Place in Chinatown. … Tom Orr’s show, I Feel A Thong Coming On!, at the New Conservatory Theatre, got lots of laughs and plenty of kudos. Orr’s talent was not lost on cabaret star Andrea Marcovicci, who called Orr “a scene-stealing whore.” Some might be insulted Orr used the line in all of his press releases. Andrea was sheepish about it: “I just blurted it out in the dressing room, I meant no harm.” No harm done. …

Lucy Lawless aka Xena: Warrior Princess, will sing at the Herbst Theatre on Sep. 27. It’s a benefit for the Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation. She’s performed in S.F. for the cause before and stole the star-studded show. Yes, she’s a scene-stealer. She’s hotter than a two-dollar pistol. Though Lucy’s late in coming to a music career,  she’s made up for lost time. … Juanita Arsten, longtime Marina resident – and I mean a long time – turned 102 last month. That almost certainly makes her the oldest person in the neighborhood, but you wouldn’t know it by her sharp mind and quick wit. … “Where’s three-dot yellow journalism when we truly need it?” asks Niel Mortensen. Don’ t look at me, Niel. “Thank God we were never forced to read Herb Caen online. Online is where you stand when you’re in New York.” Yes, purists still traverse the streets of San Francisco, heaven help them. …

“Every man needs a woman to badger him into doing the right thing,” observes Norm Goldblatt. “Never take her for granted. Keep the communications line open. We’re communicating so much better now that we BOTH have e-mail.” And we’ll leave it at that.

Bruce Bellingham is an author and a columnist for the Marina Times. “Tell me what I should know,” he says with great apprehension. His e-mail is bruce@northsidesf.com.