BoozeNation The Podcast

Hi, I'm Traci Ramos, and this is BoozeNation, the Podcast where I talk to members of the bar industry of San Francisco about all things bar-related and all things San Francisco. BoozeNation is available on Apple Podcasts, iHeartradio, Spotify, and other listening places.  It's February, and it's raining, so be careful out there with the sinkholes and flash floods. And that's the weather portion of this Podcast. Before I introduce my next pcast guest. I want to give a massive shout-out to Asia SF. I am so sad they are closing. Such a loss to South of Market, a loss to cabaret drag performers, such a trans and queer staple. This one hurts.  So, my next guest is Michael Nguyen. I met him at a meet and greet at the beginning of the month at a Chinatown New Year celebration at the Rose Pak Democratic Club. I should back up; I'm volunteering for Jackie Feilder's campaign for supervisor D9. I've volunteered for many political campaigns in San Francisco and attended many political functions. Many of the same people are there, saying the same things and trying to get something out of you, usually money, sometimes votes. But when Michael asked to join our table, he had a bubbly personality and wanted to talk. And get to know people at our table. It was a real conversation. We didn't talk long because he was getting ready to sing karaoke, but I learned that he is a drag performer and his drag persona is Juicy Lui. And I learned that he was running for a seat on the DCCC. I knew I wanted to have him as a guest because a drag queen who is super political is my kind of person. And as you'll hear, Michael's sense of humor shines. And we're bouncing right in. This episode is brought to you by Descript. Try Descript now! Descript Check out my site - Traci Ramos The Socials; Instagram YouTube ************************ Donate to Michael Nguyen Hasting Law School #JuicyLui #castro The Look Out Queen Jolene's #encore #turtletower #littlesaigon Kevin's Noodle House Gao Kitchen Bodega DCCC #janiceli #vickchung Evan Low #socialhousing Alex Lee #londonbreed Dean Preston #martunis Oasis

Hi, I'm Traci Ramos, and this is BoozeNation, the Podcast where I talk to members of the bar industry of San Francisco about all things bars and all things San Francisco. BoozeNation is available on Apple Podcasts, iHeartradio, Spotify, and other listening places. Also, BoozeNation is on the socials of Instagram, YouTube and Threads. It's January 2024. Happy New Year! By the time this episode is out, it will be at the end of the month, but happy New Year. I hope the start of 2024 has been smooth and the transition from 2023 to 2024 wasn't too hard for you. I'm just kidding - all transitions are usually rocky - so get used to it. And that's my advice section of the Podcast. My guest today is one of the co-hosts of Bitch Talk Podcast, Angela Tabora. In my previous episode with Erin of bitch talk, I talked about how I discovered the BT podcast in March of 2020 - but here is a quick rundown of my discovery of Erin and Ange - I was scrolling on Instagram when San Francisco was about to go into lockdown. I saw Ange and Erin drink their way into a pandemic at a bar in North Beach. That was so encouraging and uplifting. And when you listen to Ange and Erin, that's really who they are: uplifting and encouraging people.  That's why I was soooo thrilled when they agreed to be guests on my Podcast. And I have a little bit of a confession. I would have interviewed Ang and Erin at the same time; I mean, that's what makes sense, but I didn't know how to interview two people via Zoom.  So that's why this is a two-parter cause I only know how to interview and record one person at a time. But in 2024, one of my goals is to learn how to interview more than one person at a time. I'm going to do it. Right now, I'm jumping into the interview.     The Nomadic Family Project The Bitter End Bender's Sweetie's Art Bar Sundance Film Festival The Fig Bubba Gump The Showdown #maddoginthefog Planned Parenthood #tessathompson #bewater Ali Wong #thegreatestnightinpop Lionel Richie Casements Bar

