Cafe Altano, SF

[evergene]

Corner of Hayes & Laguna. Eat here before you go to your concert. Me
and my limited liability partner, we started with some very good
Carpaccio (identifed on the menu as Beef Carpaccio, so as to avoid
being confused with banana split Carpaccio). My LLP, she had a
mushroom pizza, and offered me some, but I was too busy with my tasty
pasta with seafood. This is cafe food, not fabulous destination dining
food; it's a handsome room with good service, decent wine by the
glass, and reasonable-for-the-neighborhood prices: $70 pre-tip for
four glasses of wine, one appetizer, two entrees, and two espressos.

This corner has been home to several restaurants since I've been in
town, and if I remember right, there used be a sign on the premises
stating that it was used as a location in a silent film whose name
escapes me.

http://www.cafealtanosf.com/

It's also only a block away from True Sake, where we bought small
(300ml) bottles of "Bride of the Fox," "Pick-Up Artist," and "Fountain
of Joy."

http://www.truesake.com/sakes/JG37_Kanbara.php
http://www.truesake.com/sakes/JG38_Kudoki_Jozu.php
http://www.truesake.com/sakes/JG41_Nishida_Kikuizumi.php

Note to Al: Cafe Altano belongs on your SF concert dining rotation.
'Nother note to Al, and Mark if you drop by: Juan Diego Flórez made
those nine high C’s sound gorgeous, and Diana Damrau is hot in places
where some girls don't even have places. (Tip o' the hat to Dolly
Parton.)

[evergene]

Post by evergene
This corner has been home to several restaurants since I've been in
town, and if I remember right, there used be a sign on the premises
stating that it was used as a location in a silent film whose name
escapes me.

Okay, the movie was Greed, made in 1924. Original running time: nine
hours.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0015881/trivia

and
http://www.gildasattic.com/Greed.html
"In order to reproduce this closely-knit community, Stroheim believed
it necessary to film throughout on actual locations. The intersection
of Hayes and Laguna became his microcosm of the universe, a setting
where human destiny was played out in all its starkness. His artistic
gamble paid off and reality, transfigured by the imagination,
permeates every frame of Greed."

[Steve Fenwick]

Post by evergene

Post by evergene
This corner has been home to several restaurants since I've been in
town, and if I remember right, there used be a sign on the premises
stating that it was used as a location in a silent film whose name
escapes me.

Okay, the movie was Greed, made in 1924. Original running time: nine
hours.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0015881/trivia
and
http://www.gildasattic.com/Greed.html
"In order to reproduce this closely-knit community, Stroheim believed
it necessary to film throughout on actual locations. The intersection
of Hayes and Laguna became his microcosm of the universe, a setting
where human destiny was played out in all its starkness. His artistic
gamble paid off and reality, transfigured by the imagination,
permeates every frame of Greed."

What was the running time of the version you saw, and was there musical
accompaniment?

Steve

[evergene]

Post by Steve Fenwick

Post by evergene

Post by evergene
This corner has been home to several restaurants since I've been in
town, and if I remember right, there used be a sign on the premises
stating that it was used as a location in a silent film whose name
escapes me.

Okay, the movie was Greed, made in 1924. Original running time: nine
hours.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0015881/trivia
and
http://www.gildasattic.com/Greed.html
"In order to reproduce this closely-knit community, Stroheim believed
it necessary to film throughout on actual locations. The intersection
of Hayes and Laguna became his microcosm of the universe, a setting
where human destiny was played out in all its starkness. His artistic
gamble paid off and reality, transfigured by the imagination,
permeates every frame of Greed."

What was the running time of the version you saw, and was there musical
accompaniment?

I didn't see it. IMBD reports that the nine-hour version was only
shown once, following which it was cut to 140 minutes, and: "No copies
of the earlier versions were made, and the entirety of the 32 reels
that did not make the final release version were destroyed - along
with all of the outtakes - so that the silver could be extracted from
the film celluloid. It is in this way, that most of the movie was lost
forever."
Talk about Greed.

[Steve Fenwick]

Post by evergene

Post by Steve Fenwick

Post by evergene

Post by evergene
This corner has been home to several restaurants since I've been in
town, and if I remember right, there used be a sign on the premises
stating that it was used as a location in a silent film whose name
escapes me.

Okay, the movie was Greed, made in 1924. Original running time: nine
hours.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0015881/trivia
and
http://www.gildasattic.com/Greed.html
"In order to reproduce this closely-knit community, Stroheim believed
it necessary to film throughout on actual locations. The intersection
of Hayes and Laguna became his microcosm of the universe, a setting
where human destiny was played out in all its starkness. His artistic
gamble paid off and reality, transfigured by the imagination,
permeates every frame of Greed."

What was the running time of the version you saw, and was there musical
accompaniment?

I didn't see it. IMBD reports that the nine-hour version was only
shown once, following which it was cut to 140 minutes, and: "No copies
of the earlier versions were made, and the entirety of the 32 reels
that did not make the final release version were destroyed - along
with all of the outtakes - so that the silver could be extracted from
the film celluloid. It is in this way, that most of the movie was lost
forever."
Talk about Greed.

