Thanksgiving-Ish Is There Anything to Be Grateful for After This Bonkers Year?
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Seasonal treats More online Kat Anderson on family Thanksgiving traditions. p. 6 Lou Barberini and Susan Holiday recipes from Catherine Stefani and Dyer Reynolds on city Thalia Hale. p.7 government, plus event Plus: The health benets of adding the right spices listings, and more. to your meals. p. 12 marinatimes.com MARINATIMES.COM CELEBRATING OUR 36TH YEAR VOLUME 36 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2020 P U Gratitude Thanksgiving-ish Is there anything to be grateful for after this bonkers year? BY JOHN ZIPPERER “1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undi- luted pleasure.” —Queen Elizabeth II A scene from Rigoletto (2012). PHOTO: CORY WEAVER/SAN FRANCISCO OPERA , B - arch demonstrated her countrymen’s typical tal- ent for understatement when she expressed her The Opera is on: San Francisco Opera Nfeelings about the year. In 1992, the queen saw one son separate from his wife, a scandal blow up about the soon- to-collapse marriage of another son, the suicide of her launches fall livestreaming program nephew, the divorce of her daughter, the release of com- promising photos and conversations of various members a repertoire of full-length operas Maschera (A Masked Ball) and of her family, and a devastating fire at Windsor Castle. “In to look forward to — short- available online through November. Rigoletto; others are Boris Godun- the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents,” er days, long shadows, falling Filmed in high-definition at the War ov by Modest Mussorgsky, and she said, “it has turned out to be an annus horribilis.” F(brown) leaves, and Thanksgiving, Memorial Opera House, each of the L’Elisir d’Amore (The Elixir of Love) Well, the year 2020 saw 1992 and said, “Hold my beer.” to name a few. Fall is also opera performances will be available on by Gaetano Donizetti. See our cal- This year, which still isn’t over, has seen the worst season and opera fans are surely demand for 24 hours following the endar on page 10 for further infor- public health crisis in a century, revelations from Bob missing the pageantry that is opera first streaming date. mation and additional November Woodward that the president willfully misled the country — but not to worry, our beloved On the program are two operas events. about the severity of the coronavirus, widespread racial San Francisco Opera has launched by Giuseppe Verdi: Un Ballo in — L. Majer POLITICS AS USUAL, continued on 4 D 2 S M S ... T I found myself watching more and Making progress during more serialized television and began to welcome the tranquilizing effects a challenging year of certain programs. The first mood elevator I popped We can keep doing this was the sixth and final broadcast season of the thoroughly adorable, together in 2021 frequently funny, and sometimes genuinely moving sitcom Schitt’s BY CATHERINE STEFANI Creek — recently honored with a Schitt-load of well-deserved F Emmy Awards and finally made together than apart, healthier unified than divided. available for streaming on Netflix For good reason, we will likely remember 2020 a few weeks ago. I can’t imagine Salongside 1906 and 1989 as one of the most challeng- not being caught up in the travails ing years in San Francisco history. Over the course of of the dysfunctional, once-wealthy, this year alone — amid the Covid-19 pandemic, social now-bankrupt Rose clan whose unrest, and a volatile national election — our commu- smug, entitled members are con- nity has pulled together to do everything possible to get Keeley Hawes, Milo Parker, Daisy Waterstone, Josh O’Connor, and Callum fronted by the challenges of adapt- through these difficult times. Woodhouse play Louisa, Gerald, Daisy, Larry, and Leslie in The Durrells, ing to small-town life. It helps that We are still facing incredible challenges, from skyrock- currently streaming on Amazon Prime. PHOTO: COURTESY OF SID GENTLE FILMS AND this blend of class-skewing satire eting unemployment to homelessness and drug addic- MASTERPIECE/PBS and fish-out-of-water mix-’em-ups tion. But, as 2020 draws to a close, I wanted to use my is blessed by the talents of top-tier last column of the year to reflect on some of our small comic vets Catherine O’Hara and victories, from cracking down on government fraud and A good time for television Eugene Levy as the mother and inefficiency to improving our neighborhood parks and father of the family, younger-gen- open spaces. tranquilizers eration finds Daniel Levy (Eugene’s These neighborhood improvements may seem small, son and co-creator of the show) but they have all been driven by community requests. BY MICHAEL SNYDER us. And if you can find a TV series and Annie Murphy as the son and Whether I’m standing up for fiscal responsibility by