Hi, I'm Traci Ramos, and this is BoozeNation, the Podcast where I talk to members of the bar industry of San Francisco about all things bars and all things San Francisco. BoozeNation is available on Apple Podcasts, iHeartradio, Spotify, and other listening places. Also, BoozeNation is on the socials of Instagram, YouTube and Threads. I want to give a special shout-out to The Uptown Bar on 17th and Capp St. I'm so sorry that this bar didn't make it. I have such wonderful memories of this bar. They even cut off on my birthday one year because I was having too much wonderfulness. Yeah, I deserved to be cut off that night. But thank you again for everything, and I hope the bartenders will be pouring spirits someplace soon. This is my final episode of 2023, and I'm closing out the year with Erin Lim, a fellow bartender and podcaster who co-hosts the spectacular Bitch Talk podcast with Angela Tabora. I discovered Bitch Talk at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 It was that fateful Sunday pretty boy Newsome had announced the shutdown of the restaurant and bar industry to try and curb the rise of coronavirus. I was scrolling on Instagram, not really freaking out about what was happening but not knowing what to do. And Bitch Talk podcast popped up on my feed, and Erin and Ange were at a bar in North Beach, The Saloon; in real-time, they were drinking and dancing. They were having so much fun in the wake of a pandemic. I thought, 'Wow, they don't care what pretty boy Newsome said two hours ago they are at a bar.'  And they are going big.  That was my introduction to Erin and Ang and Bitch Talk podcast. Here is Bitch Talk's tagline,   - Bitch Talk is a podcast that boldly highlights the ongoing need for BIPOC women's representation in media, film, and the arts.  Hell Yeah, there's a need for more representation. I 100 % agree with that! Long story short, we became podcast friends and real-life friends, which I still can't believe a little bit because they are so legit. They have been in the podcast game for some time. They just had their 10th anniversary. I love it.    This episode is brought to you by Descript. Try Descript now! Descript Check out my site - Traci Ramos The Socials; Instagram YouTube Specs Bar 540 Club The Social Study #royalcuckcoo The Front Porch The Rock Bar Bitch Talk Podcast Storied SF #thesaloon Ali Wong Sundance Film Festival #gasolinerainbow Ross Brothers #bloodynoseemptypockets Storied SF - Traci Ramos     #sfpodcaster #sfpodcast #nodoomloop #supportsmallbusiness #womanpodcasters #innerrichmond #coolestneighborhood #supportlocal #missionsf #sfrestaurants #sfbars #representationinmedia #bipoc #sundancefilmfestival #womeninmedia #pandemictalk  

Hello and welcome back to BoozeNation The Podcast. I'm Traci Ramos, and this is my podcast, where I talk about all things related to bartenders, the bar industry, San Francisco, and beyond. I want to give a solid shout out to Rosamunde, West of Pecos, Media Noche, and the Uptown Bar. So sorry to see these establishments closing. I wish the best for everyone involved, and please know that so many people in this city appreciate you all. It's still hard out there in this "post" pandemic world for bars, restaurants, and small businesses. My next guest is John Espejo, owner of Uncle Boys restaurant on Balboa and 3rd in inner Richmond. I learned about uncle boys through Instagram, and I was instantly taken with John's story. There is a link on the Uncle Boys website to a YouTube video where John tells his story and the story of Uncle Boys, some of which we will get into in a bit, but I love how John credits the women in his life for his success - his mom and wife. His mom instilled resilience, and his wife believed in his work ethic; I love how he credits them. He opened Uncle's Boys when he was 21, so young, to learn all the ins and outs of running a business, which is not easy, especially in SF. When I was 21, I planned where I could get my next 40. So you can see why this is sooooo impressive to me. This episode is brought to you by Descript. Try Descript now! Descript Check out my site - Traci Ramos The Socials; Instagram   #sfpodcaster #sfpodcast #nodoomloop #supportsmallbusiness #filipinoamericanhistorymonth #innerrichmond #coolestneighborhood #cheesburgers #missionsf #sfrestaurants #sfbars  