Too bad. Turns out it's on iTunes now; the trailer is silent, so I
presume the whole film it. It claims to be the 4-hour partly restored
reconstruction:

<http://www.filmmonthly.com/Silents/Articles/Greed/Greed.html>

Steve

[spamtrap1888]

Post by evergene
Corner of Hayes & Laguna. Eat here before you go to your concert. Me
and my limited liability partner, we started with some very good
Carpaccio (identifed on the menu as Beef Carpaccio, so as to avoid
being confused with banana split Carpaccio).

Much like Steak Fajitas, the term has been bastardized enough -- esp.
Tuna Carpaccio -- to warrant the Beef designation. The food descriptor
becomes a process descriptor. (My personal best: Shrimp Fajitas)

Post by evergene
This corner has been home to several restaurants since I've been in
town,

A Cursed Location?

[Al Eisner]

Post by evergene
Corner of Hayes & Laguna. Eat here before you go to your concert. Me
and my limited liability partner, we started with some very good
Carpaccio (identifed on the menu as Beef Carpaccio, so as to avoid
being confused with banana split Carpaccio). My LLP, she had a
mushroom pizza, and offered me some, but I was too busy with my tasty
pasta with seafood. This is cafe food, not fabulous destination dining
food; it's a handsome room with good service, decent wine by the
glass, and reasonable-for-the-neighborhood prices: $70 pre-tip for
four glasses of wine, one appetizer, two entrees, and two espressos.
This corner has been home to several restaurants since I've been in
town, and if I remember right, there used be a sign on the premises
stating that it was used as a location in a silent film whose name
escapes me.
http://www.cafealtanosf.com/

Thanks very much: looks (from the menu) to be a useful addition to
the area. Is this the northewest corner? There used to be a very
good Brazilian tapas/etc. place there which I liked a lot.

Post by evergene
It's also only a block away from True Sake, where we bought small
(300ml) bottles of "Bride of the Fox," "Pick-Up Artist," and "Fountain
of Joy."
http://www.truesake.com/sakes/JG37_Kanbara.php
http://www.truesake.com/sakes/JG38_Kudoki_Jozu.php
http://www.truesake.com/sakes/JG41_Nishida_Kikuizumi.php
Note to Al: Cafe Altano belongs on your SF concert dining rotation.
'Nother note to Al, and Mark if you drop by: Juan Diego Flórez made
those nine high C’s sound gorgeous, and Diana Damrau is hot in places
where some girls don't even have places. (Tip o' the hat to Dolly
Parton.)

I had had some slight interest in that, but was put off by the radio
ads saying it was being done in the style of Laurel and Hardy. (I likely
wouldn't have gone to it in any case.) But thanks for the review,
especially the latter part.

[evergene]

Post by Al Eisner

Post by evergene
Corner of Hayes & Laguna. Eat here before you go to your concert. Me
and my limited liability partner, we started with some very good
Carpaccio (identifed on the menu as Beef Carpaccio, so as to avoid
being confused with banana split Carpaccio). My LLP, she had a
mushroom pizza, and offered me some, but I was too busy with my tasty
pasta with seafood. This is cafe food, not fabulous destination dining
food; it's a handsome room with good service, decent wine by the
glass, and reasonable-for-the-neighborhood prices: $70 pre-tip for
four glasses of wine, one appetizer, two entrees, and two espressos.
This corner has been home to several restaurants since I've been in
town, and if I remember right, there used be a sign on the premises
stating that it was used as a location in a silent film whose name
escapes me.
http://www.cafealtanosf.com/

Thanks very much: looks (from the menu) to be a useful addition to
the area. Is this the northewest corner? There used to be a very
good Brazilian tapas/etc. place there which I liked a lot.

Yes, that's the spot. Spamtrap1888 wondered if this is a doomed
location. I hope not; this place deserves to succeed. But so too did
that Brazilian restaurant.

Post by Al Eisner

Post by evergene
Note to Al: Cafe Altano belongs on your SF concert dining rotation.
'Nother note to Al, and Mark if you drop by: Juan Diego Flórez made
those nine high C’s sound gorgeous, and Diana Damrau is hot in places
where some girls don't even have places. (Tip o' the hat to Dolly
Parton.)

I had had some slight interest in that, but was put off by the radio
ads saying it was being done in the style of Laurel and Hardy. (I likely
wouldn't have gone to it in any case.) But thanks for the review,
especially the latter part.

I guess it was sort of in the style of Laurel and Hardy, if that means
lots of physical comedy and exaggerated gestures and melodrama. I'd
place it somewhere between Beach Blanket Babylon and the St. Matthew
Passion. But OMG, Flórez and Damrau have beautiful voices.

[Mark Mellin]

Post by evergene
Note to Al: Cafe Altano belongs on your SF concert dining rotation.
'Nother note to Al, and Mark if you drop by: Juan Diego Flórez made
those nine high C’s sound gorgeous, and Diana Damrau is hot in places
where some girls don't even have places.

This sounds like a nice addition to the tried and true
Civic Center offerings. Thanks, evergene.

I was all set to offer a cranky pants comment on how often
SF Opera has been performing common revivals lately, but then realized
that the last time I saw _La fille du régiment_ was in 1993, featuring
Kathleen Battle.

A nice dining touch at the opera house is being able to pre-order food
and drink in either the basement or the mezzanine bar/food court for
intermission ahead of curtain time. Box seat level service even for
those in the cheap seats!

- Mark