vot- or movie that generates laughter or daughter, and a perfectly oddball ing against the city budget, advocating for public safety , simple feel-good moments, it’s like a supporting cast. But when the Creek improvements by installing security cameras, or reform- little escapism goes a long rare treasure. When the quarantines ran out, I needed to find another ing the city’s contracting processes, neighborhood input way to ease the stress that’s and lockdowns and shelter in place way to douse my angst. SUPERVISOR, continued on 2 Nbecome a default setting for many of started in earnest earlier this year, SNYDER, continued on 9 Supervisor I will continue to push the SFMTA to continued from cover install clear and ample signs at all of our Slow Streets so they serve their intended Hours of Operations: has always been, and will continue to be, purpose. 3321 Steiner St., San Francisco Dinner: Sun-Thur, 5pm-9pm, 415.374.7518 | 415.602.1182 Fri-Sat, 5pm-10pm extremely important to me. We have also seen a tremendous increase [email protected] Happy Hour: Tue-Sun, in demand for our established parks and 5pm-6:30pm instagram: @bohorestaurantsf TACKLING CORRUPTION open spaces, which has highlighted the www.cafebohosf.com Brunch: Sat-Sun, 11am-3pm Early this year, a series of corruption need for basic upkeep. After meeting with scandals rocked our local government. Seacliff neighbors who reported an uptick As public servants, our primary role is to in traffic accidents by new beachgoers, I be careful stewards of taxpayer dollars. worked with the SFMTA to repaint curbs When we’re not doing that, we’re failing. and install cones and warning signs in the As a legislator, ensuring trust in gov- neighborhood. In Sterling Park, which ernment is at the has seen a spike in Thanksgiving with Boho foundation of all litter correspond- of my work at the ing with its new outdoors, indoors, at home! Board of Supervi- Our merchants have visitors, I installed sors. new trash cans Now accepting reservations and orders for Thanksgiving TO GO! This fall, after poured their souls into and fencing, and Thank you for being our guests and Happy Thanksgiving! reviewing the repainted exist- controller’s audits their businesses, but it ing park benches. and reports on Finally, I includ- these incidents, I should never have been ed $200,000 for steered through this hard for them. enhanced lighting our legislative in Lafayette Park in process two pro- this year’s budget, posals I authored to address govern- because these basic safety upgrades are ment waste. The first requires that the long overdue. Department of Public Health provide Working with the Marina community staffing for the city’s Behavioral Health and the Economic Recovery Task Force, Commission, which previously operated we brought the Shared Spaces program under an unusual arrangement with a to Steiner Street, between Chestnut Street city-contracted nonprofit that suffered and Lombard Street, which has allowed from financial mismanagement. The sec- neighbors to enjoy our neighborhood’s Brunch | Dinner | Happy Hour | Wine, beer, cocktail | ond, my No GRAFT Act — so-named vibrant small businesses while maintain- Coffee, cakes, pastries | Holiday Parties for no Government Rackets, Abuses, or ing physical distance. Our local mer- Fraudulent Transactions — creates strict chants have poured their souls into their requirements and standards for how city businesses, and I have been so inspired by departments award contracts to ensure their continued hustle and ingenuity over accountability for the use of public funds. the past year. But it should never have I also plan to introduce similar legislation been this hard for them. I remain dedi- that will govern how grants are awarded, cated to cutting red tape and facilitating because we cannot afford to keep spend- small businesses’ creativity in the months ing money with little to show for it. and years to come, as we work our way out of this recession. PARKS AND STREETS Although the pandemic has sadly kept Legislation aside, some of the most tourists away from the Palace of Fine rewarding efforts over this year have been Arts, I took this opportunity to push in the community as we all adjust to our the Recreation and Parks Department to new normal. finally install locking gates at the north Since March, San Franciscans have been and south ends of Palace Drive, which rediscovering and spending more time in will deter future car break-ins and provide jest jewels our parks. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has a measure of security that has been sorely made it difficult to maintain physical dis- lacking in this location. I look forward to Enjoy 20-70% off the entire store! tance while enjoying these spaces. That’s the day when families can visit the Palace why I was thrilled to announce the second and trust that their belongings are safely 65.