This is BoozeNation, the Podcast. I talk to members of the bar industry of San Francisco about all things bars and all things San Francisco. BoozeNation is available on Apple Podcasts, iHeartradio, Spotify, and other listening places. Also, BoozeNation is on the socials of Instagram, Shitter and Threads. Update about the last episode with Patrick Machel of Anchor Brewery. Anchor Brewery has raised over $100,000 on their GoFundMe account. To try and buy back the brewery. Go Anchor! I love to see that. I will put the link for the GoFundMe in the show notes. My next guest is a bartender about town, Dan Vasquez. Dan is someone new to me, and I don't know why because Dan and I know so many of the same people and many of the same bartenders. So we should have met a while ago, but he,y better late than never. He came to a bar where I was working about a month ago, and we started chatting, and we talked for about 2 to 3 hours about bars that we worked on: Bartenders or bad bar managers, bad bar owners. Just about everything, and he was so funny and had such a great sense of humor. I laughed throughout my shift, which is always good - when you, the customer, make me, the bartender, laugh. This episode is brought to you by Descript. Try Descript now! Descript Check out my site - Traci Ramos The Socials; Instagram Twitter Amado's Millennium #Above Ground #Mikkeller #Molotovs #Mini Bar Horsefeather Bar Pagon Idol Zombie Village Baia New Belgium Magnolia Brewing Kilowatt Bar Mothership     #nodoomloop #sfbartender #driverlesscarssuck #aisucks #sfpodcast #sfpodcaster #sfcommunity #sf#lagunitas #heineken #craftbeer  #mothership Kilowatt #magnoliabrewing #newbelgium #baia #paganidol #zombievillage #molotovs

Hello, and welcome back. I'm Traci Ramos, and this is BoozeNation, the Podcast. Where I speak with people from the bar and restaurant industry of San Francisco about all things bar-related.  It's August, and it's still freezing in San Francisco. Sorry to the rest of California. And devastating news about Maui, please keep Maui in your thoughts I'm assuming there will be a lot of fundraisers in the city, and I'll be posting about the fundraisers when I find out. On July 12, about a month ago, we discovered that Anchor Brewery was closing and shutting its doors. I was shocked. I think many people in the beer, bar, and San Francisco were as well. I took Anchor Brewery for granted; I thought it would operate in San Francisco forever.  2017 - Sapporo buys Anchor - 100% ownership. 2023 - closure. "It's pretty frustrating to see their press release take the typical SF cop-out and blame it on "high production costs" to piggyback off of people thinking sf is in a state of decay. When in reality a big huge foreign business bought a local staple, tried to brute force it through their own business practice, failed almost immediately and now have to liquidate a 130-year-old brand. Classic." Dave Hahn Madrone Bartender. Thank you, Dave - He fucking nailed it. And today, I am talking to Patrick Machel of Anchor Brewery; Patrick is part of the Local 6 warehouse union - union strong and a shop steward. We will get his take on all things related to Anchor Brewery. This episode is brought to you by Descript. Try Descript now! Descript Check out my site - Traci Ramos The Socials; Instagram Twitter   #nodoomloop #anchorsteam #anchorunion #anchorunionsf #anchortap #madronebar #union6 #sapporo #fritzmaytag #gooseisland #lagunitas #heineken #craftbeer #supportsmallbusiness #suppportlocal #beercommunity #sfbeercommunity #saveanchor

Hello, and welcome back to BoozeNation the Podcast where I speak with people from the bar and restaurant industry of San Francisco. It's July and freezing in San Francisco; sorry to the rest of California. And there's probably another surge of covid headed our way, so please be careful. My guest today is Calvin Landrum. When I met Calvin, he was the GM at Sluts the Wine Bar - in SOMA. I went to Sluts back in March. It was fairly new.  And the bar was sexy, funky, and a perfect amount of weird. And what San Francisco needed after three years of closures, reopening more closures - I thought this bar was it.  Calvin was behind the bar and was so nice and engaging about the newness of the bar and the natural wine selections and even had something to say about the non-alcoholic wine on the menu, which I thought was surprising because we're talking about non-alcoholic wine, right? We chatted for a few minutes, and he went to speak to other guests and get the show and dancers going. I like this in a manager - the ability or consciousness to chat with the bar's guests to ensure that many customers know someone is in charge and holding down the fort.  Calvin looked new to me, meaning I hadn't seen him behind the bar or I hadn't served him. Yes, when you've been in the industry long enough, you have those categories you start putting people in. And it turns out Calvin is newish to the bar industry, and we'll find out what he was doing before getting behind the bar.  This episode is brought to you by Descript. Try Descript now! Descript Check out my site - Traci Ramos The Socials; Instagram Twitter www.castrotheatre.com www.thelastcallbar.com www.the440.com www.pinkbootssociety.org #twinpeakstavern Instagram Service party @serviceprty   #gaywitches #castro #castrotheater #supremecourt #federalgovernment #winebars  #naturalwine #pinkbootssociety #combativegays #twinpeaks #440 #lastcall #serviceprty #somagays #castrogays #nodoomloop #unityincommunity

Hello, and welcome back. I'm Traci Ramos, and this is BoozeNation, the Podcast. I talk to bartenders, servers, baristas, and owners in the bar and restaurant industry of San Francisco about all bar-related issues - especially since the pandemic hit and almost decimated our lively hood. You can find BoozeNation on Spotify, iHeart radio, stitcher, and Apple Podcast. Also, Boozenation is on the socials on Instagram and Twitter or Shitter. It's June and freezing in San Francisco - usual, and we're still in a pandemic - be careful out there. And today's guest is bartender Bea Herrera - soon to be a nurse. Yay, nurses - we love nurses. I met Bea at an event sponsored by the WAAC coalition at Wildhawk the Bar. The WAAC coalition hosted the event, which stands for Workers Against Abuse Coalition. I took it to mean that this organization is against any abuse in the bar/hospitality industry. Bartender to bartender Manager to bartender Customer to customer Customer to bartender Unfortunately, there are many ways to abuse one another in the bar world. And during this event, we got into groups and discussed the many issues that are a part of the industry, and Bea was in my group discussion. It was such a good event - I got to see many people I hadn't seen in a while and met new people, new bartenders, or new bartenders to me - like Bea. Bea was also willing to discuss the aftermath of the 2016 election, family members that are tangerine nightmare supporters, and the threat of the invasion of ICE into the restaurants and bars where we worked. This episode is brought to you by Descript. Try Descript now! Descript Check out my site - Traci Ramos The Socials; Instagram Twitter   www.wildhawksf.com www.dalvasf.com https://safebars.org #WAAC www.whitechapelsf.com www.novelasf.com www.thebeehivesf.com www.lolosf.com www.abvsf.com        

This is my first interview as podcast host to podcast host. I love it. My guest, Sara Payan from the Planted With Sara Payan podcast, is up next, and we talk about the possibility of a cannabis cafe opening in San Francisco and many more topics. Sara and I met long ago when we drank at a bar in the mission. We spent so much time drinking, figuring out the world's problems, and fixing the world's problems, which happens when you've been drinking for about six-seven hours in a session. Yes, drunk talk fixes so many things. Thinking back to those conversations with Sara, she was always fighting the good fight. And fighting with her intelligence,  Which is so important and almost unheard of these days. So, you can imagine my excitement when I learned she is also a podcaster, and we reconnected. And as I've mentioned, Planted with Sara Payan is about cannabis and all the things that come along with cannabis in the world of legalization.     This episode is brought to you by Descript. Try Descript now! Descript Check out my site - Traci Ramos The Socials; Instagram Twitter #cannabis #cannabiscafes #podcasthost #plantedwithsarapayan #oldschool #sanfranciscopodcast #oaklandpodcast #weed #pot #davidcrosby #petercoyote #statecannabisadvisorycommittee #medicinalyouthsubcommittee #cancer #cancersurvivor #amsterdam #spain #westhollywood #britishcolombia #bluntbrothers #LBGTQ #AIDS #radiomisfitsnetwork #congresswomanbarbaralee #congressmanearlblumenauer       

Hello and welcome back. Introducing - Olga Boiko, she is the co-owner of two coffee shops in the mission appropriately called Coffee Shop. I first read about Olga and her cafes in May 2022 when Mission Local ran a story about the fundraisers Olga and her Coffee Shops were promoting to help aid Ukraine as they had been invaded by Russia. Yes Olga is originally from Ukraine and as we know Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. (most recent invasion) I mean Putin what a joke.  Though she isn't a bartender, or in the bar business she's in the business of serving the public and dealing with a lot of people who are probably freaking out because they haven't had their caffeine yet. So Olga gets the biz, for sure. I wanted to hear first hand what someone goes through living so far away from their family with war back home. At the time of the Mission Local article back in May 22, Olga and a lot of Ukrainians hoped the war would be over soon. Unfortunately it's not looking like it. Organizations that aid Ukraine; savelife.ua Misto Dobra Press about Olga; Mission Local - Olga Boiko Coffee Shop - instagram @sfcoffeeshop This episode is brought to you by Descript. Try Descript now! Descript Check out my site - Traci Ramos The Socials; Instagram Twitter #nowarinukraine #helpukraine #coffeeshop #coffeeshopmission #coffeeshopsf #supoortlocal #supportsmallbuisness #drinkmorecoffee #sfpodcaster #podcastersf #missionlocal #readlocalmedia #supportlocalmedia

It's February, and we are in Black History Month, technically still in a pandemic, so wear a mask and get vaxxed.   A shout-out to one of the first renowned African American bartenders Tom Bullock. He bartended at the the St. Louis Country Club. Tom is responsible for about 150 cocktail recipes, and he wrote a guidebook that contained these recipes  - the Ideal Bartender, which was Published in 1917. The book has now been republished. Thank you, Tom Bullock, for contributing to the bartending world.  My first international guest, Bonnie Awesu! All the way from London. I met Bonnie when she lived in San Francisco. We both worked at this disgusting restaurant and bar in the Mission neighborhood. The restaurant is Cha Cha Cha - which is no longer there. We reminisce about working together and discussing lockdown in the UK and wage theft. This episode is brought to you by Descript. Try Descript now! Descript Check out my site - Traci Ramos The Socials; Instagram Twitter   #blackhistorymonth #tombullock #idealbartender #podcasters #sanfrancisco #london #pandemic #wagetheft #rats #cockroaches #missiondistrict #mannersmatter #sangria #smallplates #friendscatchingup        

Happy New Year! Happy Dry January - However, there is more of a mindful drinking outlook. The term mindful drinking is a term that I learned from my guest, Joshua James. Josh owns Ocean Beach Cafe, one block away from the ocean on the Richmond side of Golden Gate Park. Josh uses the term mindful drinker or mindful drinking when he speaks about nonalcoholic beverages and a nonalcoholic lifestyle. I started hearing about Josh and Ocean Beach Cafe around 2021. There were articles about the first nonalcoholic cafe, bar, and bottle shop in San Francisco. I was intrigued because I wasn't familiar with any establishment with an NA bottle selection and beer selection. So, I finally made it to Ocean Beach Cafe and tried the Good Buzz Daisy NA cocktail. I was impressed; it's good. The cafe has a mellow, relaxed, and friendly vibe. Please go check it out. https://www.friendshiphousesf.org/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA1A0MiHqVQ https://www.oceanbeachcafe.com/ #mindfuldrinking #mindfuldrinker #HeyBartender #Friendshiphouse #Joshthenonalcoholic #dryjanuary #oceanbeachcafe #nativeamerican #TolowaDee-ni #hawaii #newyork #awakebar #ceriabrewing #northcarolina #athleticbarandpopup #sansbar #rehab #pandemic #sanfrancisco #richmonddistrict

It's New Year's Eve 2022. I hope this past year has been a good one for you all. I hope you've been safe and healthy. For me, I was back behind the bar; it had been almost two years away from bartending for me. It was a little weird slinging behind the stick but overall a good feeling. I want to thank my guests of 2022 for taking the time to be a part of BoozeNation. Thank you, Fredric, Krystal, Sydney, Scottie Jeanette, Lauren, and Freedom. For my last episode of 2022, I'm switching gears a bit. I'm talking to my first DJ on the p-cast. Phraze Vader You have to have a solid sound in your bar in your establishment - it's a make or break for me,  I met DJ Phraze Vader this year when he was spinning at a bar I work at. I instantly loved his sound. It's soulful, groovy, and funky with a little bit of old school.  So cool.  In this interview, you're going to hear a bunch of cackling in the background, which is me laughing because Fraser is pretty funny.  #TooShort, #E40, #SnoopDog, #WarrenG, #DogPound ,#NileRodgers  #Chic, #StevieWonder, #sanfrancisco, #oakland, #Charlotte, #DeadPrez, # reggae, #house, #funk, #soul, #dancehall, #ska, #thespecials,

Today's episode is about #TheBear. It's on #Hulu, and so many restaurant and bar industry people have been talking about this show. I have to say I was late to The Bear. Basically, I don't trust anything on TV to get it right. There have been a few movies and a few TV shows here and there about the restaurant industry, and they miss it by a mile. You know every chef is spotless, the kitchen is super clean, no one is dirty, no spills. And that is bullshit. So, I was skeptical of the show. Then I started to see articles in the Atlantic, Bon Appetite, and the New York Times about how #TheBear showed the manic and toxic environment that restaurants can have. And I got hooked on the show and binged it one setting. That's how good I thought this show was and, more importantly, how I thought this show got so much right.  So today, I'm talking to San Francisco Chef Freedom Rains. Freedom has worked at restaurants such as Boulevard, Incanto, Flour, and Water and now is Executive chef at Amano in Hayes Valley. And we get his take on the show and restaurants in San Francisco. www.amanosf.com/chef/ www.chefchriscosentino.com www.chezpanisse.com/1/ #alicewaters www.acmebread.com www.laurachenel.com www.zunicafe.com #jeremiahtowers            

Welcome back; this is BoozeNation The Podcast. Happy July - which means we are in a post-Roe world right now. I don't know where to begin with about the decision and what it will mean for the future of women in this country. I'm saddened, disgusted and pissed!!! Having said all that, I will now switch gears and switch this on a positive note. And talk about the highlight of my week. And the highlight of that awful week was my discussion with my next guest, Scottie Jeanette Madden. And usually, I speak with people directly connected to the bar and restaurant industry, bartenders, servers, front of the house, back of the house, all those peeps. But this episode, I'm doing something a little different because Scottie Jeanette is a television writer, director, and producer. She's also on the board of directors of DTLA proud. She directed the documentary Proud In A Pandemic, which is about the pandemic and how it affected some of the queer bars and queer communities of downtown LA. Now, Scottie Jeanette worked in bars as a bar back, back in the day. So I felt that that gave her a lot of street cred in the bar industry world. What I appreciated so much about Scottie Jeanette is that she is just so honest about her journey professionally and personally, which showcases her strength and intelligence throughout the interview and beyond the interview as well.   www.zuzubean.com/ted-talk.html www.dtlaproud.org www.dtlaproud.org/proud-in-the-pandemic www.colesfrenchdip.com www.barfranca.com www.precinctdtla.com www.redlinedtla.com      

Happy Pride and Happy Juneteenth. And yes, we're still in a pandemic, and on June 2nd of 2022, Alameda county has issued a mask mandate, so please wear masks; I mean, it's the least you can do. Thank you! My next guest is bar owner Lauren Jamieson owner of Lofi Laboratories, from my old neck of the woods, where I grew up - Modesto. Yes, Lauren is my first guest with an operating business in the Central Valley. And since I started this podcast, I've wondered about the restaurant/bar industry in other parts of California, the States, and the world. And now, after a year of podcasting, I finally get to talk to an owner outside of the city. I want to read a quote from Lauren when we were first talking about the Industry and the podcast. "I would argue that we are the oldest profession—preparing/offering food & drink. I believe in this Industry, and it is a pleasure to support and promote it in any way."   Cheers!   Instagram - @loficocktails

My next guest is my first out-of-town guest—Los Angeles resident – Sydney Croskery. Sydney is a server at a five-star hotel in LA, can't and won't say which one. She is also an awesome artist who has a show coming up in Santa Monica and we've been friends forever. We met way back in the day in San Francisco when life was good and gas was cheap kind of time frame. And we had so much fun with the group of friends that we hung out with, it was seriously a special time in San Francisco. I'm so happy I got to see and experience San Francisco with this certain group of people. And Sydney and I worked together for a brief moment at an Italian restaurant in North Beach. So happy to reunite with Sydney and there may be a couple of times when we get off-topic and start talking about the “olden days” but so what. Also, Sydney and I are both Californians, and you may not be able to tell us apart when we are speaking in the Californian way. But again, too bad. www.sydneycroskery.com www.craigkrullgallery.com Instagram - @sydneycroskery

Welcome back to BoozeNation The Podcast! In honor of Women's History Month - I'm talking to bar manager Krystal Jackson. Krystal is the bar manager of Victory Hall in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood. We talk about our early days in the restaurant business, what it's like to work in a corporate restaurant, and the lack of diversity of bartenders in San Francisco. I met Krystal while working at the Hotel Utah Saloon, which is South of Market on 4th and Bryant. Krystal was working across the street at Mestizo, which was a restaurant and, taqueria and bar with a lovely little patio. Krystal would come into the Utah after her shift, maybe during her shift, and have some well-deserved Jameson. Krystal has such a mellow and calm demeanor, just real chill. I always enjoyed her company and her energy when she was in the bar. Then the pandemic hit, and everybody went in so many directions that I lost track of my coworkers, neighbors, and customers. So when I was walking in my neighborhood in the Inner Sunset and peeked into Pacific Catch and saw Crystal working there, I was so surprised and happy to see her. Again, I love this reuniting thing!!  

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!! It is a big day for drinkers and a big day for bartenders!!!!!! Listen up as I give a very brief history of St. Patrick, shout out a few facts about the day and listen to a few of my friends recount their St. Patrick's Day memories. Also, an Irish proverb is in the episode for my friend EB. Happy St. Patrick's Day EB. Have fun and drink a lot for me, I won't be going out this year!! Remember no blood, no vomit!!!      

Happy New Year!!!! OK, I'm a bit late. So what! My guest today is sweet Frederic Tarmis!! We chop it up about growing up in Paris, vacationing in Guadeloupe, traveling to Montreal, and crossing the border from Canada. I met Frederick when I was working at this bar called the Buck, which was on Market Street, it's no longer there, and it was long gone before 2020, so it was not a casualty of the pandemic. Frederic lived above the bar and would come down and hang out and shoot the shit and drink his luscious Belgium beer. He was always so polite and had great manners, and I just really appreciated it. Manners matter! One of the nice things about this podcast is that I've been able to reconnect with people I haven't seen in a while. Even though it was on Zoom, I still felt like we got to catch up in a meaningful way. Best French accent out there. Merci Frederic

A quick shout out to the end of 2021. Happy New Year!!!!! I discuss the origin of New Year's resolutions, a pretty big bar fight on New Year's Eve, and a few audio clips regarding New Year's Eve. Be Safe and Healthy!!! And Here's to a Covid free 2022!!!

In honor of Filipino Appreciation Month, my guest today is James Pennington. The world-famous Filipino! James is a personal chef in San Francisco and taught English in China when the coronavirus broke out. We discuss lockdowns, the rising hate towards Asian Americans, and Jolly Bees fast food. I'm a little bit late with this particular interview. I wanted this interview in October in honor of Filipino Appreciation Month. However, the editing took a bit longer; those things happened, but my guest is the excellent James Pennington. Yes, you guessed it - he's my favorite Filipino in the world and a talented personal chef who was in China when the coronavirus broke out, which I will talk about later. I met James probably about 15 years ago. Shockingly, we were in a bar, and I first noticed him because he hugged all his friends goodbye when he left the bar. The next time I saw James' I commented on his hugging abilities, and then he hugged me! And we've been friends ever since.

In today's episode, I finish my interview with Chef Trish Tracey. We talk about trying to keep up with PPP loan applications, cooking for Frontline Food SF, losing family members to COVID, the election, the Black Lives Matter protests and the all-around awfulness of 2020. I have to remind people - we're still in a pandemic please get vaxed and please mask up! Thank you!  This is the second part of my interview with Trish Tracy of Myriad restaurant in San Francisco and last episode we talked about how great it was to work in restaurants in San Francisco in the 90s, how many women were in the back of the house back in the day and the dreaded an awful delivery apps! They suck!!!

My guest is Trish Tracey, chef owner of Myriad restaurant in San Francisco, in the Mission. We talk about gaining the Covid 15lbs weight, working in restaurants in the 90s, and the dreaded food apps. This is a two-part interview. I met Trish in 2015 she just opened her restaurant Myriad and I would go in about once a week and my order was always the same it was Chicken Sammie sliders and a wedge salad with extra house made Thousand Island Dressing it was so good. It was kind of like my weekly thing to go in and say hello to Steven and Paige the bartenders, give a quick wave to everyone in the back of the house and then watch Trish as she ran around checking on customers, checking on her chefs, checking on the bartenders. It was just such a really lovely evening to spend time in Myriad with Trish and her crew.

Today, my guest is Chris Green. Chris explains what it is like to live and work in the Tenderloin of San Francisco. The frustration and love Chris has with the neighborhood. The failures of the local government (Mayor Breed) to help those in dire need during this pandemic. Chris Green - one of the sweetest and hardest working bartenders out there and worked during the pandemic with the exception of the lockdowns. I met Chris when we both worked at the Hotel Utah Saloon. Chris was a bar back and bartender and was so eager to learn how to make drinks and make them properly and learn how to be behind the bar which I found so endearing because I was not like that at all. I always thought that Chris was such a hard worker and had a real drive for the craft and I was right because now Chris is a bar manager at a bar in the city the Royale Bar in the City. Good job Chris

Happy Pride!!!! My guest is Will Morgan!!! This San Franciscan bartender is originally from North Carolina. We talk about growing up as a 90s kid in the South and being bullied in kindergarten for being gay. The many issues were communicated to the owners of Jolene's bar but not addressed. And Will's new outlook towards life as a masseur and bartending. So Will was very new to San Francisco when we met, and he would come and visit me at a bar I was working in, in the mission on Sunday nights. And Will would tell me all the things that he was doing in San Francisco and experiencing. It was so sweet, and I enjoyed Will's energy and expressions and his lens of San Francisco and being new to The City. This interview occurs when Will is actually in Mexico City, so I appreciate him taking time away from eating delicious Mexican food to talk to me. So thank you, Will! Happy Pride!!!

Hello and welcome back to BoozeNation The Podcast - Episode Three. Today I am speaking with the lovely Melinda Lopez. I met Melinda when we worked in bars and restaurants in the South of Market neighborhood. I was at the Hotel Utah Saloon, and she was at Marlow, which is around the corner from the Utah. Melinda would come into the Utah before her shift, sit at the bar, and get shitfaced. I'm kidding; I'm kidding; she did not do that! I joke because Melinda is such a professional and takes such great pride in her job that she would never show up to a shift drunk like some bartenders and servers have been known to do from time to time but not Melinda. When Melinda came in, we would catch up about the week, gossip a little, and then she would head out to Marlow, and it was such a beautiful little part of my Friday afternoon to have Melinda pop in. In this interview, we talk about the housing crisis in San Francisco, the lack of female bartenders when we started in the bar business, the rise of the "tech bro" and the repercussions of tech on San Francisco and the dining scene.

Hello and welcome back to BoozeNation The Podcast. Today my Interview with bartender supreme, Christian "Suzu" Suzuki-Orellana.  And like most bartenders, Suzu was working at three bars in San Francisco before the pandemic hit, and I met him at one of those bars - Wildhawk, which is in the Mission. I would go into Wildhawk after my bar shift ended on Saturday night, and Suzu would make me such delicious cocktails one of the things I noticed about Suzu was how graceful he was behind the bar. He glides around the bar and his coworkers like a graceful gazelle, and I just love watching him work. I think because I am like a Clydesdale behind the bar and somebody who can move that gracefully was just kind of a mystery to me. We talk about some of the San Francisco bars Suzu has worked in before COVID and his family's businesses in the East Bay and Japan. His commitment to giving back to his community through his Kagano pop-up and what it's like to work with the public since 2016. At times its terrifying working with such a hate-fueled public. So here we are, episode two, and enjoy Suzu's giggle.   Wildhawk  www.wildhawksf.com Instagram @wildhawk_sf                    @kaganopop                    @suzuvroom

Hello and Welcome to my podcast - BoozeNation The Podcast. Throughout this podcast, I plan to check in with my fellow restaurant and bar comrades as we try to weather this pandemic storm. Believe me, it has not been easy for any of us to try to get through this craziness. My first guest is Karine Adolphe an amazing server, bartender, and sommelier who I met when I was bartending at a bar called the Buck. The Buck was on Market Street and Karine was serving at Zuni Café which was across the street from the Buck. Karine and other Zunis would come in after their shift for their decompression drinks after they served the Zuni clientele. And that clientele can be a nightmare. So I empathized with the Zunis when they guzzled down their shots of liquid-make-me-forget-all-the-assholes-I-just-dealt-with. In this interview with Karine Adolphe, we talk about what it takes to become a sommelier, the cheating and sexual harassment scandals in the wine community, bitcoin, and the insecurity of working with the public between the years 2016-2020.    

On March 15th, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered all wineries, nightclubs, brewpubs, and bars to close to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. The closure of said establishments was meant to be temporary; it was not. Join Traci Ramos, an unemployed bartender in San Francisco, as she looks at what happened to the bar and restaurant industry of San Francisco during the pandemic. Each episode contains interviews with bartenders, servers, owners, and everyone else connected to the service industry.